“God Doesn’t Answer My Prayers!” Really?

Be open-minded for a minute and consider this: It doesn’t matter what religion you belong to, but as long as you don’t worship the dark side, we ALL have the same God. (Stick with me) God is who He is.  We might all have a different interpretation of what and who He is, but if you and I were to die today, we would see that our God is the same being.  There are not different Gods in heaven specific to our religion. It is what it is.  Reality is not changed simply because we choose to believe differently.

This concept is important to understand in addressing your comment that God is not answering your prayers.  God loves us all the SAME! His love is not given in different doses based upon who you are, or what you do or don’t do on this earth.  His love is consistent, genuine, full, the same, and unconditional towards all of us. He Loves YOU!

So let’s get into why you feel like he is ignoring you. I’m guessing that the prayers that you offer go something like this… “Heavenly Father I have this problem…. Here is the solution to my problem…. Please make that happen.”  When “That” doesn’t happen in the detail that you have requested, you categorize it as an unanswered prayer.  Am I right?

He must smile down on all of us on occasion.  Understanding the spiritual immaturity that we have with such demands.  He is patient with us.  More importantly, He wants us to understand that He is answering our prayers… But, many of His answers are going unnoticed! Here is one example…

One beautiful day, we rode our motorcycles to Bear Lake.  We stopped in town to dive into one of their famous raspberry shakes. While stopped, a man in a truck towing a trailer radically pulled over at a restaurant next door. He got out of the truck and stumbled to the door. He could not get in, and returned to his truck to drive away. He was clearly intoxicated.  So much so, that someone in our group called 911 to report him, as it was only a matter of time before something tragic would happen. The police responded, and had pulled him over several miles down the canyon road.

Now, let’s cut away to another scene.

That same morning, a family had decided to spend the day together at the lake.  As usual, they began their day praying as a family that they would be safe throughout their journey.  Headed up the canyon, they drove past the man pulled over as mentioned above. No thought was given about his circumstance, and they safely drove on to enjoy their day.

This family had no idea that their prayer had been answered in such dramatic fashion.  The police officer who dealt with the intoxicated man called back the gal in our group who reported the incident.  “Thank you for calling us”, he said. “If that man had continued driving down the canyon as intoxicated as he was, and with the tremendous weight of his truck and trailer, he likely would have killed many”.

Tibi, the woman in our group was inspirited to call the police… The police dept finding the man so quickly, were God’s way of answering that family’s prayer of safety.. yet… the family had no clue of the details.

Continue your understanding by acknowledging the unseen answers that God is giving to you?  Can you look around and see all that He has blessed you with? Spend some time here to recognize what He has done for you and your loved ones.

Just as you do not give your kids everything that they ask for, our Heavenly Father, in His wisdom, does the same with us.  In fact, His plan for you is much bigger than just your prayers.  He wants you to grow, learn, and experience difficulties in life. He does this because He LOVES us, and is interested in our development! His plan is far beyond just a comfortable life for us!!

Now, a point worth noting.  God loves us all the same.  Blessings however come at a different pace.  You cannot reason that a terrible person should expect the windows of heaven open up showering them with unstoppable blessings. Sin brings consequences of difficulty. Righteous living brings consequences of peace. That concept in itself may answer the question of unanswered prayers.  But all of us, regardless of behavior will experience difficulties, and even feel abandoned at times.

My concluding thought… Don’t put specific expectations on God to answer your prayers a certain way. He knows what’s best. Let Him drive you through your mortal experience.  Always pray for comfort, guidance, and patience in dealing with challenge. You will see those things fulfilled.  Then, look for those tender mercies from God. They are there… find them.  Trust His answers, for it is Him that will make you great!