The Mystery of Unanswered Prayer

Today, I want to continue our series on prayer by talking about the mystery of unanswered prayer. There probably isn’t a single person here who hasn’t, at some point or other, been disappointed in prayer. You’ve prayed for healing, for provision, for a relationship to be restored, for a loved one who has wandered far from God, for troubling situations at work or in the world and your prayers went unanswered, the circumstances didn’t change, your loved one wasn’t healed or saved or delivered. Over the years, you’ve heard me talk about the Father’s great love for us. I’ve shared miracle story after miracle story, talking about how God answers prayer. Through it all, you’d be forgiven if your first thought was a tiny, involuntary, “Yes, but…” I know how you feel. It’s a fairly natural reaction.