WHEN GOD DOES NOT ANSWER
One of the hard realities of the Christian life is unanswered prayers. Christ promised that He will give what we ask (John 14:13), but only if we ask in His name—that is, according to His will (see also 1 John 3:21–22). At times, there’s nothing wrong with our prayers, yet the Lord still does not grant them. Paul asked for his “thorn in the flesh” to be removed (2 Cor 12:7–8). God answered, but He still did not give Paul what he asked. Out of great sorrow, Christ asked the Father to take away the “cup of suffering” from Him (Matt 26:39). And as we know, He was still crucified. He submitted to the Father’s will, despite not receiving what He asked for.
How do we respond to this as believers? Christians respond to this reality in different ways. Some deny that unanswered prayers exist. Yet, both Scripture and our own experiences point us to this truth. Others say that God’s “no” is still an answer. In other words, there is no such thing as unanswered prayer. But unanswered prayers are requests that God does not grant. Even if we call His “no” an answer, the problem of unanswered prayer remains—we just changed the label. There are also some who rationalize why God does not give their requests. This is often done for comfort. For example, when someone prays for the healing of a sick loved one so they can leave the hospital, but God does not grant it, others justify the situation by saying that God still answered the prayer, but in a different way. They say God indeed removed the patient from the hospital, but by taking them into eternity. The truth is, no matter how we twist the story, God still did not give what was asked. We cannot deny the reality of unanswered prayers. There’s nothing wrong with being honest and accepting it.
In the book Hard Questions, Real Answers (Craig, 2003), several reasons are given why God sometimes does not give what we pray for:
Sin in our lives. Unconfessed and unrepented sins are a hindrance not only to our relationship with the Lord but also to our prayers. “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective” (James 5:16). This implies that unrighteousness makes prayers ineffective. An example is found in 1 Peter 3:7, where husbands are told to treat their wives considerately so that their prayers would not be hindered. In other words, mistreating one’s spouse can result in unanswered prayers! Sometimes God is also disciplining us, which is why He does not grant our requests (see Heb 12:6).
Wrong motives. James says that God does not give when our motives are wrong (James 4:3). The ultimate goal of every request should be the glory of God. Unanswered prayers may be God’s way of saying that He does not want what we are asking for. Sometimes, He may agree with the request itself, but not with the reasons behind it.
Lack of faith. It is expected that we should first believe before receiving what we ask for (Mark 11:24; James 1:6–8). God does not require great or extraordinary faith before He answers—though of course, greater faith is always good. Even small faith is enough for a miracle (see Luke 17:6). Ultimately, the answers to our prayers depend on God’s will and His ability, not the size of our faith. Yet God still wants us to believe before He grants our requests.
Lack of earnestness. Sometimes we don’t receive what we ask because we are not truly concerned whether God gives it or not. Hannah is a good example of someone who prayed earnestly (1 Sam 1:12–20). The disciples also prayed passionately (Acts 4:23–31). No wonder God gave them what they asked.
Lack of perseverance. Many prayers remain unanswered because we give up too soon. We may start with passion but later lose interest in asking God. Jesus told parables encouraging us to be persistent in prayer (Luke 11:5–8; 18:1–8). God wants us to keep on seeking, asking, and knocking (Luke 11:9), and not give up (Luke 18:1). Even if we don’t receive what we want immediately—or never at all—God develops character in us when we persist. In other words, we lose nothing by not quitting! Through persistent prayer, our dependence on God grows, and our patience is tested. We’ve heard countless testimonies of God answering consistent prayers after 10, 20, even 70 years. God has perfect timing, and He never withholds without reason.
________
What are the prayers that God has not yet answered for you? It could be a new job, a life partner, something related to your ministry or your passion. It could even be about spiritual struggles that have not yet gone away. If God has given you another day, He is not finished with your story. And if your request is not sinful, there’s no reason to give up on it, dear brother or sister. “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” (Matt 7:11).
Source and Study:
Comments
Post a Comment