People often tell us, “I prayed, but my prayers weren’t answered.” While Jesus promises that God hears and answers prayers, and we believe this to be true based on our church’s experiences, many still struggle with feeling unheard. Here are some considerations that might help:

1. God is Not a Vending Machine
   You’ve likely seen vending machines where you insert a coin, turn the knob, and out comes the item. These machines don’t care if the candy is bad for you, causes cavities, or breaks a tooth—it simply delivers what you paid for. God, however, is not like a vending machine. He cares deeply about us and desires a meaningful relationship, not simply to fulfill every request without considering what’s truly best for us.

For example, if God gave me the Ferrari I prayed for or a huge lottery win, would I have drawn closer to Him or drifted further away? Would the Ferrari bring me joy or perhaps lead to recklessness? And would winning millions cause me to lose focus on my family and God, as some have experienced?

2. God Answered, But I Didn’t Hear
   When you ask someone for directions, you have a choice: follow their guidance or go your own way. If you choose your own path and end up lost, it’s not the fault of the person who gave the directions. Sometimes, we ask God for guidance, but when He provides a way, we choose not to listen. It’s like driving in the wrong direction while God is saying, “No, not that way!”

3. I Might Be Asking for the Wrong Thing
   God has established principles for life, and they are unchanging truths. For instance, when He commands, “Do not steal. Do not deceive or cheat one another” (Leviticus 19:11 NLT), I can’t expect Him to answer prayers that go against these truths. Similarly, when Jesus says, “…love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!” (Matthew 5:44 NLT), it’s clear that asking for something harmful to others is not aligned with God’s will.

If I live according to God’s plan, incredible things can happen, and prayers often get answered. It’s about aligning my requests with what God has already said.

4. I May Not Recognize the Answer
   Sometimes, God answers prayers in subtle ways. A man who had been homeless came to the church and told me, “I prayed, but God didn’t answer.” Yet, I knew he had prayed for a changed life, and since then, he had found a home, improved his appearance, and transformed his attitude. God had answered his prayer, but he didn’t realize it until it was pointed out.

5. The Answer May Be in Progress
   Some prayers take time to unfold. God often works through people, like doctors and professionals, to bring about healing or change. When I had a heart issue, the church prayed for me. While I still needed surgery, my quick recovery and improved health were clear signs of God at work, using the skilled surgeons to answer those prayers. As Christians, we are called to be the hands and feet of Jesus, so it’s no surprise that He uses others to bring blessings into our lives.

How Can I Ask God for the Right Things?

God will not give us something that will harm us or others, nor will He act against His Word. However, He has promised to listen and respond to those who follow Him, and we know this is true because God cannot lie.

The first step is to come to God in prayer, acknowledging that we’ve gone our own way instead of following His path. Asking for His forgiveness is another prayer He never refuses. Then, we commit to following Jesus Christ, God’s Son, who lived a perfect life, died in our place, and rose again to lead us back to God.

Jesus said to His disciples, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and don’t doubt, you can do things like this and much more. You can even say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen.” (Matthew 21:21 NLT)

How Do I Pray?

Jesus taught us to pray in this way:
“Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.
May your Kingdom come soon.
May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us.
And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.” (Matthew 6:9-13 NLT)