GOD, WHY AREN’T YOU ANSWERING MY PRAYERS?
“For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask Him.”
Matthew 7:8–11 (NLT)
Be honest. Have you ever thought, I asked God for a good gift, and I feel like I got a snake instead? I have. I may not have said it out loud, but I’ve thought it. Exodus shows us the Israelites facing real problems in the desert. God freed them from Egypt and split the Red Sea, but that was yesterday. Now they are hungry and thirsty. They complained, God, where are You? Why aren’t You answering us?
Jesus, You told us to keep on asking, seeking and knocking. I’m doing that the best I know, Lord, so why am I not receiving these good gifts You promised?
You have probably heard that the Lord does answer our prayers, and like a good parent, He answers yes, no, and wait. I like yes. I rejoice when God says yes. It makes sense to me. Many times, however, I experience no or wait, and often I can’t tell which it is, but either way, I don’t like it.
Looking back, it’s easier to see. God allowed Israel to go hungry and thirsty to teach them dependence on Him. He wanted them to learn trust, not self-reliance. He said, wait. And in the waiting, He was shaping their faith.
But in the moment, waiting feels unbearable. Silence feels like absence. That’s why I love a phrase I recently heard in a Lectio 365 prayer: God’s silence is not the same as His absence. That’s good news. Jesus promised He would never leave us or forsake us. That is true even when His answers are delayed, even when His voice feels quiet. He is present in the silence. He is faithful in the waiting. And He is using every no and every wait to grow our faith, deepen our trust, and shape our character.
APPLICATION: Keep trusting God even when the answer is no or wait. Say it out loud: God is faithful. I will keep walking with You through this trial.
PRAYER: Lord, help me trust You when Your answer isn’t clear. Remind me that silence is not absence. Grow my faith while I wait.
“… Our Father in heaven…” Matthew 6:9b (NLT)
- What do You want to say to me today as my Father?
“… may Your name be kept holy.” Matthew 6:9c (NLT)
- What do You want to reveal to me about Your power today?
“May Your Kingdom come soon.” Matthew 6:10a (NLT)
- Help me make Your priorities my priorities today.
“Give us today the food we need,” Matthew 6:11 (NLT)
- Is there anything specific You want me to do with my time or the people I’m around today?
“and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us” Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
- Reveal to me anyone I need to forgive or ask for forgiveness.
“And don’t let us yield to temptation…” Matthew 6:13a (NLT)
- Is there anywhere I’m vulnerable to temptation?