Unanswered Prayers

“‘The LORD has said to me, ‘You shall not cross the Jordan.’” De 31:2. “The LORD declares to you that the LORD himself will establish a house…” 2 Samuel 7:11b.

I recall feeling very timid and cautious in my prayers after Beth died when asking for healing for Daddy. My prayers for his healing were strong on my lips but weak in my heart. After all, my prayers had not been answered in the manner which I had desired. Beth wasn’t healed on earth, and I had to accept that God’s will trumped my prayers. So, it took quite some time to gain the confidence to pray like it would be answered…to tell that mountain to move from here to there…to believe in advance that I had received something. I have had many people since then ask the same question, ‘If God knows what He is going to do anyway, why pray?’ My answer is anchored in Scripture: Because faith moves the heart of God.

Neither Moses nor David got everything they wanted in prayer. Moses did God’s will for over 40 years and it cost him everything. But in the end, he did not get to go into the promised land. David wanted to build a temple for God but God said that David’s son would be the one. These men were just like us with emotions just like ours. They prayed prayers for forgiveness when they messed up. They prayed for prayers of healing when sickness came upon them or their loved ones. They prayed for prayers of wisdom when they didn’t know where to turn. Many of their prayers were powerfully answered [just as many of ours have been], and God used them in tremendous ways. But God didn’t give them everything their hearts desired, and neither will we be given a green card for every prayer. But they didn’t stop praying…stop believing…stop praising. They continued and so should we.

Prayer takes courage when our hearts have been broken. Prayer takes reverence when His Kingdom comes instead of ours. Prayer takes humility when His ways were not our ways. Prayer becomes easier when we truly understand and embrace that God sees our lives rolled out in one continuous picture. Our prayers become bolder when we trust God for His love and wisdom. We will be hard-pressed to find anyone on this earth or in the Bible would got everything for which they prayed, especially Christ. We only have to read with fresh eyes and hearts the gut-wrenching prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane. God’s ‘no’ to Christ was our ‘yes' and when we really understand the purpose and power of God’s sovereignty we can thank Him for His ways and His decisions. Our unanswered prayers cannot drench water on the fire of our prayers. We must approach Him with boldness instead of timidity, and strength instead of weakness. “What if these men of God hadn’t asked anything because they couldn’t have everything?” Believing God, p. 67. Quite a question to ponder…