The Problem of Unanswered Prayer

It's been a month today, since my accident in Colorado. I seem to have numerous things that God is teaching me during this season of life. I decided to look back in my prayer journal and see what I had written down on the day of my accident. (July 23) One of my prayers was "Lord, give us safety today and plan our time." Mmmm. I don't know about you, but my first thought when I read this is "God did NOT answer my prayer." I had asked him specifically that morning to keep us safe, yet off we went to a mountain lake, and boom, my dog lunged into the water, my feet planted, a big twist of the body and I was down. Broken ankle bones. So, for all practical purposes, it would seem that God did not answer my prayer. Right?

Here in lies the problem. We humans don't know what to do with God when our prayers aren't answered. We pray for someone to live and they die. We pray for a certain job and don't get it. We pray for a spouse and we're still single. Often, if we don't see prayers being answered, we stop praying. We basically give up on God. Have you considered that "no" or "wait" are also answers from God?

But for me, in this particular situation, I have come to believe that God had some greater purpose in my accident. Do you remember Job of the Bible? Job asked God repeatedly for healing, Unknown to Job, God was at work behind the scenes, using Job's story for God's greater glory. I honestly believe that God had something greater in mind than answering my prayer the way I wanted.

Sometimes we may never know why God chooses to answer some prayers and not others. God doesn't have favorites, like humans do. God doesn't withhold love to some and really bless others because their super good, popular or successful. God loves ALL people, but longs for relationship with them. You are I were created to be in communion with God. Prayer is conversation with God. Conversation....listening, speaking, and waiting.

Honestly, sometimes, there's not a real good answer to unanswered prayer, except we have to allow God to be God. He will answer prayer how He chooses. I'm not really enjoying this season of life. But, I still choose to thank God for it and ask Him to use it in my life and others for a greater purpose. What about you? How do you view unanswered prayer in your life? Take a moment today to reflectively read the verses and quote below. What might God be teaching you about Himself and prayer?
  
"We are a Divine work of art, something That God is making and therefore something with which He will not be satisfied until it has a certain character." C. S. Lewis

"His work is perfect, for all His ways are just; a God of faithfulness and without injustice, righteous and upright is He." Deuteronomy 32:4

"He will cause all things to work together for our good- if we truly love Him and are called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28

"Woe to the one who quarrels with his Maker- an earthenware vessel among the vessels of earth! Will the clay say to the potter, "What are you doing?" Isaiah 45:9

"This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us." 1 John 5:14

Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain for the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.