What Does The Scriptures Say About Unanswered Prayers?

Many Christians struggle with the concept of unanswered prayer. Perhaps you can relate. You ask God to rescue a friend from addiction, to grant salvation to a loved one, to heal a sick child, or perhaps to mend a relationship. All these things you think must be God's will. For years you pray. But you hear nothing back from Him and you see no results.

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You remind the Lord that He's powerful. That your request is a good thing. You plead. You wait. You doubt-maybe. He doesn't hear you, or maybe He isn't so powerful after all. You quit asking for days or even months. You feel guilty about doubting. You remember that God wants you to take your needs to Him, and you tell Him your requests again.

We may sometimes feel that we are like the persistent widow in Jesus' badgering him and trying to wear him down so he'll give in. But we know that God is kinder and more powerful than the judge in the parable recorded in (Luke 18). She keeps coming to the judge, badgering him, and trying to wear him down so he will give in. But we know that God is kinder and more powerful than the judge in the parable. We trust Him, for He is good, wise, and sovereign. We remember We remember that Jesus "always ought to pray and not lose heart" ( Luke 8:1).

So we ask Him, "Summon Your power, O God; show us Your strength, O God, as You have done before"(Psalm 68:28). After all of this you should trust and wait.