Why didn’t God answer my prayer?
"I don't know if I can believe in God. I prayed for something and He didn't answer..."
"I don't get it. I'm a Christian. I go to church. I read my Bible. Why didn't God answer my prayer?"
Prayers that don't get the result we were hoping for can be one of the hardest things to experience- especially if we feel like we were praying for a good thing. So let's talk about when that happens.
Do I need to do self-reflection first?
We have to be mindful of where our own hearts and lives are as we approach God in prayer.
- In 1 Peter, we see two places where we're taught that our behavior can affect our prayers (3:7 & 4:7). Am I in disobedience towards God and still expecting Him to answer how I want? Scripture deals with this in many places: Psalm 66:18-19; Proverbs 15:8, 29; 28:9; 1 John 3:21-22.
- Is it possible God is using a painful situation to call me to repentance and correction (Hebrews 12:4-11)?
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Are there prayers God won’t answer?
- In the book of James, chapter 4, verse 3, we find this verse: "You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives." Am I praying with the right motive? James also addresses believers praying in skepticism and doubt (James 1:5-7).
- Am I praying In submission to His will (Matthew 26:39) or just wanting my way regardless of His design?
So before we allow our hearts to distrust or blame God, may we instead reflect on if we’re praying for right things, with right motives, and with proper recognition of the Lord’s sovereignty.
“I’ve checked myself. I’m not aware of anything I need to repent from and ask His forgiveness. I genuinely believe I’m asking for the right things with the right heart. And I’m still not getting the answer I want.”
Then perhaps we need to consider:
Is God trying to teach me something?
Paul is one of the most famous people from the New Testament, and for good reason: God used Paul to do incredible missionary and church planting work! Yet even Paul experienced what we could call "unanswered prayers."
If we haven’t received the answer we want in relation to a prayer, are we willing to consider our theology of suffering? Reflect on these verses (Romans 8:18-28; 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, 12:1-10; James 1:2-4). Ask God to help you understand what He’s teaching you in this time.
What if it’s not about you? What if God is preparing you to be used in someone else's life? “I’m so sorry to hear about your medical diagnosis. I can actually relate to that. Can I share with you how God worked in my situation to bring me closer to Him?”