What to Do When it Feels Like God Isn’t Hearing You

Why doesn’t God answer prayer?

For starters, He does. I can attest to that. But sometimes He doesn’t answer the best way we wish (or He doesn’t even answer in any respect). Why is that?

What Is Prayer?

First, we’ve got to know what prayer is (I viewed it incorrectly for a very long time). Prayer is just a conversation with God. Its purpose is basically to assist align our hearts with what God is doing as He invites us to play a task in His work.

Questions about why God doesn’t answer a prayer typically arise about times after we ask God to do something. And for some people, that’s all prayer is: a room service concierge line, or perhaps a 911 call. It’s all requests, on a regular basis. To me, that does not sound very similar to a conversation.

I’m actually not saying you need to never request anything from God, but that shouldn’t be the one thing prayer is about. Instead of a concierge call, I’ve heard prayer described more like a walkie-talkie on a battlefield. We continuously radio in in regards to the situation and ask God what He would have us do in a wartime scenario: charge over there, bind someone’s wounds over here, or wait over on this area. Our Commander-in-Chief is as much as something, and we get to participate—but we’re not giving the orders.

Can You Hear Me Now?

All that said, there actually are places within the Bible where it talks about God not hearing people’s prayers. Not that He cannot hear, but that He doesn’t listen. As it says in Isaiah 59:1-2

“Surely the arm of the Lord shouldn’t be too short to avoid wasting, nor his ear too dull to listen to. But your iniquities have separated you out of your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, in order that he is not going to hear.”

The chapter goes on from there to explain the people in ever-less-flattering terms. Basically, in the event you are committed to living in unrepentant sin, you should not really concerned with God’s plans and should not expect Him to incorporate you in His work. You won’t hear from Him, because there is just too much static on the road.

The Bible includes other examples of when God is not going to hear your prayers:

• When you’re focused on the appearances of faith, relatively than caring for others (Isaiah 58:1-12)
• For married folks, in the event you should not considerate of your spouse, which is God’s will for marriage (1 Peter 3:7)
• If you don’t trust God (James 1:6)
• If you ask for something with selfish motives, and without regard for what God wants (James 4:3)
• Related to the above, in the event you ask for something that shouldn’t be in accordance with God’s will (1 John 5:14)

I all the time thought that was a cop-out Christian answer to why doesn’t God hear my prayers. Now, I realize that prayer is as much about understanding His will as expressing ours. Jesus provides a superb example for us (in fact). Facing knowledge of His own impending crucifixion, He went at night to a garden and prayed:

“Father, in the event you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” – Luke 22:42

Now, if God was going to reply the prayer of anyone, it will be Jesus, right? I mean, it’s His only Son we’re talking about (and the one Person who never did anything improper). So did God answer that prayer?

Yes and no. God didn’t take away that “cup” of crucifixion, so it would seem to be an unanswered prayer. But Jesus also prayed that God’s might be done, and it was. God’s will was to make use of the crucifixion to avoid wasting all of us from the penalty of sin. Through Jesus’ death, we get everlasting life. That’s a extremely good plan long-term, but I’d have a tough time seeing that within the moment…

God is as much as something, and someday we’ll see the “why” behind what gave the impression of an unanswered prayer.

Oh, and there’s one other reason why God wouldn’t hear our prayers, and it might be probably the most common reason of all: because we do not pray.

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Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/KatarzynaBialasiewicz
Originally published by Jonathan Pokluda. Used with permission. 

Jonathan “JP” Pokluda is the Lead Pastor of Harris Creek Baptist Church in Waco, TX. He was formerly the leader of The Porch in Dallas, TX, which grew to be the most important weekly young adult gathering of its kind within the country. JP didn’t come to know the grace of the Gospel until his early twenties after being involved in several denominational churches his entire life. This ignited a desire in him to encourage young adults to radically follow Jesus Christ and unleash them to alter the world. JP’s partner in ministry is Monica, his wife of seventeen years, and together they disciple their children Presley, Finley, and Weston.
He has written 5 best-selling books, and is currently working on “Your Story Has a Villain.” This book is for you in the event you’re weary from the struggle and able to embrace the abundant life God has for us. It will assist you to explore the tactics of Satan, equip you to beat spiritual battles, and remind you of the victory already secured through Jesus. Learn more at his website, jonathanpokluda.com. Click here for Unite Us, a movement of school students united to lift the name of Jesus.