Hi Jon,
I had a prayer that was answered
Over a period of 10 years…I had thought it was unanswered at the time, but … God answered in a much more comprehensive way. I am so thankful for the way God answered my prayer now
But …I was in the dark not knowing what the Lord was doing …for years. So I think the answer for me is to trust in Him no matter what…So a no answer
May not actually be a no…It could turn out to be a wait!
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Jack- a great summary to a difficult question.
I’m going to pose a related difficult 2-part question…
- Why doesn’t God tell us what the answer is directly, instead of leaving us to figure out the most likely reason by process of elimination? Or does this just happen to me?
- Assuming that we accept the point that Pastor JD made about the characters in the Bible being real people just like us (I do), shouldn’t we be able to use Gideon’s fleece test , and get a similarly clear answer when we ask God about something for which we must make a decsion within a certain timefrarme? Or again, is this just a problem I have…because I don’t have a fleece!
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I too have had every prayer answered… eventually. You have to be willing to wait for the answer. NO answer is not the same as “No.” I you don’t get a specific reply, then you either wait or realize the question was wrong.
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Hi Kim,
I had a similar experience with God a few years ago. I’ll spare you the unpleasant details, but my adult daughter got involved with a total loser of a guy. That wasn’t just my “overprotective dad” thing either…this guy was a convicted sex offender who had fled probation in his home state, so he had an active arrest warrant. Everyone else in our family also tagged him as loser, within 10 minutes of talking to him.
At the time, my daughter lived in a different city, and insisted that we accept him as he was, and invite him for holidays; I refused to consider that, because he claimed to be Christian, so I expected him to show true sorrow for his past, leading to repentance; instead, he chose to play the victim card blaming “the system” and others for his hard life.
So my daughter walled herself away from family -especially me. Their relationship went on for 6 years, during which time his selfishness and emotional abuse towards my daughter, and the 2 kids she had by him got steadily worse.
I was beside myself hearing about all this, and would be up in the middle of the night
crying out to God - not to fix things, just to reassure me that He was watching over my daughter and grandaughters,and would protect them. I just needed Him to comfort me.But He remained completely silent - for 6 years, I didn’t hear or feel anything from Him. I felt forsaken, and looking back I believe I was in what John of the Cross called a “dark night of the soul.” It sounds like you had one too.
Then one day, He showed up again and I understood that He allowed this extreme affliction and suffering to actually increase and strengthen my faith, and -as you said -“trust in Him no matter what.” I still don’t understand why He had to take me there to
accomplish this - and we never will this side of heaven, but I am thankful for it.
Bob
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Thanks for your thoughts - you didn’t fail me - and the article which gave some insight- though it didn’t realy get to the meat of my question. Gideon’s situation was different than mine; God had already told him what to do, so it seems that he was putting God to the test or questioning His will. I’d like to think that if I got that direct of a word from God I wouldn’t need any follow up proof. At least I hope I wouldn’t.
And maybe that’s the rat in the woodpile on this subject - I struggle to hear the still small voice amid the carnival of thoughts that plays in my head daily ,thats just the way my brain is wired. I have an extremely hard time parsing out God… “was that You Lord, or just my dysfunctional brain?” It is easy to recognize the thoughts of the enemy, and in most cases my own flesh (the natural man). But not when I ask God a question, like ''What should I do about this situation ?" (It may go without saying, but just in case - this doesn’t apply when there’s guidance from scripture).
It has always been this way for me, and I belive this is why I have a hard time in prayer. So, where I have ended up landing on this is to say to God,’’ Lord your word says that your sheep will know your voice, so I have to trust that you know how to get through to me if you have something to say to me… you know where I live." I just wonder if that is enough.
You are right…life- and especially Christian life - is not for wimps.
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God also answers our prayers in ways that we may not be fully aware of. God is omniscient. Sometimes the answer which involves all that God knows, appears to us as a no, or a wait, but God has in fact moved in the situation in a way that furthers His kingdom, but appears not to serve our individual prayer request.
I think it is comforting to remind ourselves that in our humanness, we don’t have the capacity to comprehend how much God loves us, but in our faith, we believe that He does.
Also, I believe that sometimes we are the obstacle in the way of having our prayers answered because we don’t perfectly follow the will of God. Sometimes when we are stumbling, it looks like God isn’t answering us, but perhaps the truth is that we aren’t hearing God and going in the direction He would choose for us.
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@Jon 
Not part of the top ten, [but], I do have an opinion.
The question being, “why prayers go unanswered”
All the above answers seemed to cover everything.
