Unanswered Prayer

One of the hardest things to swallow in my walk with the Lord is unanswered prayer. It's a selfish and immature attitude, to be quite honest....I can admit it. Prayer is powerful and effective, God's Word says, but that doesn't guarantee the answers that we desire. Over the years, I've learned much about prayer, but I still throw my own little tantrum with the Lord when I don't get what I want.


I have practiced the discipline of prayer since I was a little girl. I remember lying in my bed, probably at 12 or 13, praying for the "mate" that God wanted for me before I knew what the word "mate" meant. I can look back now and know that God was preparing me for a lifetime of learning to seek after Him through prayer. What a privilege to know that I can go directly to Jesus with my requests and that He petitions the Father for me. That is more than my little mind can comprehend. It is completely humbling.

So what do we do with UNanswered prayer?

There are things in my life that I’ve prayed over for many years. The salvation of friends, the healing of those dealing with loss, or changes that I long for in my own home….these are just a few of the things that I continually pray for. Sometimes I get frustrated. Sometimes I get very anxious. I’m learning, however, that the Lord often teaches me more effectively through UNanswered prayer than through anything else.

One example is my experience with infertility. After being married for over five years, my husband and I decided we were “ready” for a baby. I had been praying for a while for our anticipated first bundle. In my heart, I was set. We both had jobs and we had a nice home, therefore, it was time. Nearly two years later, we were still without a baby. By this time, I was diligently seeking the Lord. I was not flippant with my prayers. I went through the gamut of emotions during that time, telling the Lord how frustrated and angry I was. I poured over scripture and cried out to Him. It was during that time of unanswered prayer for a child that I grew the most in my relationship with Him. I became passionate about raising godly children if I were ever to have one. Without that time, I wouldn’t understand His sovereignty from the perspective that I now have. In this process, I finally got to a place of resting in His plan and His will. I relinquished my desires for His will– to the point of embracing the idea of never having children. I have no doubt that the unanswered prayer of that time molded and shaped me in ways that nothing else would have.

I still have huge unanswered prayer in my life. I have certain things for which I regularly cry out to the Lord. Those things make me search scripture and search my heart. I have prayed daily for something specific for nearly ten years. Often I’ve questioned why this doesn’t happen. It’s a godly desire that lines up with God’s Word. I rationalize why God might not be answering in the way that I am praying. I’ve changed the wording of my prayers over the years just in case He wants me to voice it in another way. (Maybe He’s not understanding what I’m saying! Ha!) I’ve often been temperamental with my Lord, like a little child who doesn’t get her way. More than anything, though, it makes me question if He’s really listening or if He really cares. That’s where I make my biggest mistake. It’s the place where I must trust instead of question. God desires my faith and trust in Him – not my unbelief. He desires my unwavering belief that He knows best, that He hears, and that He is in control. John 11:4O resonates with me as Jesus asks His disciples, “Didn’t I tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” (emphasis mine) He wants our faith. He wants our complete rest in Him alone. Often, contrary to what seems “right” in our human minds, God answers with  a “no.” How do we get to a place where we see His glory even in unanswered prayer? Trust. Believe. Rest in His Sovereignty.  I'm still  learning to trust the "no." 

...more water that streams upon my little rock....