Why Doesn’t God Answer My Prayer?

“Why hasn’t God answered my prayer yet?”

This is a common lament I’ve said over the years especially when I’ve wanted an immediate response from the Lord. I’ve had times when I’ve tried to bargain with God to get my prayer answered in my way or rationalize with Him as to why He should answer me right away! To say I’ve struggled with prayer is a huge understatement, but God, in His great mercy, has forgiven me for my presumptive nature, and He has been teaching me a great deal about prayer.

As I learn more about God and how He desires to communicate with me, I am gaining a better understanding about prayer. The apostle John wrote in 1 John 5:14-15, “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.” I have learned that there are specific requirements to remember about prayer if I want them answered.

First and foremost, answered prayers are those that align with the will of God. How do I know if my prayer is in agreement with God’s desires? His will is all throughout the Bible. For example, I know that God wants people to be saved. 2 Peter 3:9 states, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance,” and John affirms that salvation is for everyone in 1 John 4:14, “And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.”

Another example in Scripture that I know is God’s will is that I am to love others.  John 15:12 records Jesus saying, “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.” I know without a doubt that loving family, friends, and even those “hard-to-love” folks is something God wants me to do.

One last example of knowing God’s will is in Matthew 28:19, when Jesus gives us what has come to be known as the “great commission”: “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:” I know it is the will of God that I share Christ with others whenever I have the opportunity to do so.

When I know the will of God and pray according to it, I can approach His throne boldly with my requests, and have the assurance that He will pay attention to my prayer and answer it in His time.

But what if I don’t know His will? How do I pray then? Sometimes we don’t know the will of God regarding a specific issue, but we are still to pray. The Bible tells us that we are to bring all of our burdens, cares, worries to Him, and He will take care of them. Philippians 4:6 instructs me, “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” My responsibility is to share my heart with God, and then trust Him for the outcome. I am not to pray and tell God what to do. I am not the omniscient One; He is. Psalm 62:8 states, “Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.” Giving my burdens, cares, troubles to God, and then trusting Him to provide the answers for me requires me to “let go and let God” as the old saying goes. As a “control freak”, this is not easy for me, but when I choose to trust Him to work in the best interest for me and those for whom I pray, He gives me peace… His wonderful peace that truly passes all understanding… as I wait for Him to answer.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 tells me to “Pray without ceasing.”  I am not promised that I will understand how God works all the time, or that His answer will be what I wanted, but I am promised that when I trust Him, He will work all things to my good (Romans 8:28), and that’s what brings my heart peace in the midst of a life that’s not always so peaceful.

Pray on, pray on, believing ones, God’s promised word is sure,
That they shall overcome by faith who to the end endure;
Pray on, pray on, O weary not; the cross with patience bear,
And tho’ its burden weigh us down, the Lord will answer prayer.

His eye foresees our greatest good, while we at best are weak,
And thus in wisdom He withholds the boon that oft we seek;
And yet His all-sufficient grace, He bids us freely share,
And in a way we little know the Lord will answer prayer.

With anxious thoughts for those we love, how oft our hearts are filled,
But soon the clouds are rolled away, the troubles waves are stilled;
Then murmur not, but trust in Him, Who knows our every care,
And better for than we can ask, the Lord will answer prayer.

(from “The Lord Will Answer Prayer” by Fanny Crosby)

“Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;” – Colossians 4:2

**********

Never forget what James 5:16 states: “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”