Why Hasn’t God Answered My Prayer?

Estimated reading time: 11 minutes

Have you ever asked, “Why hasn’t God answered my prayer”? I think we all have had this question at one time or another. If not this question, then similar questions like, “What is stopping the answer to my prayer?” or “Does God hear my prayer?”

Wonder why you haven’t seen an answer yet? Here are a few possible reasons:

1. Why Hasn’t God Answered My Prayer?

There are two parts to this number one reason.

First, are you asking?

James 3:3 says we do not have because we do not ask.

Sometimes I have been guilty of simply complaining to God and not asking in faith for solutions to my problems. But you know, God understands our need to vent, and He wants to comfort us in our troubles.

He is patient, faithful, and kind to wait for us to ask for help. He is our Creator Father who loves to be asked and wants to be included in every situation of our lives.

The great thing about God is that He is able to sort out all our desires, hopes, and dreams better than we can. We can trust Him and have confidence that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. ^[2]

He even answers the question, “Why Hasn’t God answered my prayer?”.

He is our Creator Father, and He loves us more than anything. So, He loves to give good things to us, just as we love to give good things to our own family. He loves to answer our prayers!

Are you asking the right questions?

Not only do we need to remember to ask questions, but also know what kinds of questions we ask.

For example, George Washington Carver, one of the great American scientists, told of his experience asking God questions.

One night he walked out into the woods and prayed, “Mr. Creator, why did you make the universe?” He listened, and this is what he heard: “Little man, that question is too big for you. Try another!” The next night he walked into the woods and prayed, “Mr. Creator, why did you make man?” He listened and he heard this: “Little man, that question is still too big for you. Try another!”

The third night he went into the woods and prayed, “Mr. Creator, why did you make the peanut?” This is what he heard: “Little man, that question is just your size. You listen and I will teach you.” You may know that George Washington Carver invented some three hundred ways to use the peanut.^[3]

I can’t say I have heard from God on all the uses of the peanut, but I am growing in asking and listening. I write about how to hear God’s voice in this linked article.

2. Do You Recognize God’s Answer to Your Prayer

The true question may not be “Why has God not answered my prayer?” but “How is God answering my prayer?” He may have already answered in a way you have not recognized, or He may be in the process of working out a plan that answers your prayer.

God answers prayers in a multitude of ways, and on every possible level. He knows the end from the beginning, and he knows circumstances for which you and I are not even aware.

For example, we as parents pray for our children and immediately wonder where God is and why our children are not doing what we want them to do.

However, God is working in our children’s lives even when we do not see the results immediately. Nothing is more powerful than a parent’s prayers for children.

I find it helpful to simply automatically assume God is answering my prayer even when I cannot see the complete answer, even when I do not understand how He is answering.

I trust the end result of my prayer is still coming and will be exceedingly abundantly better than I could ask or think to pray for.

Matthew 7:7 says, “Ask, and it will be given to you.” Isaiah 65:24 says, “Before you call, I will answer, while you are still speaking, I will hear.”

And Eph 3:20 says He “is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.”

✔So, the question is not “Why has God not answered my prayer?” but a statement of faith in God’s goodness to us, “I am excited to see how my Lord answers my prayer.”

3. People Have A Freewill Choice

If your prayer involves other people, they have a free will of their own. God gives each person free will choices–which He will not take away.

Your prayer for them may go unanswered if their will is set against what you are praying for them.

As an example, my husband used to work out of town. A church lady told me, “I’m praying your husband gets a job in town.”

Well, that is fine, but my husband had an incredible job he loved. I am fairly independent and at the time was traveling a lot myself. His job was perfect for him and me at that time.

If he had been in town, I would not have been able to fulfill God’s call for my life. God works in all our situations for His purposes.

The lady was praying out of her own ideas of what the will of God was for us. My husband did eventually move to a position in our town, but when the time was right for both of us.

In the case of salvation, however, it is always God’s will for people to be saved.

Continue to pray for God to prepare people’s hearts to receive Him, and pray that their eyes would be opened. Continue to be a vessel of God’s love to them.

God loves them and will continue to woo them to Himself. Continue to pray prayers of intercession on their behalf.

✔God hears each prayer and will continue to work in that person’s heart in ways he or she is able to receive His love.

4. Something Is Blocking the Answer to Your Prayer

One possible reason why God has not answered your prayer could be that something is hindering your prayer. I will look at two reasons prayers are hindered.

a. First, God always hears anybody’s repentant prayer! However, as a born-again child of God, sin could be blocking the answer to your prayer. God knows our heart and hears all our prayers, but our very life itself is about our relationship with Him, and He cannot come close to sin.

God is holy, and if he came too close to your sin you would be consumed by His power.^[4] He loves you enough to allow you to go your own way until you decide to repent and come back to Him and His ways.

✔If you feel your prayers are hindered, repent of anything that comes to your mind and ask the Lord why you feel your prayers are hindered.

b. Second, your prayers could be hindered by the enemy.

