angelaschmeling

Prayer is communication with God. It’s also putting your petitions before Him. But what do we do when those requests go unanswered?

It can be disheartening, sometimes feel futile, when praying for something over and over doesn’t get the answer we were hoping for.

I have been praying for something for a long time. And over the years, we have thought we had a solution, but every time it has fallen through. The other day, I was driving home and got the news that yet again, the solution did not answer our prayers.

What do we do with the questions, the disappointments, or even the anger that boxes us into a corner when our prayers seem to go unanswered or the outcome isn’t what we were hoping for?

Well that day, I sat in my car and did, I think, what any of us would do. I shouted WHY. Why, God? Why are You silent? Have we not served You faithfully, but yet you can’t give us this one request of healing that we have prayed for for so long?

God gently chose that moment to remind of this beautiful scene in the show The Chosen from season 3 episode 2. This scene is just so precious between James and Jesus. Now little James had an ailment. He had to walk with a stick and Jesus was sending His disciples out to go heal people just like Jesus did. But James stops to ask that all too familiar question. Why?

Jesus’ answer is so beautiful. He simply stated that He could heal him be that in God’s will. But how much more of a witness could he be to others knowing that He still believed in Jesus despite not being healed. Still focused on Him. Still trusting Him. Still loving Him whether or not He was healed.

Patience with suffering while we wait knowing there is an eternity waiting for us without suffering.

So when the prayers aren’t answered, what should we do?

LEAN INTO GOD!

So often when our prayers aren’t answered, we tend to abandon God instead of moving towards Him. We get upset that we aren’t seeing the answer that we want and start to doubt Him. To distrust Him. We need to do the opposite. We need to lean into God further.

Before Jesus was on the cross, He Himself sat in the garden of Gethsemane and prayed.

 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” Matthew 26:39

Now, Jesus’ prayer wasn’t answered, obviously as He still went to the cross, but notice how He said. Not my will, but YOUR will. We need to trust in God’s plan and more importantly trust in His love.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-

“I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted.” Job 42:2

We don’t need to know how or if something will work to trust Him. We don’t need to figure God out. All we need and can do in the face of unanswered prayers is to find our comfort and satisfaction in His presence.

But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the Lord’s praise, for he has been good to me. Psalms 13:6

I want to add that even if your prayers aren’t answered that DOES NOT mean that you are spiritually weak. It means God has a different plan. We need to change our perspective and still come to Him with everything and come just as a child would asking their Father for a treat.

It’s okay to bring your pain and questions to God. He invites us to pour out our hearts to Him. Ask Him to replace your mourning with joy and equip you to trust in His unfailing love, even during the waiting for prayers to be answered. Even when prayers aren’t answered. Relinquish your desires to Him and allow the Holy Spirit to fill those empty places where the disappointment of unanswered prayer resides and replace it with God’s Holy presence.