Then I thought, what about prayers answered BUT we don’t see the answer.
We just think they have not been answered. Usually because we/I have a preconceived way that I want it answered.
Sometimes asking/praying to a God whose ways are not our ways, and whose thoughts are higher than our thoughts. Doesn’t appear to have been answered.
[HE just didn’t take my humble opinions on the situation I am praying about]
Example would be the Jews, waiting and praying and for their Messiah.
Yahweh answered, but they didn’t see it. [[[[JESUS]]]]]
#11 
Doc 
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a thought came to my mind at Luke 22:18… do you think God is giving us a hint in the Luke (22) that maybe the Kingdom of God comes in 2022? i’m not setting dates but it’s an interesting thought.
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Ooooh excellent point too! And I’m glad you chimed in. Thank ya.
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@Jon Thank you brother, my chimes, though not the bells of St. Mary’s but more the tinkling bell of the ice cream truck, are offered as the widows’ mite. 
Warmly Doc
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You had me at ice cream truck.
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We certainly want it to happen now. But we are learning patience right now and through patience, growing faith and enduring faith and keeping hope alive knowing we’ll get there. I keep on wanting to go Home and for me, I hear “enjoy the scenery, Jon, while you can.” I’m not taking time to truly appreciate all that is around me. Not the worldly things of man, mind you. But seeing the clouds move across the sky, enjoying the various shades of blue that we have in the sky depending on weather and time of day. Watching that animals that captivate our lives. Seeing a steam of water and just marveling at it’s beauty and simplistic view while trying to comprehend the vastness of its complexity. Seeing a child laugh and play (or, y’know, me playing…I just cannot get around a jungle gym anymore like I used to).
I don’t know if you can associate the numbers used to create verses with a message from God, but at the same time, I know better than to dismiss everything without truly studying it first. It does kinda make you wonder, I had to admit. BUT, it could be that in 2218, the Kingdom of God comes…I don’t think we’ll be here if it’s THAT long of a wait lol.
All I can hope for is that God will call the trumpet to sound today and have faith knowing it will sound at some point.
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Thanks Jack…it is the battlefield of the mind. In my case, it is somewhat more of a fight because of my neurological disease ( a rare and atypical form of Parkinsonism).
And you are right - we just need to keep at it and remember that God knows our hearts and will never ignore the prayers of a sincere and humble person. I am reminded of Luke 18:10-14…
" Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
A very simple and short prayer which God more than honored because it came from a contrite heart (Proverbs 15:8). Looking back over nearly 40 years with God, I can definitely see His hand in so many things in my life. I have been astounded and humbled by His grace, mercy, and provision. He has been, is, and will be to me and mine, Yahweh Jireh, the Lord who Provides; He has always giving me more than I need in spiritual and material temporal blessings. (2 Corinthians 9:8)
This reminds me of a story I heard about a Christian couple who were very devoted to their 5-year-old had never spoken…not a word since he was born. They loved him so much and were heartbroken that he couldn’t speak. Every physician and specialist they had taken him to were stumped, and told them they could find nothing wrong with the boy, and the last one suggested he needed mental health care. They had resigned themselves to that and began to look for a psychiatrist who specialized in pediatrics.
One night as they were eating dinner, the boy suddenly said “I don’t like green beans.” The parents were stunned and shocked- at first could not believe he had spoken, so they asked him to repeat what they thought they had heard.
"I said that I don’t like green beans.”
“Praise God! Son, you really can speak?”
“Yes”
“Have you been able to talk all this time?
“Yes”
“But why haven’t you ever said anything to us in 5 years?”
The boy looked at his parents and said “well, up until now, I haven’t had any complaints.”
An old joke that seemed relevant to this subject!
Bob
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Seeing you write all of that is such a blessing to me. I thought I was all alone in my struggles. It is so refreshing to hear others have the same problems.
I used to hear God’s voice so much better in the past but I went through a time which I wouldn’t get into here. Since then it seems like I have such a hard time hearing him.
I am constantly questioning if I am His child because of this very verse. I tend to think everyone else seems to hear and recognize his voice and wonder if I am the only one.
Again thank you so much for sharing. I feel so much better just knowing I am not alone.
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That seems to be how it works for me. As I told Bob, I thought I was alone in my struggles to hear God. You as well have confirmed things to me. Sometimes, we don’t seem to HEAR an answer, it just happens and we know he answered us.
Amen! That seems to be how it works for me as well. If the prayer wasn’t answered, I presume the answer was No or Wait and keep on praying.
