Why isn't God answering my prayers? - All According to Plan

Psalm 86:7

Why is God ignoring me?

Does it seem like God isn’t answering your prayers? Is God even listening? Sometimes it may seem that the answer to your prayer can’t come fast enough. Whether you’re praying for a promotion or praying for a husband/wife, and it seems like your prayers are going unanswered, God is hearing your request. Our devotional text today says:

“In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for thou wilt answer me.”
Psalm 86:7

How and when God chooses to answer your prayer is an entirely different thing. A relationship with God requires prayer; prayer is having a conversation with God. God answers prayer in three ways: yes, no and wait.

The Bible has a lot to say on the subject of prayer; there are examples of prayer and situations of answered and unanswered prayer. We can look to the Bible for the reasons God may not answer our prayer.

Here are 8 Possible Reasons for Unanswered Prayer:

1. Unforgiveness

“And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.”Matthew 6:12

When teaching his disciples how to pray using the famous Our Father Prayer, Jesus asked God to forgive us our sins as we forgive those who have wronged us. A reason that God may not seem to be answering your prayer may be because you haven’t forgiven someone in your life. Stop and look within, is there someone who you’re finding it hard to forgive? Maybe it’s time to ask God for the strength to pardon that person’s mistake.

2. Unconfessed sin

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9

Is there a sin that you’re holding onto and refusing to let go? We have all sinned (Romans 3:23), and we all make mistakes. When we do, Christ is our high priest who can forgive us and remove the sin from our lives, but we have to be willing to let it go. If we choose to cherish our sins, we are willingly trying separating ourselves from God. It may be difficult to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit when we still have unconfessed sin. Maybe it’s time to for a sin self-check.

3. Not the right time

“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:” Ecclesiastes 3:1

Sometimes God answers our prayer with a ‘yes….but wait.’ Yes, I know you’ve been waiting for years now, but just hear me out. Wrong timing could be a possible reason for your seemingly unanswered prayer. If you believe that God holds the future in his hands, then he can see exactly where you’ll be a year, five years or even twenty years from now. It’s possible that the thing you’re asking God for now may better serve you in the future. God may be holding it back until you’re ready to receive it.

4. Answered in an unexpected way

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.” Isaiah 55:8

I absolutely love this verse! It reminds me that God is in control. It may seem like God has not answered your prayer but he might have, just not in the way you expected. God gives us exactly what we need and he works in mysterious ways. When you feel like your prayers have gone unanswered, stop and look around maybe the answer is right in front of you.

5. Not God’s will

“Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” Matthew 6:10.

Let’s be honest here, sometimes we can be ‘gimme sheep’; praying only for the things that we want, rather than what God wants for us. Sometimes we pray for something that is not God’s will for our lives. Surrendering your will to God is tough. When we give our will over to God, we’re saying “Here God take my life and do whatever you want with it, I place the outcome in your hands.” This isn’t an easy decision to make, because human nature tells us to trust what we can see. It may be that whatever you’re praying for, is not God’s will.

It’s difficult to believe that it may not be God’s will for you to be healed from a particular sickness, or that you’re not going to get that job you wanted or your relationship isn’t going to work out, no matter how hard you pray. But God’s goal for us is holiness not necessarily happiness. Yes God wants us to be happy but his ultimate mission is that we grow more and more like Christ so we can spend eternity with him. And if it takes disappointment to draw us closer to him, then he may very well do that.

6. You placed something in front of God

“Thou shalt have no other gods before me.“ Exodus 20:3

It has been my experience, that whenever God feels far away from me, it’s usually because I have created an idol. I may have a cherished sin, or I may be intentionally disobeying God’s will for my life. I have made something (or someone) more important than my relationship with God. It is impossible to serve God and serve self at the same time. When we place other gods before the one true God, our Heavenly Father is patiently waiting for us to choose. A reason for unanswered prayer could be that God is waiting for us to remove that thing that we placed in front of Him.

7. You prayed without faith

“And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. ” Matthew 17:20

Is it possible that you’ve prayed for something without the faith to actually receive it? Sometimes we get stuck in routine prayers, “Lord I pray for health and strength.” Maybe a reason for your seemingly unanswered prayer could be a sign that God is pulling you towards a closer relationship with Him. We pray the same thing over and over and our prayers lack meaning and power. Do we actually trust God to provide? When we pray in faith we must trust God to come through for us. It is also important to note here, that some things only come through prayer and fasting (Matthew 17:21). Maybe it’s time to set aside that beloved cookie (just for a week) so that you can really pray in faith, believing that God will come through for you.

8. You stopped praying too soon

“Pray without ceasing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:17

Can anyone attest to being impatient with God? *raise my hand* Sometimes we pray for something once and expect it to magically appear in front of our eyes. God is not an A.T.M machine; He doesn’t just give us something automatically because we prayed for it. It could be that this is a season of waiting to build and test your patience. So keep on praying that God will provide and when the timing is right you will see His hand moving.

I’m sure that there are many other reasons why prayers seemingly go unanswered, but it’s important to continue growing your relationship with Christ. The more time we spend in prayer and devotion, the easier it will become to hear his voice.

Prayer For Today:

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you for providing a way to have active communication with you. Search my heart oh Lord and draw me closer to you every day. I am holding onto your promise of protection and providence. Let your will be done in my life.

Amen.

Thank you for taking the time to read this article today. If you have a question, query or story you’d like to share with me, please leave a comment or email me using the form below.