Why Doesn’t Prayer Work?ናሙና

Give Us Today What We Need: So Why Doesn’t Prayer Work?

Up until this point, we’ve looked at prayer from our perspective. But prayer is also an opportunity for God to tell us what’s dear to His heart. After all, we’re part of a big story that God is writing across all of history. 

But we don’t have the complete story, and we don’t know how it ends or the surprise characters and plot twists. Only God does. So while you may not understand why some prayers are answered the way you want and others aren’t, you can rest in the fact that God is there. He just may not be responding in the way you hoped. And you’re not alone. 

In the book of Jeremiah, the people of Jerusalem were living in sin and going against God. The city needed change, but God knew their unwillingness and specifically told Jeremiah the situation wasn’t going to pan out the way he wanted: “Pray no more for these people, Jeremiah. Do not weep or pray for them, and don’t beg me to help them, for I will not listen to you” (Jer. 7:16, NLT). 

On the other hand, there are times when God wants us to keep praying even though things may look impossible. In 1 Samuel, we meet Hannah and learn how much she longed for a child. Hannah prayed fervently for a son, pouring out her heart to God. She even prayed so incessantly when she was at the tabernacle that the priest thought she was drunk! Hannah kept praying until God answered her prayer and blessed her with a son. And she continued to pray even after her son Samuel was born.

Isaiah 55:8-9 tells us: “‘My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,’ says the Lord. ‘And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts’” (NLT). 

No matter the outcome of your prayers, God’s heart is for you. He knows the rest of the story so, you can trust Him with His response. So the next time you feel like a prayer has gone unanswered or ignored, remember that prayer doesn’t exist to work for you. Prayer is designed to work in you.

Questions for Reflection:

Think of your favorite book, movie, or TV show. Did the story end up how you expected? What plot twists stood out the most?

How do you typically respond when it feels like your prayers have gone unanswered or ignored? 

Is there something you’ve been praying over for an extended period? If so, how are you trusting God with His response?