What would you tell a person who has been praying faithfully for the same thing for many years, and still hasn't seen any change in the situation? Does prayer really change things? Can the Sovereign Lord, who knows everything, be persuaded to change His mind? If not, what's the point of making our requests known to Him? The power of prayer is a mystery. We can't explain it. Either we must embrace it by faith or simply leave it alone.
Prayer is not about results. It's about having a relationship with the Heavenly Father. In order that we might know Him, trust Him, and remember Him in all our ways. He wants us to become involved and play an active role in the mystery of His plan for the universe. But He doesn't promise to be our personal wish-fulfiller.
Scripture teaches us that prayer can make a real difference in the course of human events. If you doubt this, consider Abraham's intercessions on behalf of Sodom in Genesis 18:16-33, Hezekiah's prayer for the extension of his life in Isaiah 38, or the church's pleas for Peter's release from prison in Acts 12:1-19. Do unanswered prayers mean that God doesn’t care, or that He’s not even there? God has a message to send you through the silence. Here’s how you can hear Him, even when He doesn’t answer your prayers:
1.
Ask yourself if Satan
is opposing your prayers-Know that Satan will
sometimes try to block your prayers from being answered by contesting them. Ask
God to help you persevere in prayer and stand in courage against evil so you
can break through spiritual opposition. Learn about spiritual warfare and use
Scripture as your weapon in the battle. Ask God to reveal how you should best
pray into the situation. Try fasting. Spend time worshipping Jesus.
2.
Ask yourself if there
is a secret sin you need to confess-Understand that
disobedience may block your prayers from being answered. Find a Christian
friend you trust, and confess any sin you haven’t yet confessed. Repent of that
sin by turning away from it and turning toward God. Pursue healing for wounds
that keep you tied to sinful thought or behavior patterns. Ask God to give you
the strength to forgive or apologize to people to whom you need to do so.
3.
Ask yourself if
you’re actively pursuing justice-Know that some
prayers aren’t answered because of disregard for oppressed people in your own
community, and around the world. Make sure you’re seeking to express God’s love
for people who are marginalized in society such as the poor and the disabled.
Practice hospitality. Volunteer for service projects. Act politically to
support causes that God leads you to support.
4.
Ask yourself if
you’re expecting God to spare you from the normal consequences of living in a
fallen world-Acknowledge that in our fallen world suffering is common for every
human being. Expect to have trouble in this world. Discuss your situation with
some faithful friends and honestly consider whether God is asking you to pray
against your suffering, or whether He simply wants to give you the grace to
endure it with Him alongside you.
5.
Ask yourself if
you’re trying to find answers in situations where you need to simply trust
instead-Realize that if you’re doing everything right, but your situation
still doesn’t make sense you can still hold onto God like a hurting kid
embracing his or her father. Be connected to God and keep trusting Him while
you go through your current challenges. Know that your challenges are not in
vain because God will use them to make you a better person.
6.
Be honest- Admit your disappointment, frustration, confusion, doubt, sorrow,
anger, and any other feelings you have about the fact that you haven’t yet
received answers to your prayers. Don’t be afraid to express yourself
completely to God without shame or pretense. Pray about every concern you have.
Ask God hard questions.
7.
Be willing to accept
“no” as an answer-Consider carefully whether God has not answered your prayer, or
whether He has answered it, but chosen to deny your request. Ask God to give
you the strength to accept His will even if it’s contrary to your wishes. Realize
that your power to choose God’s will over your own preference is a significant
opportunity to grow in faith and maturity.
God’s wisdom is often beyond human understanding, but He is always
working out the best for you from His eternal perspective. Ask God to help you
learn the valuable lessons He wants to teach you through your suffering, so
that suffering will ultimately lead you to greater joy.
8.
Realize that silence
doesn’t mean absence-Know that God is still present with you
despite His silence. Remember His promise never to leave or forsake you.
Understand that God sometimes decides to withdraw from your conscious
experience and deliberately make Himself less obvious and less immediately
available in order to reduce your dependence on outward things and help you
live by faith. Ask God to reassure you of His presence as you struggle with
unanswered prayers.
9.
Seek God Himself
instead of just His miracles-Understand that,
although God sometimes does choose to perform miracles for certain purposes, He
often decides not to do so. Believe in the truth that a miracle is always
possible, but remember that miracles are rare by definition. Check your motives
to make sure you’re not just vying for a miracle, but instead are seeking to
grow closer to God. Don’t expect God to be like a divine vending machine who
dispenses miracles on demand. Love God Himself more than what He can give you.
10.
Trust in God’s love- Know that nothing can ever separate you from God’s love. Regularly
remind yourself of specific ways God has already shown you that He loves you,
such as through answered prayer in the past and His promises in scripture.
Recognize the blessings you currently have that you haven’t noticed before and
thank God for them. Remember that God often expresses His love through the
kindness of faithful people. Choose to take God at His word and believe that He
cares about you no matter what.
“Sometimes God doesn't give
you what you think you want not because you don't deserve it, but because you
deserve something so much more.” (Anonymous)[i]
[i] Sources used:
·
“Hear the Silent Message in Unanswered Prayer” by
Pete Greig
·
“How should a
Christian respond to unanswered prayer?” by Got Questions
·
“Unanswered
Prayer” by Focus on the Family
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