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Hey, I’m always in God’s way… I’m such a spaz. I’m obstinate and opinionated. I always end up trying to takeover . From time to time, I forget Who’s in my corner, and Who really knows how it needs to be. Patience and being still enough to hear, that’s what I’m constantly working on…
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Isaiah 1:13-15 Rebellious children
V. 18-20
v. 15 And when you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; Even though you make many prayers, I will not hear
Your hands are full of blood.
God is so gracious ! Despite His children’s pattern of sin He was still patient , as He offered to discuss with them the solution to their suffering. “ Come now , and let us reason together.” God was offering to cleanse their sins, making them white as snow. v. 19 if you are willing. “
It came down to their choice. They could either choose to obey and be blessed, or to rebel and be devoured. This is the same choice we all make today. It is so reasonable.
Chuck Smith. Commentary.
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Wow that was a good sermon thank you Lord Jesus.
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I really have suffered a lot too around the bad choices my daughter has made. My heart has been broken so much it feels like a burden just having one sometimes. But the problem is, of course our loved ones have been given a free will. Sometimes they just do not take as good care of themselves or their children …as we wish they would…pray to God that they would. I think we share in the sufferings of Christ when faced with these horrible nightmare sort of trials. We gain a special understanding of how much sin hurts Jesus. …Going through this type of suffering …the kind caused by a loved one, it is rough. I think it has made me not want to hurt the heart of Jesus myself. That is one thing …Another thing is, it did give me a fresh look at the suffering that I caused my own mother in my youth…
And now that I am 65 and my mother is 92 I have an opportunity that God has given to me to bring my Mom a little comfort instead of grief … makes me happy.
As you say, the dark night of the soul, I have had a few / been right there with you and it is so very very hard. I have heard it said before that God never wastes our suffering and as I am getting older : I do believe this is true. I believe your daughter really needed every single one of your prayers…and her kids too. She is so blessed to have a Father like you who cares about her enough to pray. 
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Thanks Kim…
I really have been moved to more thought by Pastor JD’s teaching on James, especially yesterday’s lesson. I have asked God for wisdom many times over the years, and He has almost always answered in clear and amazing ways. When He has not it’s been my fault not His. So, I don’t really have an issue with asking for wisdom.
Where I struggle is asking for Him to act- most recently for healing. I have asked God many times to heal my neurological and spinal conditions. But I cannot presume to say I know He will do it. Scripture says Jesus healed all who came to Him (Matt. 15:30) but I thought that they had to ask in faith if He was willing (Matt 8:2). So, I assumed the key was not to presume to know His will, but to just ask in faith.
But when nothing happened, I wondered about Jesus’ actions at the Pool of Bethesda (John 5). The man he healed did not ask- Jesus asked him and left everyone else without healing. The Bible does not tell us why. So, God clearly chooses not to heal everyone - Paul is one example, but he knew why, so I assume God told him why -and gave him sufficient grace to bear whatever his affliction was.
2019 was a hard year for me. In July, I found out that I have spinal stenosis, arthritis and degenerative disc disease, and had surgery to relieve the compressed nerve in my lumbar spine. Since these problems are chronic, they have continued to get worse, and I have been in constant pain at some level -usually at least a 6/10 - every day since then. I now have to have another surgery on a different part of my spine. Then in the fall of 2019, I was diagnosed with a rare form of atypical Parkinsonism, which has severely affected my balance, gait, speech and handwriting/typing as the symptoms have worsened.
When I found out about the Parkinsonism, after the initial shock of being told I had a terminal disease with a life expectancy of 5-10 years, I was strangely at peace about it, and I knew this was from God, so I told Him that I wanted to continue to serve Him, and glorify Him despite my limitations. I prayed many times “Lord let Your will be done in this, not mine.” As my conditions have worsened, I have begun to wonder if I “prayed myself into a corner” and now am seeking healing which God will not do because of that prayer.
I cannot see any way that I have been able to serve Him, share the gospel with others (my speech is very bad), or glorified Him during the past 2+ years. I feel like His grace is no longer sufficient for me. There are too many days when I do not bear my condition well and complain about how difficult my life is- and since He is the giver of life itself, I see that I am really blaming Him for my complaining and resentment of Him for my afflictions. I have prayed, asking Him for extra measures of grace, and I believe He has given it, but it doesn’t seem to help.
I know “many are the afflictions of the righteous,” but I am waiting for the part that says “the Lord delivers them out of them all.” I don’t know what else to do at this point.
Sorry for the long post and for dumping my problems on you.
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