6 Common Reasons God Doesn’t Answer Prayers

Have you ever prayed and suggested to God all the ways He could reasonably answer your prayer? Perhaps you thought of the perfect solution and asked God to make it happen. Now you’re waiting on God, wondering why He hasn’t answered your prayer the way you asked Him to. If you have been in this place, or this is the place you’re in right now, know that you’re not alone. All of us have had experiences where our prayers seem to go unanswered and we wonder if God can even here us. In some cases, we may even feel distance from God. The important thing to remember is that God hasn’t forgotten about you or abandoned you. The Bible tells us, “The LORD Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will not leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged” (Deuteronomy 31:8). While you may be weary or beginning to lose your confidence, your attitude should be one of confidence that God is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His Will and timing. Here are six common reasons God may not being answering your prayer.

God is Making You Wait

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As difficult as waiting can be, it builds spiritual muscles in a unique way. Isaiah makes this truth clear: “But they who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount with wings as eagles, they shall run and not grow weary, they shall walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31). This is a glorious promise but our discontented hearts find it difficult to wait. One great thing about waiting is that it allows us to pray without ceasing. When our thoughts turn to worry, fear, discouragement and anger, we are to consciously and quickly turn every thought to prayer and every prayer to thanksgiving. Another great thing about waiting is that it increases our faith. We wait and God works!

You Are Only Focused on Receiving a Blessing

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We often say, “I’m so blessed” when we’re sharing pictures from our most recent vacation, updating everyone on a recent promotion or sharing our new relationship status. Without even thinking, we’ll equate these happy moments or personal successes to God showering blessings on us. But these pleasures and successes are not God’s highest priority. God wants us to be happy but the truth is, our happiness and success aren’t God’s end goals. While it’s right and good to be thankful for the tangible blessings in your life, you shouldn’t fail to see that blessings from God don’t always make you want to shout “I’m so blessed.” When you pray, acknowledge God for your blessings and not just those that make you feel good.

God is Answering in His Timing

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Our God is a merciful God. Sometimes we forget this when we get so caught up in the pain we’re experiencing, the people we’ve lost and the things we don’t have. We start focusing on all the ways that God hasn’t measured up to our standards and find ourselves disappointed time and time again. Instead of focusing on the blessings we’ve been given, we focus on what God hasn’t done for us. This is human, but it doesn’t mean it’s right. It also doesn’t mean that God has abandoned us. It means that what He wants for us is in His time. Not ours. And sometimes God’s plans are bigger than our own. You might pray for love to come into your life at a certain time, but if it had, God wouldn’t have been able to make you more strong and independent. If things had fallen into place at the college you prayed for, you may not have attended the school that shaped so many of your future friendships and dreams. Just because God isn’t granting the prayers in the way we want Him to doesn’t mean He doesn’t love us.

All of us have had experiences when our prayers seemed to go unanswered. Sometimes days, weeks, or even years will go by at a time and we still find ourselves wondering, when is God going to answer this prayer? The important thing to remember is that God hasn’t forgotten about you or abandoned you.If you’re confused and hurting, the Lord doesn’t expect you to cover it up with a smile. Tell Him what you’re really thinking and feeling. Also, don’t worry if you feel like your prayers are going unanswered. If we pray in the Will of God, we can be sure that God will answer. As we praise Him for His faithfulness, seek His Will and glory, pray faithfully and wait patiently until God’s time, He will come.