Prayer is powerful and deeply personal. It's you talking with God about what matters most to you. Even though you don't feel it at times, God is listening. He loves you. Here are a few reasons why God isn't answering your prayers:
1. You give up too soon
God has his own timetable, and it's usually not the same as yours. Think about the woman who prayed for her boyfriend to propose marriage, but he didn't. Instead he ended the relationship. Her heart was broken and she wondered if God was even hearing her. Still she kept praying. Two years later she met someone who adores her completely and asked her to marry him. She loves him beyond words. It ended up being a far better arrangement than anything she could have planned.
It was the same case with a man who prayed for his failing business to survive. It seemed his prayers were going unanswered. He lost the business and turned to God with more fervent prayers. He was led to a new career that has blessed him, his family and many others. God knew what was best for him.
We need to keep praying to God because he will eventually answer our prayers in the right way and at the right time. Don't give up on God. He will never give up on you.
2. You don't really believe he will answer you
You go through the motions of praying but you don't really believe it will do any good. Praying requires faith; Believe that God is listening and he will answer your prayers.
Some feel they are unworthy of receiving an answer. If you feel that you are so out of favor with God that he will never answer your prayers, you are dead wrong. No one is ever beyond his loving care. Reading the parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15:11-32 proves this. God's arms are always reaching out to us.
3. You aren't showing God you care about him
In Matthew 22:37, Jesus told us to "love the Lord with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind". God needs to feel deep devotion from you. To discover how devoted to God you are, ask yourself these questions: Do I read his holy word? Do I attend church regularly? Do I pray daily? Do I repent of my sins and try to do better? Do I show love to his other children?
If you are working at doing these things you are showing God that you love him. You don't have to be perfect, just try your best. Living how God wants you to live brings blessings.
4. You are asking for the wrong thing
In 1 John:14 we learn that "if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us." God wants our desires to be in harmony with his commandments.
Sometimes our requests are not decisions between right and wrong. At times you may be praying to know which of two or more good things is the right decision for you. You want his guidance. That requires yet another kind of prayer, one that asks God to guide you to know what to pray for. The Holy Spirit will guide the honest seeker. Listen for that still small voice to guide you in your prayers.
5. You are unwilling to accept "No" for an answer
We know what we want, but what if it isn't what God wants for us, even though it appears to be a good thing? He is not going to give us answers to prayers that are contrary to what he knows is best for us. Sometimes it's not so much that God is saying "No" but rather is saying "Not now". Sometimes prayers are answered immediately, but most take some time.
We must be willing to accept answers that don't fit exactly with what we hoped for. That's when we need to "trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths" (Proverbs 3:5-6).
Your life will always be better if you keep your faith and keep on praying. Be assured that God loves you and he is listening and will answer your prayers in the way that is best for you.
