Why Aren’t My Prayers Answered?
Sometimes our prayers aren’t answered, and that can be confusing and painful.
It’s often said that God does answer each of our prayers: with ‘yes’, ‘no’, and ‘wait a bit longer’.
In a message in The Word for Today published on 31 July 2009, Bob Gass offered more insight.
The Prayer God Answers
‘You ask but do not receive…’ (James 4:3 NKJV)
Pastor Jerry Sittser writes: ‘What would happen if all our prayers were answered? I thought about my early years when I was ready to conquer the world, with or without Christ. The group I led grew, I was riding a wave of success, everything I touched turned to gold. Eventually the ministry levelled off and lost momentum. Thank God it did… I’d become insufferably proud, a self-appointed expert. What would’ve happened if my prayers had been answered, our group had continued to grow and our programme had continued to receive recognition?’
James says, ‘You ask but do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives.’ There are certain prayers God won’t answer for your own good.
Sittser continues: ‘Your cause may be right, but you may still be wrong; manifesting pride, gloating in victory, punishing wrongdoers with excessive severity, and excusing sin. The great hazard for people on a crusade is… they become blind to their own faults. They fight for civil rights but treat janitors like second-class citizens. They uphold standards of Biblical sexuality, but show little grace towards their spouse. Unanswered prayer is God’s gift… it protects us from ourselves. If all our prayers were answered we’d abuse the power… use prayer to change the world to our liking, and it would become hell on earth. Like spoiled children with too many toys and too much money, we’d grab for more. We’d pray for victory at the expense of others… intoxicated by power… we’d hurt people and exalt ourselves. Isaiah said, ‘The Lord longs to be gracious to you… therefore He waits…’ (Isaiah 30:18 NAS)
Unanswered prayer protects, breaks, deepens… and transforms.
Past, unanswered prayers — which left us hurt and disillusioned — act like a refiner’s fire to prepare us for future answers.
See our FAQs and these articles below for more on how and why to pray.
God Hears Our Groans.
‘Their cry for help…went up to God.’ Exodus 2:23 NIV
Just when the Israelites thought life couldn’t get worse, it did! Pharaoh withheld their straw and ordered them to produce the same daily quota of bricks. At that point three things happened:
(1) ‘The Israelites groaned in their slavery.’ (Exodus 2:23 NIV) It’s what we do when we feel so bad that words can’t express it. We groan, first within ourselves, then to whoever will listen, finding relief in venting our frustrations. But lasting help requires more than just talking to yourself and others. So, they raised the decibel level and:
(2) ‘Cried out…for help.’ (Exodus 2:23 NIV) God had seen them grit their teeth and white-knuckle it through another day. But since they were talking to everybody but Him, nothing changed. However, as soon as ‘their cry…went up to God…[He] heard their groaning.’ (Exodus 2:24 NIV) He just wanted a prayer to answer. David declared, ‘He hears My voice and…has inclined His ear to me…I shall call upon Him as long as I live.’ (Psalm 116:1-2 NAS) Instead of complaining, pray! Give God a prayer to answer and He’ll answer it. ‘Why would God listen to someone like me?’ you say. Because:
(3) ‘God remembered His covenant with Abraham…and…took notice of them.’ (Exodus 2:24-25 NAS) God answered their prayers because of a covenant He made with their father. He took notice of them because they were Abraham’s children. They got it ‘on credit’. So do you! ‘God through Christ has forgiven you.’ (Ephesians 4:32 NLT) God’s mercy and favour is yours today because you belong to Christ. ‘My Father will give you whatever you ask in My name… Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.’ (John 16:23–24 NIV) How good is that?
From The Word for Today by Bob & Debby Gass — 27 April 2009
Thumps!
‘Count it all joy!’ James 1:2 NKJV
Max Lucado writes: ‘When a potter bakes a pot he checks its solidity by pulling it out of the [furnace] and thumping it. If it “sings”, it’s ready. If it “thuds”, it’s put back in. Character is also checked by thumping… Late night phone calls… grouchy teachers… burnt meals… flat tyres… you’ve-got-to-be-kidding deadlines. Thumps trigger the worst in us… They aren’t big enough to be a crisis, but if you get enough of them, watch out. Traffic jams… long lines… empty mailboxes… dirty clothes on the floor… Thump. Thump. Thump. How do you respond? Do you sing or do you thud? Jesus said, “People speak the things that are in their hearts” (Luke 6:45 NCV), and there’s nothing like a good thump to reveal the true nature of a heart… it’s not in momentary heroics, but in the thump-packed humdrum of day-to-day living. If you’ve a tendency to “thud” more than you “sing”, take heart. There’s hope for us “thudders”. Begin by thanking God …not a half-hearted thank-you…but a rejoicing, jumping-for-joy, thank-you from the bottom of your heart. James says: “Count it all joy when you fall into various trials… the testing of your faith produces patience.” God’s doing the thumping… for your own good… You’re going to be tested… you might as well learn from the thumps. See it as an opportunity to develop patience and persistence. Each thump helps or hurts you, depending on how you use it. Be aware of “thump-slumps”… For all of us there are times during the week when we can anticipate an unusual amount of thumping. Handle them head on…bolster yourself with extra prayer… don’t give up…and remember no thump is disastrous. All thumps work together for good when you love and obey God.’
From The Word for Today by Bob & Debby Gass – 16 September 2009