For example, Daniel prayed and there was extended spiritual warfare over the answer. Daniel writes,

“Do not be afraid, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart on understanding this and on humbling yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to your words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia was withstanding me for twenty-one days” (Dan 10:13-14).

Daniel’s prayer was heard and answered from the first day, yet the answer was held up by an unseen spiritual battle. However, Daniel continued in faith, fasting, and praying until the answer became manifest in the natural realm.

✔The best stance, in this case, is to be like Daniel, to continue in faith, prayer, and maybe even fasting until the answer arrives.

5. Obedience to God’s Former Directives

If God has not answered your prayer, you may need to ask yourself if you have done all you know He wants you to do.

Are you doing what He last asked you to do?

Have you done all you know to do according to God’s commands?

Are you being willing and obedient?

We must do our part to be obedient in all that we know to do.^[5]

Also, our Creator Father has given us His Spirit—The Holy Spirit to help us in all of life’s situations. He is our Helper and not our Doer.

For example, when we pray for deliverance of any sort, we must do our part in faith believing.

For example, if we want to lose weight, we must diet, exercise, find help, or a treatment program.

Once, I was pleading with God for healing when He told me, “Go see the doctor; he will help you until I heal you.”

✔Our God will meet us in all our attempts to thrive in life. However, our faith must have an action attached to it.

6. God May Be Teaching You Perseverance in Prayer

Most of us need patience, especially those of us in the western world. We get used to having everything we want immediately. In Scripture, we see our Bible heroes had to learn perseverance and patience to receive the answers to their prayers.

The virtue of perseverance is more valuable to God than we understand.

Although it is difficult to wait, sometimes other situations have to be in place before God gives what we are asking. It may not be time for the answer yet.

Many times, we need to grow in one way or another before we can handle the answer we are asking.

✔The key to persevering is to ask God for encouragement.

Even when I have been in difficult, long, and drawn out situations, when I asked for encouragement, He has always encouraged me in some way. He will encourage you too if you ask.

After you have done all you know to do, continue to stand firm in believing God.

Determine to continue to be thankful and worship, and in this, you will find God’s strength and grace for the journey.

Although this is not what we like to hear, He will use our circumstances to work patience, faith, and endurance in our character—which is eternally more precious than gold. If we trust Him, He will ultimately work all things out for our good.

7. What Are You Expecting?

In the kingdom of God, faith in the goodness of God is the foundational principle for all of life.

We access everything in the kingdom of God by faith—salvation, healing, and answered prayers.

Sometimes our faith slips into disappointment, and we let regrets and disappointment from our past get in the way of expectation for answered prayers.

Things may not have worked out as we expected in the past, so we are afraid to expect anything more from our prayers now. We get disappointed in God when our prayers are not answered quickly.

It is time to give Him our regrets and disappointments, to cast all our cares on Him, and simply trust that He will answer in one way or another.

He will answer our prayers or do something far better. Additionally, He will either take away the problem or give us the grace to go through the problem.

You can cast all your cares on Him because He cares for you.

Trust Him to answer the longing in your heart in the best possible way.

You have to practice expecting the best—no matter what your situation.

✔Are you expecting God to answer your prayer?

Take a look at what you are expecting. Are you hurt or disappointed?

Give those hurts and disappointments to God right now. Tell Him how you feel and ask Him to forgive you for not leaning on Him or trusting that He has your back.  Ask Him to heal your hurts and disappointments. Then ask Him for insights into the situation.

When you are healed of your hurt and disappointment, you can trust God to answer your prayers.

And instead of asking “Why has God not answered my prayer,” you can say, “I look forward to seeing how You will answer this prayer, Lord.”

 Although this is a general list of possible reasons why God has not answered your prayer, I trust one of these reasons has addressed your specific need.

In conclusion, I pray for God to give you amazing grace and strength to pursue your healing. May God open your eyes and heart to His working and give you the desires of your heart. May abundant blessings be upon on your Christian journey, dear readers!

. . .

I have learned to pray the will of God over my life by putting Bible verses into my phone’s reminder app. Then every day I can pray according to the will of God. Here are 20 prayers for you: 20 Daily Prayers for Spiritual Growth

Grow Spiritually by Awakening to More of the Presence of God

This new book gives you concrete and practical steps for “how” to grow in your relationship with God. You learn how to hear God’s voice to you personally and learn how to awaken to more of His presence in your everyday life. You can check it out at this link:  The 90-Day Spiritual Awakening Journal: Simple Exercises to Discover God’s Presence in Everyday Life.

NOTES:

1. James 4:3.
2. 1 John 5:14.
3. William Federer, George Washington Carver: His Life and Faith in his Own Words (St. Louis, MO: Amerisearch, 2002). 75.
4. Exod 19; Psalm 90:8.
5. Isaiah 1:19-20.

Photo by Hassan OUAJBIR from Pexels

Go back to the Home page

Thanks for Reading! Pin or Save for Later!