When Your Prayers are Unanswered

“Why didn’t God answer my prayer?” That was the question posed by the new Christian, although the question is not unique to new Christians. First of all, there is no such thing as unanswered prayer, in spite of the old hymn text by B.B. McKinney. Sometimes, God says “No” or “Wait” but those are answers. When it seems God is not answering we tend to look for reasons. We blame God – “God doesn’t care about me!” We blame others. In “My Utmost for His Highest”, Oswald Chambers wrote, “When prayer seems to be unanswered, beware of trying to fix the blame on someone else.” We blame self – “I must not be living right!” We even blame circumstances – “That’s just the way things are right now!” Understanding that God is also present in apparent silence, what ought we to do? Three suggestions: (1) Listen more intently; (2) Walk more closely; (3) Wait more patiently. In Matthew 7:7, Jesus said to “ask,” “seek,” and “knock.” While each of those actions promised response, none of them implied the response would be immediate.

Meanwhile, join me in remembering these global concerns:
• Pray for collegiate ministries that begin again in August on campuses around the world and for those who minister in the midst.
• Pray for Martha as she transitions back to Germany.
• Pray for Joe to find relief from tooth pain before a mission team arrives in the Ukraine this week.
• Pray for those who minister in the midst of “Ghost Month” (August), a Chinese tradition, during which the gates of hell are thought to be opened allowing ghosts to roam free on earth seeking food.