June  2006

When God Does Not Answer Prayers

"The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much" James 5:16
"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding" Proverbs 3:5
 

Right from the beginning of this year a lot of unanswered prayers piled up in my life. There were times when I prayed fervently, continually, untiringly and many times even fasting. But at the end of it all, it only led to disappointments and discouragements. I took some time to list down the things I had prayed for, which God did not answer this year. I asked God why He did not answer my prayers in the way I expected Him to. But He reminded me of His command in Psalm 46:10 to Be Still And Know That He Is God. Through all my disappointments, I was reminded of a great comforting statement that "God is STILL in control".

I did take some time to analyze and see "Why does God not answer ALL our prayers?" Yes, many a time He has worked awesome miracles in our lives and also in the lives of the ones we've prayed for, but why does He stay quiet to some of our prayers?

Many a time, we ask God for things which, to our human mind, are things we need to be successful, comfortable in life. But God in His infinite wisdom looks beyond what our human mind can think. When a 2-year old kid asks his mom for a knife to play with, in spite of the kid's stubborn cries the mother would not give him the knife. Because, even though as far as that kid is concerned a knife is a thing to play with, the mother knows that the kid is not old enough to know the seriousness of the injuries that knife could cause. Likewise, many times we ask God for something which, in God's wisdom, is not good for us or not the right time for us to have it. So God seems to go quiet on those petitions of ours. It does not mean that He is ignoring our prayers, but sometimes He waits for the right time to give us the right thing.

Remember, GOD ANSWERS ALL OUR PRAYERS, even the ones which He does not seem to answer. Let me explain what I mean by that. While still pondering on this question (of why God is not answering my prayers), I was reading a book which had a classic explanation of Why and How God does and does not answer prayers. The author goes to say that "God answers EVERY PRAYER by either giving what is asked for or reminding the petitioner that God's provision is built on His wisdom and executed in His time". So remember, my friend, God WILL answer your prayer according to His wisdom and in His time. If according to God's wisdom, the thing you are asking for is not good for you or not the right time for you to have, He will not give you what you ask for. At such times, don't get discouraged or disappointed, but rather trust in His wisdom and His provision because Jesus loves and cares for you. He is always on time with His best for you.

In another place in that book the author mentions that "In persistent, fervent prayer, God prepares the soil of one's heart to make room for the seed of His answer, from which will flower an alignment with His will". When our prayer is aligned according to God's wisdom, provision and His divine will, when the time is right for us to have the thing we're asking God for, then the seed of His answer to our prayers will meet the soil of our hearts and when the time is right the bloom/outcome of our prayers will be like a sweet-smelling fragrance touching heaven through our praises to God for His provision !!!

My friend, we have a God who hears our cry and knows our needs. He never slumbers or sleeps when His children cry out to Him. When God seems to be quiet to some of your prayers, just remember that He is preparing the soil of your heart to make room for the seed of His answer from which will flower an alignment with His will. When God Does Not Answer some of your prayers, just remember that God's provision is built on His wisdom and executed in His time.

May the Lord Jesus comfort you and console you even as you trust in Him in spite of disappointments and discouragements and submit to His will.

Have a blessed day !!!

Your friend,
Eshcol