Feeling Like God Isn’t Hearing Your Prayers
Samantha sat at the table with her head in her hands sobbing. The bills were stacked on the table, no money in the checking account, her two boys needed a pair of new shoes, and the insurance on the car just ran out.
“God, are you here? I need your help. Why don't you hear my prayers?”
She felt a pang of anger towards God because week after week she prayed, but no relief came in the way of help.
Perhaps some of us have been that single mother down and out begging for God to hear our prayers. Or maybe we are going through a season in our life when we needed an answer to a prayer. When results from our prayers do not come, our patience wears thin, and anger creeps into our hearts towards our heavenly Father because we feel He is ignoring us.
Unanswered Prayer Builds Our Faith
Prayers should not be based on results but instead on our relationship with God. He desires us to come to Him with our petitions and to bare our soul to Him. He wants you and me to want and need Him more than having our prayer answered.
When we petition God for something, we must expect that sometimes the very thing we pray for may not be within His perfect will for our life. Regardless, He is going to be right at our side always there. He will guide our path and carry us through the storms of life.
There may times where our prayers may be based on selfish reasons. He will help us to know when we fall short in our requests made to Him.
Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him. Psalm 62:5
God Sees The Bigger Picture - We Do Not
We as human beings are only capable of knowing what we see in front of us. We cannot foresee the future and what is best for us with every situation. Only God is the one that is capable of knowing that.
Think back to things that you have prayed for in the past and how those prayers were answered. As they say, hindsight is 20/20, and most of us can see God’s hand in answering or not answering those prayers.
Keeping a prayer journal is a great thing to fall back on when you become frustrated with unanswered prayer. This will provide you with a glimpse into how God worked in your life and how He protects you from answering something that may not have been best for you.
Peace In Our Heart
Once we offer our prayers up to God, we can rest and relax and know that He has heard us. Trust your Creator with every part of your life and when you struggle with the anxiety and feeling of hopelessness when your petitions go unanswered, give those struggles to Him. Be honest and open with Him.
When you feel yourself wavering, simply say “I trust in you Jesus.” By doing this, you are defeating the very doubt in how God will respond to your prayers.
His will and timing is perfect and flawless and we must trust in Him to handle every detail of our lives.
Prayer
Heavenly Father,
I know you hear my cry for your help and that you know what’s best for me. You are my protector and I place my trust in you. When I am anxious or troubled, I know without a doubt that you are with me. You know my thoughts before I utter a word because you are the all-knowing loving God.
Please help me when my faith waivers and forgive me when I grow impatient. I am weak and through that weakness I see how strongly I need you Lord. I will continue to praise you to the highest as I walk by faith trusting in you.
For I pray these things in Jesus’ precious and holy name - Amen.
