My Unanswered Prayer ... Now What?

My Unanswered Prayer ... Now What?

Is there such a thing as an unanswered prayer? If you were to take an honest look at all the prayers you've ever prayed, how many do you think are unanswered?

The truth is......God looks at "answers" differently than we do. Because God has a plan for each person, only He knows what's best and only He can help us fulfill our purpose in life.

I recently read a great book on prayer called, "Prayer: Does it Make Any Difference?" by Phillip Yancy.

In this book the author talks about how we, as believers, sometimes view God as a "Santa Claus" that serves at our beck and call, when the reality is that God sees the entire picture, and our "unanswered prayer" is simply God having a better idea.

Sometimes God wants us to learn something specific by allowing us to go through the very things we want to be delivered from. And He knows it's the ONLY way we'll learn from it is if we have to. That being said, there are some things that will hinder the answers to prayers. Here are a couple of them:

Unforgiveness. God is really specific about having an ongoing relationship with each of us. SO.......that means in order to stay in the flow, we have to do what He says to do. Forgive...yup, even if we don't want to, it's hard, or it's not fair.

Having the wrong motive. God continually measures motive in every single thing we do. We can pray all we want for something, trying to convince ourselves and God that it's a great idea. But God sees all the way through the heart, and if the motive isn't pure, we might as well add it to our list of unanswered prayer.

Wouldn't it be great if our conversations with God would be in audible form? It sure would be easier to have a real conversation. Or we could talk to God on email on a regular basis, you know, or instant message Him whenever a crisis arose. What a concept.......

So, what do we do with all that unanswered prayer? Do we just throw in the towel and give up?

That's probably the worst thing to do. Trusting God means your ongoing relationship is just that....ongoing. It means God is always in control, always has a handle on what's happening in your life, and mostly, always knows what's best. And no.....that doesn't mean you can have a back-up plan in place just in case you don't get the answer you want.

Here are some great books that will give you ALOT of insight into prayer, how and why it works, and how to develop a truly meaningful prayer life.

Amazon is one of the cheapest book stores on the net. Please use these links to buy your books. Not only are you getting a GREAT deal, you're helping us too.

By Phillip Yancey Karen's Book Review.

This book explores what happens when you and God try to talk to each other, specifically through prayer. It discusses how to get through the frustration and other difficulties that often come with attempts at prayer.

by Larry Crabb

This book talks about a four step prayer process called PAPA prayer where you talk to God in a conversational way. The book focuses more on getting more OF God rather than trying to get more FROM God.

by Jerry Sittser

In this book, the author talks about the mystery surrounding unanswered prayer and he invites the reader to explore their own motives. He makes us think about what would happen to us if all our prayers were answered. This is a great book to give you deep insights into unanswered prayer.

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Do Your Christian Prayers REALLY Work?

God's Amazing Grace

What is the Soul?

How Do I Find Some Life Balance and Purpose?

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Miracle Prayer

Submit your favorite book on how to deal with unanswered prayer

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