Unanswered Prayer?

What's with that? I protest the terminology! Those two words should be mutually exclusive. They do not belong together. Jesus will refuse His children no good thing (or He will MAKE it good) and that includes those things which are hard to hear or accept. In answering prayer, He utilizes one of three responses: "Yes", "Wait", or, "I have something better in mind". So we observe that prayer either changes things, or it changes us!

God desires this dialog for the purpose of "growing us up". It is how we "wrestle" with God. We are the ones who are developing our agility and stamina in spiritual matters. We are building up our internal strength and toughness in faith. I have learned from combining prayer with my dilemmas. God and I have come to an agreement. I ask for His will to be done and He gives me whatever I ask for.

I have one simple discipline to advocate as an answer to this issue of "unanswered" prayer. Keep a prayer journal. Make sure you keep track of exactly what you've asked Him for. My own journal started out as a list, every day, of what I wanted from Him. Once I saw that He actually answers, the journal then seemed to degenerate into a pathetic, whiny list of complaints about my life. I don't think, when we are in trouble, that we realize our prayers sound this way. It sure was emphasized in a big way when I had to search through page after dreary, angry, pleading, page to put down His answers. It was just too painful reading that stuff. I resolved to use the journal as a vehicle of praise for Him. I asked Him to help me do it. Now some of my best material starts in those pages. I have also learned how exquisite is the pleasure of giving honor and glory to Him!