7 Reasons Why Your Prayers Haven't Been Answered...Yet!

I used to share the story below with leaders attending my programs to inspire action. I decided to share this with you because I feel it simply portrays, and in some ways, parallels my prayer life, and perhaps yours as well. 

Hope faced some struggles during the year and desperately needed a financial miracle in her life. She got down on her knees and prayed, "God, I really need a miracle. Please let me win the $216 million dollar Powerball jackpot tonight. If I win, I promise I will do anything you ask of me. Amen." Later that night the Powerball numbers came out, and nothing.

The following week the jackpot crept up to $311 million. Hope got back down on her knees and prayed, "God, maybe you didn't think last week was a good time for a miracle, but I am hoping you can make me a winner this week. Again, if I win I will do anything you ask of me. Amen." You guessed it, the Powerball numbers came out, and not even ONE number. Really?!? Yes, really, not one.

The jackpot continued to rise and was up to $402 million. So for the third week, Hope pleaded, "God, I really need a miracle. Please I beg you! Please, please let me win the Powerball jackpot tonight. I promise I will do anything you...."

Before she could even finish she heard God call her name. 

Shocked, she replied, "Yes Lord?" 

"My child Hope, I heard you the first two times. You need to buy a ticket first!"

Are you laughing (or at least smiling)? I always got a few chuckles from the audience when I said the last line. It's funny at the surface, but when I really analyzed it, it's very telling.    


How many times have you been Hope - someone who desperately needed a miracle? Maybe you need one now. I've been her a couple of times. I intentionally chose Hope as her name because in the story, that was all she had, hope...hope that God would perform a miracle. You need more than hope. How many times have you prayed about something and not received an answer? If you are like me, you can't even remember all of them. Yes? 


Based on the moral of this parable along with my experience, below are reasons why it seems your prayers are not being answered:

1. Oh ye of little faith. God does great things according to the amount of faith you have in Him. If you have little faith, God will do small miracles. As your faith grows, so will His miracles. The measure of your miracle is dependent on the the amount of faith you have in God. How much faith do you have in God in relation to what you are asking of Him? Don't ask for more than you have.
2. Let's make a deal, Lord. "If you do this for me God, I promise I will do that." God is not a conditional God. He does what He does for you out of pure unconditional love. I'm not saying not to make promises (or not to keep them), but doing so is not going to influence God one way or another. When He chooses to answer your prayer, it is because of who He is not because of anything you have done or will do.  Are you waiting for (or challenging) God to give you a miracle before you do something you should already be doing? Do it anyway. It might just be the missing piece. 
3. But I want it now. God's timing is not my (or your) timing. You may need a miracle now, but God may not feel now is the time. Sometimes He gives us time to makes sure what we are asking Him for is indeed what we want or what He wants for us. See God has the big picture. He sees all things and how they interconnect. In this day and age of microwave mentality, we want things NOW. Why wait? God doesn't operate like that. He's working things out for you - things you don't even know about. Those things take time. He hasn't forgotten about you. When everything has been worked out - then God's timing is revealed. Is there something you've prayed for that you think God has forgotten to answer? He hasn't.
4. I'll do it myself. Be patient. Why is God taking so long? Sometimes I get restless and impatient. So I take things into my own hands instead of accepting God's timing and letting Him work things out. That causes even more of a delay. It's like being stuck in traffic and deciding to take a detour to get to your destination quicker, but it sets you even more behind schedule. Be patient and who knows, the traffic might just lighten up over the hill if you stay on course. Are you tempted to do it yourself and speed things along because you can't wait anymore? Don't do it. Wait for God's answer.
5. All on you God. Do your best and God does the rest. You have got to DO (or stop doing) something first. Just praying about it isn't enough. God doesn't just make things happen without asking you to take some action or the first step. Would God have allowed Hope to win Powerball if she bought a ticket? Maybe or maybe not. However, she needed to buy the ticket FIRST to find out. What are you praying for that requires you to take action? Take it.
6. I can't ask God to do that.  Ask boldly and be specific. The only limits God has are the ones WE place on Him because He is limitless. Are you asking God to just get you through a specific situation or are you boldly asking Him to breakthrough your current situation? Are you asking Him to meet a specific need for yourself or are you boldly asking Him to meet your needs so you have more than enough to meet the needs of others? What limits are you placing on God? Go and release those limits. 
7. I'll ask, but doubt he'll answer.  Expect your prayers to be answered. If you pray with hope, faith, and patience without expectation, it's like baiting a hook, throwing a line and waiting for a bite in a pond with no fish. It's all for nothing. Expect that God will always answer your prayer, because He will. It may not be the answer you want, but an answer nonetheless. I can think of many men that I wanted to date and prayed for God to draw them near me. I think there is a country song called, "Thank you for unanswered prayers." Enough said! When you pray are you expecting an answer - even if it's not the answer you are looking for? Always expect an answer - whether you agree with it or not because you will get one.

"Lord, I come before you, united with each person who prays this prayer with me, and boldly ask for your favor and hand in my life and theirs. You said, ask and you shall receive; seek and you shall find. Lord, I ask you to place the words in my mouth to ask for all you want me to receive and the desire in my heart to seek all you want me to find. Light my path Lord so I can clearly see the steps I need to take to draw closer to you. Reveal the obstacles I need to remove so you can finish the good work you've started in me and on my behalf. Bless and prosper me so I can be a blessing to others. Use me Lord for the glory of your name and kingdom. In Your precious and Holy name I boldly pray! Amen."