As a long-time pastor and Christian, I’ve seen many of my prayers answered but I’ve also seen many that seemingly haven’t been answered, at least not when and how I wanted them answered. I know in my head that sometimes prayers aren’t answered because it’s not best for us or it’s not the right time. I know that technically every prayer is answered with a ‘yes’, ‘no’ or ‘wait’. I know it would be disastrous if God answered every one of my prayers the way I wanted. I know all that and I have taught and preached about that, but sometimes I can’t help but wondering why certain requests, which seem so right and important, are seemingly not answered. I’m sure you can identify. I read somewhere that the question” Why didn’t God answer my prayers?” was asked to Google over 20 million times. Clearly I’m not the only one that wonders.
Still, knowing all the Bible answers in our head and knowing that others ask the same questions doesn’t always help when it seems like God doesn’t come through in something that is very important to us. Often these unanswered requests are not for myself but for others. They could be for health, relationships, healing, for the kingdom of God to advance, or many other good reasons. I know he cares about these things. It can be easy to become discouraged and back off in my prayers because of them not being answered when and how I want. Sometimes I am tempted to think that God is going to do what He’s going to do and that is always the best so why even pray? He is sovereign.
However, He commands us to pray and something inside me keeps wanting to come to Him with these needs and requests. He promises He will hear and will answer. There is no one else to go to and no other solution in some situations. It’s natural and normal to want to take them to the feet of our loving and caring Heavenly Father.
I must always remember that God is still God and that He does have our best interests at heart. I can’t expect Him to have to explain to me everything He does or justify why He doesn’t do something I think He should. That is what faith and trust is all about. God is no magic genie I can command. I must remember that He is the same yesterday today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). He has proven His love and care by coming to earth and going to the cross for me before I even knew Him or could do anything to thank Him. So, I cannot question His love or His sovereignty. In fact, those are the very truths we must fall back on at times like these. My trust in Him and understanding of Him cannot be dependent on how my prayers turn out.
God is totally and completely worthy of all my trust and devotion, no matter if it seems some of my prayers are unanswered or not (Proverbs 3:5-6). It should overwhelm me that He answers any of my prayers at all. I can’t lean on my own understanding of situations. God hears every one of my prayers and knows my heart. He is always able to answer. Nothing is too hard for Him. He is always able but He is not always willing and even if I don’t understand His reasoning, He is God and He can be trusted.
Of course, we know that there really is no such thing as an unanswered prayer. Knowing the prayer has been answered, even if not the way I want, reminds me that He hears and does what is best. If I knew all that He knows I could see and understand what He does. But I do not and so my choice is to trust Him and to keep on praying. I hope that’s your choice as well.
1 John 5:14-15: “And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.”
Do you every struggle with ‘unanswered’ prayer? How do you resolve it in your heart?
Take a few moments to pray and thank God that He is sovereign and He is love, so you can trust whatever He does or doesn’t do.
cto Rev. Dr. JERRY SCHMOYER
Christian Training Organization
Jerry@ChristianTrainingOrganization.org
(India & Africa Outreach, Spiritual Warfare, Family Ministries, Counseling, World View)
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