Why doesn’t God answer my prayers?

Get answers to key questions about whether God is listening, and why he sometimes says no.

If you’ve been praying for something for a long time and still don’t seem to have a response from God, it is understandable that you might be starting to wonder about whether God is ever going to answer.

Why doesn’t God always answer our prayers? Let’s take a look.

Is he listening?

The first question you may ask is, is God actually listening? But the Bible assures us over and over that God hears our prayers. Take a look at the following verses:

John 9:31
1 Peter 3:12
1 John 5:15
Jeremiah 29:12-13
Psalm 66:17-20

So why is he ignoring my prayer?

Just because God hasn’t answered your prayer the way you want him to doesn’t mean he hasn’t answered!

When you were little and you asked your parents for a snack, they would normally give one of three responses: yes, no, or wait. All of those responses are an answer, even if they weren’t the answer you wanted!

Sometimes God answers our prayers with a yes, but sometimes he says no, or wait.

Why would God say no to a prayer?

It can be really hard when God’s answer to a prayer is no, particularly if it’s something we really want, like healing of a loved one or to get into a certain university.

But if God says no to a prayer, he always has a reason. God’s plans and purposes are not always clear to us – in fact, they rarely are! But sometimes we get a glimpse of why God says no to a prayer later on, when we realise that God saying no opened up certain opportunities that wouldn’t otherwise have happened.

Sometimes, God says no and we’ll never understand fully why until Jesus returns. At that point, it’s important that we remember key truths about God: he is fully good, he has infinite wisdom, he loves us, and he will give his people eternal life through Jesus.

How do I wait for God to reply?

If you’re waiting for God to answer a prayer, it can be really hard not to grow impatient or frustrated. But Psalm 27:13-14 reminds and urges:

I remain confident of this:

    I will see the goodness of the Lord

    in the land of the living.

Wait for the Lord;

    be strong and take heart

    and wait for the Lord.

God might be asking you to wait, but he is always good, and however he chooses to answer your prayer will be the right response.