Does God really not answer prayers? This is a question that I feel many people ask no matter if they are Christians or if they do not believe. I have been exploring prayer a little bit this year especially with my article “What is the Hardest Answer to Prayer: Yes, No, or Wait?” But now I want to explore this question and what I believe is the answer.
Just a few days ago, I was reminded of a song by Garth Brooks titled "Unanswered Prayers." It is a beautiful song that I used to love a lot because the lyrics were very relatable. The chorus goes, “Sometimes I thank God for unanswered prayers. Remember when you're talkin' to the man upstairs that just because he doesn't answer doesn't mean he don't care. Some of God's greatest gifts are unanswered prayers.” It is an expression of the fact that God loves you and knows what is best for you. So if He doesn’t give you something that you prayed for, it does not mean that He didn’t hear you or doesn’t care. This I completely agree with. However, was it God not answering your prayer or was it that He didn’t answer the way you wanted Him to? In my opinion, God just may not answer the way you want Him to. This is hard for us to accept, but the main things is that He does answer your prayers in some way, shape or form.
God likes to answer with the simple yes, no or wait. Let’s say that you know this person and you really like them. You pray to God to please give this person to you and let them be yours. You wait and wait with what feels like no answer from God. Did He not answer you or did He just tell you no? I am going with He is telling you no, they are not right for you.
We need to remember that God has a plan for us that is perfect. We can’t change His plan for our life. No matter how hard you or how much you pray, He knows what is right. So, know with all your heart that God does care enough to answer your prayer, but it may be different from your original hopes and dreams.
