How do we respond when it seems like our prayers are not being answered?

Have you ever prayed desperately about something, and walked away feeling as if your prayers weren’t answered? This is especially tough when the prayers are selfless and coming from a good place, such as asking for the healing of a loved one or deliverance from difficult circumstances. There are times when life will be difficult and our prayers may not be answered in the time or manner we would prefer. How do you respond in times like these? Today we are going to look at how we should respond to prayer and what should we do when it looks as if our prayers aren’t being answered.

Far too often we want to place our faith and trust in God only when it appears he is answering us. We tend to have this faulty notion that God is some sort of magical genie that we can beckon when we are in need, but ignore a large part of our daily lives. The truth is God is not a religion and goes far beyond believing his existence and power (James 2:18-21), God is a relationship. We were meant to have a relationship with God and sin caused separation, which is why Jesus died, so that we could restore our connection to God through Christ who dies for our sins. (Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God). Knowing this gives us a deeper understanding of what prayers should and should not be. Prayer should be regular part of our daily lives as it is how we communicate through God. Through prayer we can grow closer to God and learn more about Him and His will for our lives.

The scripture tells us that God answers prayers and that we must have faith in God answering our prayer (Matthew 21:22 2 “And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.” James 1:5-8). We need to submit to God and seek His will for our life and not our own, as doing this will help us see things in a completely different manner. The enemy wants us to be discouraged and feel abandoned by God and this can be easy to do if we trust in our own understanding. A number of atheists claim they stopped believing in God, because of a difficult circumstance where they didn’t see an answered prayer. The truth is, there are times when this life doesn’t make sense and our faith can be tested. What do we do when we are praying ceaselessly and still have not seen an answer, or at least the answer we seek?

1. Pray fervently and reach out to God, express your true feelings and pour out your heart. Often we can have these rigid and formulaic prayers and forget to come to God as ourselves and express our vulnerability. Doing this will help us to release some our own hurt and better relinquish control to God. As Christians we are called to pray ceaselessly and we should cast all are cares and worries upon Him (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.) It is essential to be in a continuous attitude of prayer. I reflect back to my desires finding a spouse and being granted a family as it took many years of prayer and through prayer it helped shape me and mold me into the person I have become. Look at the book of Psalms as it is filled with heartfelt prayers throughout.

2. Seek God’s will for your life, when it doesn’t make sense, ask him for wisdom and when it seems like he is far ask Him to help you see His presence in your life (James 2:18-21). I reflect back on the example of Nick Vujacic, a man born without limbs who would pray continuously pray for limbs then he asked God to change his perspective and he could see how God used his circumstance to fulfill his purpose in Christ, by sharing his testimony and encouraging others.

3. Use it as an opportunity to grow stronger in your faith. In James 1:2-4 (2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing) we are told to rejoice in our trials as they help us to grow. Look and pray to see how these difficult circumstances can be used to reach others. One prominent example that stands out is the testimony of Inky Johnson, a gifted American football player who was on his way to a career in the NFL when a life threatening injury cost his career. He has since become a Christian motivational speaker and shares his testimony of how God used his injury to fulfill his purpose and through his faith, others came to know Christ.

Prayer is an essential part of our walk and we need to come to the Lord with prayers of not only petition, but also prayer of adoration. We need to come to the Lord not only in our times of need, but at all times. It is essential to seek wisdom and the will of God for your life and realize that God has a purpose for you (Jeremiah 29:11 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.) Please seek wisdom from God and don’t be discouraged, but allow these difficult circumstances to help you find your purpose in Christ. If you know someone who is discouraged take the time to pray with them and encourage them in Christ.

The Ceaseless Prayer Project is dedicated to promoting an understanding of the power of prayer and helping equip believers to pray and lift up each other.

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