Have you ever wondered why it seems as if the Lord is not listening to you? Perhaps you have been praying for the same things over and over, and yet nothing appears to be changing. Rest assured, God is interested in the every detail of your life, and don’t lose heart in seeking Him! However, there may be a few reasons why things aren’t working out as you planned. Crosswalk highlights 5 of these.
1. Godâs idea of a âgood thingâ might be different than yours.
“You might be praying for a husband, a job youâve been hoping for, or to win the lottery. Why would God not give you any or all of the three? Because even though you might feel itâs good for you to be married, or to be working in a job you like, or to have more money, Godâs opinion might differ. Just because something makes us happy doesnât mean itâs good for us, eternally. And God has our eternal best in mind. ”
2. God is waiting for you to be obedient.
“Scripture exhorts husbands to be considerate of their wives and treat them with respect so that their prayers arenât hindered (1 Peter 3:7). And Psalm 84:11 says âno good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.â Are you walking uprightly? Is your life not only obedient, but surrendered to Him? If not, God may be withholding or refusing to acknowledge your prayers to get you back into line with His will and purposes. “Lord is not listeing to you?
3. It isnât the right time.
“God has three answers. Yes, no, and wait. Because He can see whatâs eternally best for us, and He can also see whatâs coming down the road (and we canât), trust His judgment. Donât second-guess Him. His timing is always better than yours. If you are walking uprightly and what youâre asking for is truly a good thing then, according to Psalm 84:11, God is not withholding after all. It just isnât time.”
4. You arenât asking in faith.
“How we pray is just as important as what we pray for. In James 1:5-8 we are told:Â âIf any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.â
5. God has something better for you than what you are asking for.
“This is my favorite reason for why God says ânoâ but we so often forget to consider it. Because He is good and knows whatâs eternally best for us, and doesnât want us to settle, God sometimes says no or closes a door because He has something better for us that we havenât even thought to ask for. He is One who can do âimmeasurably moreâ than all we can ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20). Trust His timing. Trust His âno.â And trust His idea of what is eternally best for you. He really is a good father.”