When Your Prayers Aren’t Answered

What do you do when your prayers aren’t answered? Hopefully, as shared on Wednesday’s post, you continue to trust God and declare that he is good. However, I know that is not the case with everyone. Often times, the Spirit of offense happens, disappointment happens, weariness happens and anger happens too.

Which I why I love this sermon by Bill Johnson, the pastor at Bethel in Redding, California. I couldn’t stop listening to this because it’s so good, so I have tried to recap my notes for you below, even though I highly recommend listening when you can.

“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Matthew 6:33

God’s desire and assignment for you is to see the dominion of God fulfilled in people’s lives. Answering prayers and healing sickness is God’s idea. He thought it up. But what will you do with the opportunity of unanswered prayers?

Do you realize there is no instruction in the Bible regarding unanswered prayers? Do you want to know why? You weren’t designed for unanswered prayers. God wants to fulfill your prayers. He desires for you to pray kingdom-minded prayers because it gives you an opportunity to partner with him. He wants to answer all of your prayers and not only does he want to, but he can. And when they don’t get answered? It’s not okay!

Unanswered prayers are not okay because that isn’t what God designed to happen. When you face unanswered prayers, don’t try to create false doctrines to justify why your prayers weren’t answered and don’t tolerate the absence of breakthrough. And definitely don’t become complacent because complacency tolerates unanswered prayers and God wants to use the discomfort you experience when you don’t get what you want to provoke you to seek him. So don’t spend time reflecting on what hasn’t happened, but instead bring what hasn’t happened before him.

Accusing God or blaming yourself gets you nowhere. How many times have you been offended or grown frustrated with God because you had an idea or timeline of how God should have answered your prayers, but he didn’t do it how you desired? Do you realize when you think your plans and ways are better than God’s, you are basically saying that you know better than he does? Not only that, but you are telling him that you care more about your problems and desires than he does, which of course, is not true. His ways and thoughts are higher, which means he knows best about answering your prayers.

Instead of dwelling on what God hasn’t done for you yet, take your problems to him. Use the opportunity of unanswered prayers to talk to him about it. And while you are waiting for answers, don’t laser focus your time, energy and prayer on one thing that you miss out on all the other prayers he has answered and is answering in your life. Just like you diversify your financial portfolio, it’s important you do the same with your prayers. Know that he desires for your prayers to be answered, so continue to seek him until you see his kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.

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