By Leslie Kowalski
How many times have you prayed for a specific request, need or for a certain outcome or resolution to a problem, but it seemed your prayers weren’t answered? Does God hear you? Is He ignoring your need or painful situation?
There are several reasons that you might not be receiving the response you had hoped for:
Trusting God’s timing:
His timing is different from ours. We want what we want and it’s usually right now! That’s not how He works. Place your trust in Him. He is always working in the background on situations we may not know or see. He always answers prayers. Sometimes the answer is, “Wait” or “not yet”.
“Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10
Another purpose:
God may have a plan that will ultimately serve your spiritual growth or your good better than what you could have imagined. In this case, He is saying, “No, I have something better for you.”
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” – Jeremiah 29:11
His will vs our will:
We have a desired outcome, opportunity or situation that we’re just SURE is what we need, and we want it so badly! We may even do our best to force the desired outcome, like someone who tries to force a piece of a puzzle to fit into the wrong space. God knows what we need better than we do, and our request may not align with His purpose for us. As Jesus prayed this prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane before His crucifixion, we must trust in God’s higher plan for our lives, especially in difficult times.
“Not my will, but Thy will be done.” LK 22:42
Wrong motives:
Have you ever prayed to win the lottery? How could that not be a good thing? When we pray for something that we want, either because we feel we deserve it, or because it’s something we really want, even though it may not be in our best interest, God may say, “NO”. If our motives are a result of selfish desires, and not for God’s glory, we might not get the answer we’d hoped for.
“You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures” James 4:3
Unconfessed sin or conflict:
Is there someone in your life that has hurt you, and that you have a hard time forgiving? Perhaps they’ve apologized, but you refuse to forgive them. Have you wronged someone else, but never asked forgiveness either because you feel they deserved it or due to pride, you just don’t want to admit that you were wrong? Unforgiveness is a totally human affliction that we have all experienced and many of us fiercely hold onto. However, forgiving someone is not necessarily between just you and them. It is also between you and God.
“Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us” Matthew 6:12-14
What about habitual or serious sin? Sometimes, unrepentant sin stands in the way of receiving graces from God. Disregarding God’s laws with impunity, (I’m an adult, and can do as I want; my sin doesn’t affect anyone else; it’s not that bad – everyone is doing it, etc.) can have a negative effect on your prayer life. Conscious sin separates us from God. Though He doesn’t cause bad things to happen to us, sometimes He allows consequences to our actions so that we change our ways and learn to more fully rely on Him.
Many treat God as a vending machine. They know ABOUT God, but don’t KNOW God. There are those who say they believe in God, yet don’t worship Him. They constantly ask Him for favors, but that is the only time they turn to Him. Treating God as a “magic genie” to fill requests, but not believing in and worshiping Him as the God of Heaven and Earth, may cause their prayers to be ineffective.
“Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will never believe“. John 4:48
Some don’t acknowledge Him or are too preoccupied with life to attend church. Maybe it’s “inconvenient”, the kids have sports, or they’d rather just sleep in. The Creator of the Universe has made Himself available to each and every one of us, individually. He has given each of us so much, even our very lives, yet merely asks us to set aside time to spend with Him. Unfortunately, in today’s world, this is seen as optional, even though it breaks two of the Ten Commandments.
“Remember the sabbath day to keep it Holy” Exodus 20:8
Doubt:
Knowing that God wants to grant your prayer, whether it is for health, for protection, to change your situation, or for any other reason, can be affected by doubt or unbelief. Praying for something, then believing that God doesn’t want to grant that prayer because you’re unworthy, you don’t want to ask too much of Him, or because others’ needs are thought to be more important, is putting a limit on God. You are closing yourself to His graces, therefore rejecting His blessings.
“Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” Mark 9:24
God can do what He wills. None of us are “worthy”, but He does it out of love. All He asks is that we trust. Sometimes God does grant our request, then we give it back to Him. For instance, being healed, then questioning whether what you have just experienced is true, or falling back into the behaviors that caused the problem in the first place, is rejecting His answer to your prayer. You have free will and He will not force His upon you.
“And he did not do many miracles there, because of their unbelief”. Matthew 13:58
God is infinite, all powerful and just, but above all, He is love. Each one of us was a deliberate thought of the Creator. He decided the world would not be complete without YOU. Everything He does is out of limitless love. There isn’t a limit to the graces that He wants to pour out. He has a plan for every life, even though we may not understand it in this life on earth. Like a good parent, He wants what is best for you, so that is why you aren’t given everything that you want. Yes, God hears your every thought, every prayer and even the whispers of your heart. Continue to pray, worship and above all, trust in Him. He will provide all that you need.
“Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in ALL circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18