When It Doesn’t Seem Like God is Answering Your Prayers

Posted on Jul 31, 2018 Topic : Inspirational/Devotional, Women's Christian Living
Posted by : Debbie Taylor Williams

“Mommy, why isn’t God answering my prayers?”

I turned and looked deeply into my child’s sad eyes. My daughter wasn’t being accusatory. Her soft voice revealed her hurt. She felt God was ignoring her.

Do You Ever Feel Like God is Ignoring You?

You’re doing every right that you know to do. You go to church, read your Bible, and pray. You try to be kind to people. So, why isn’t God answering your prayers? You try to be a good Christian and serve Him, but without the longed for answers to prayers it seems others receive from God.

Why Isn’t God Answering Your Prayers?

“Lauren, come here.” Slowly, my daughter made her way to me. “Sit down beside me.”

Opening my prayer journal, I turned to the Week at a Glance section and pointed to her name at the top of the column of the prior week. “Look here,” I pointed, encouraging her to read a prayer request that I’d highlighted when the prayer was answered. I turned to the prior week. “Look here.” Again I directed her to the yellow highlighted answered prayer request under her name. Thumbing through my journal, I encouraged her, “God is answering your prayers.”

Recognizing God’s Answers in a Book of Remembrance

In those moments I watched Lauren’s countenance change from dejection to joy. Her Heavenly Father hadn’t ignored her. He wasn’t withholding good things from her. He was involved in her life and answering her prayers. She’d simply forgotten. I assured her we’d continue to pray over unanswered prayers, keeping in mind that in God’s wisdom, His answers and timing may be different from ours.

It’s Easy to Forget, but It Can Become Easy to Remember if We Journal

In the hustle and bustle of life, it’s easy to forget the many times we call on God. We may shoot quick “arrow” prayers heavenward as we dash to work. We may drift to sleep while praying for family and friends. While we work and while we sleep, our Heavenly Father is moving on our behalf. It’s easy to forget all the prayers we pray and His answers. It becomes easy to remember if we record our prayers and His answers in a journal. Journaling has major benefits in addition to the joy of seeing God move in our life and in the lives of those for whom we pray. It answers the question, “Why isn’t God answering our prayers?” He is.

God has a book of remembrance. “Then those who feared the Lord spoke with one another. The Lord paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed his name.” (Malachi 3:16 ESV)

Isn't it time we journal our prayers and His answers in a book of remembrance?