Unanswered Prayers: Is God not Listening?

Prayer is our way of communicating with God. There are so many promises in the bible that whatever we ask in Jesus name, the Lord will give it to us.

It's just that sometimes, we don't get all the things that we are praying for.

Do you pray? Do you have your request to God that until now He is not giving you? Is there a time where you feel like God is not listening to you?

Well, let me answer all of that in this article.

Why do we have prayers that are left unanswered? Can God really hears all of our prayers?

Here are the three different answers of the Lord in our every prayer:

• Yes

These are our prayers wherein we got a direct and immediate response from the Lord. This could be our daily prayer of protection, provision and guidance. This could be our simple prayers.

This could be our prayer of guidance in the exam, on work presentation and on any other things. This could be our prayer asking Him to give us wisdom and knowledge. This could be our prayer asking Him to give us strength and courage to face the day.

This is literally our every prayer where we get His clear and immediate response. We ask Him for His guidance the whole day, and now, we end our day, victorious. Because He have given us His answer. A "yes" type of answer.

• No

Maybe this is what is happening for the most of us. Maybe the things that we are praying for isn't coming because the Lord already said no.

But why would He said no? Didn't he say He can do anything?

To answer that question, the main reason that God is saying no is because it's not His will. A great example that I could give you about seeking God's will in our prayer is our very own Lord Jesus Christ.

The night when He was captured to suffer from the cross, He says on Mark 14:36 “Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”

He's suffering so much that time and He knows that His Father can spare Him from that pain yet He didn't ask for that. Instead, He asked for the will of God to happen.

The Father answered Him a "no" about taking His cup. And look what happens now, we were given salvation. Because Jesus let the will of the Lord to happen.

Despite having "no" for an answer, let us still be grateful for the Lord and remember that He have a purpose on His every will. All we have to do is to trust in the Lord and let His will to happen in our lives.

Isaiah 55:8-9

8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts.

• Wait

Here's another answer from the Lord that we often mistaken as "no".

God wants us to be patient too. If we want something, let us put our devotion on it.

Philippians 4:6-7 "6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

It's just that sometimes, it can take time before God finally gave us what we were asking for. Let's just continue on praying and wait until God gave it to us.

What are the basis of the Lord for His answers?

• Good sees our hearts. He knows our every desire. And if He see that we are deserving about the things that we are asking, He might gave it to us instantly.

• Let us ask according to God's will. It's okay to ask for anything, just like what He told us, but let us remember that in the end, God's will should always prevail. For He knows better.

• Pray without ceasing. Just like what I've said, God sees through us. He knows what's in our hearts. He sees it if we have doubts. And God wants us to put our confidence in Him. So if we pray, let us make sure that there is no doubt in our hearts that God can perform that thing that we want to happen.

• Never think that God is not listening. Maybe the problem is within us. Maybe we still have our doubts. So let us make sure that when we pray, we completely trust God that He can make anything possible.

• Work for it. Prayer without works is dead. If we wan't something, we should work hard for it and only ask God's guidance in achieving it. Though God can give us anything, He still wants to see us work hard for the things that we want.

Let us be smart in discerning God's answer to our prayer. He always have answers. And whatever it is, either a yes, no, or maybe, let us still be grateful to Him.

He listens to our every prayer. Let's just keep on praying and let us put our hope in God. Our God who never fails.

I pray that whatever you are praying for, God would grant them to you according to His will.

=)