February 14, 2009
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Why doesn’t God answer me!?
A familiar voice crooned over the radio airwaves this evening.
“Sometimes I thank God for unanswered prayers …”I flashed back to a Valentine’s day from more than a few years ago. I was absolutely head over heels in love with the “man of my dreams.”
“Remember when you’re talking to the man upstairs …”I recall how excited I was when the phone rang that afternoon. “I wonder what he has planned tonight!?” I thought. Dinner? A movie? After a few moments of chatting, it was clear an evening of fun was planned … it just wasn’t an evening with me.
Instead of spending Valentine’s day together (as we had planned), he’d be going out with his buddies. “Jennifer, don’t be so upset. It’s just one night.” In the grand scheme of things, he was right; it WAS only one night. Despite the hurt and disappointment, I gave him the space he craved. Looking back, though, that night was the beginning of the end. His bastardly actions grew to be more heinous over the next year, but that didn’t matter. I knew he was it for me. I begged God to help me keep him, and I cried for months when He didn’t grant my wish.
“Just because he doesn’t answer doesn’t mean he don’t care …”And then, God brought me Alex. I thank Him every day for that.
“Some of God’s greatest gifts are unanswered prayers.”
What unanswered prayer are you most thankful for?
Comments (47)
Which ex should I start with?
Raymond.
Something similar actually. I would have been divorced from K by now & I have the best thing with Dan.
My wish to be married. Whew.
I have been through that exact same scenario…and as a matter of fact, the day john and i broke up for good…i swore i was done with men…after 3 disappointing, on and off years. of one let down after another…3 years of begging god to let me please just have one thing i wanted….just this one thing…and then, i was done…and I met Ken, my husband, the very same day….so i guess my prayer was answered in a way, just not the way i was expecting…
I don’t think that your prayer was unanswered. It just wasn’t the answer you were looking for. God’s answers are “yes”, “no”, and “not just yet”. Aren’t you glad that He knows better than we do?
I also begged for my last boyfriend not to be such an abusive idiot. When that didn’t work, I begged for the strength to leave. When I did get that, I realized my (then future) husband was in front of my face all the time: my best friend.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
@impossibleangles - I completely agree. My prayer for that specific guy went unanswered, but the bigger prayer was answered.
It’s funny that your post is titled, “Why doesn’t God answer me!?”, because when I scrolled further down on my Xanga newsfeed, I saw this-
TheTheologiansCafe added a weblog entry:Deaf
dying
I feel that some unanswered prayers are answered a different way, mostly unseen, since we trust in and believe in a God that is unseen.
A prayer that I’m glad God never answered…yet: To get married. Thank God.
I do not like to think of them as unanswered prayers but times I was not listening to the answer.
A few years ago my husband and I were on our way to church. I should have brought a jacket but I did not. Jokingly, my husband told me to pray for warmth. I looked at him and told him I did pray for warmth and God told me to put on a jacket (I just didn’t have the jacket with me!).
I think the answers are sometimes there but we have to be ready and willing to listen to the answer.
Being an atheist, I don’t turn to God for answers, nevertheless I can empathize with those who do when you’re expecting more immediate help from someone who’s supposed to love you. Love can certainly be unpredictable and the consequences of our actions may take time before they bear fruit.
Glad things finally worked out for you.
I don’t have an answer to that question, but I do know that I love that song!
Garth Brooks was always a smart man.
Prayers are a funny thing really, we ask for things we think we need, but God gives us what He knows we need..or don’t need! Hope this Valentines Day is fabulous for you Jen. (((HUGS)))
~Grampy~
I’m glad you were featured! I love your post, the positivity behind unanswered prayers. There truly is power in that.
I thank God for every day I get to spend with my 3 year old little man, though his genetic donor is not in his life and I’m having to have child support services hunt him down like a rabid beast to rip some nature of support out of him for the child he helped to create, but I’m thankful that God has gotten us this far, and regardless of what support, or lack thereof, his father provides, I know God is going to continue to provide well for us.
I’d probably have to point to my exes.
most thankful for my stable relationship with C…
D
My Daddy told me God ALWAYS answers prayer….. it’s just that sometimes His answer is NO! I am so thankful for the times when I thought I knew what was best for me, but He said no. I had a guy, like you who I thought I would be spending my life with, and it didn’t work out. Now, I have been married to the right guy for almost 36 years! I’m so glad!
My ex and staying in my old university.
Hmmmm, would it be that I am 44 and never have married? He has plans to prosper me and not to harm me so each day of life is another step of His plan unfolding, always an adventure for another page of the book of my life!
I had forgotten about that song….
This is a great blog.
@BabyRowanPaige - LOL, I’m lost … where was I featured?
BTW, I’m so happy for you and your little man! God WILL continue to provide
@shortiegirl99 - Thank you so much!
@Donna7 - Keep riding the waves of your adventure!
@DanishDoll - That is very wise, and very true. We just seem to tune out the “No” He gives.
@UnworthyofHisgrace - INDEED! Happy Valentines Day to you, too!
@Garistotle - I love Garth Brooks. Really. In fact, I shall put him on the iPod now.
@deathtothenewworldorder - Are you glad, because you don’t want to get married? Would you ever get married?
@seedsower - Happy Valentine’s Day, Beth! Thank you so much for the rec!
My son Brian. After I had so many miscarriages I thought I would never be a mom. And then, he was there. My faith was restored.
God does answer our prayers, just not always as we think He should. I could give examples but this would turn into a post instead of a comment. Lets just say when you ask God for something, be sure you want it, he may just give it to you.
My Bessieboo’s!
@BarelyJen - Would I ever get married? It’s probably inevitable that I will but not yet. I’m not ready yet. I don’t want to ruin someone’s life.
Happy Valentines Day!
Aw, that’s always been my favorite song! Think it’s the first country song I consciously recall hearing (or paying attention to).
I thank God for all the unanswered prayers I’ve ever had so far, because I know it’s leading to something good. Just don’t know what that is yet.
@deathtothenewworldorder - I can’t imagine that you’d ruin anyone’s life.
please read my blog. We’re in the same shoe.
But remember, with God… ALL things are possible.
It’s just that our time is not ready in Gods’ eyes… your time will come, along with mine. Just know that God is molding us to be who God wants us to be.
Have faith my sista, you’ll be alright!
from: a biblical major student =)
None seeing as how God is a non-existent figment of people’s imaginations.
I’m not sure if God answered any of my prayers…I was praying for a job, but I had to do the work of finding one, so in essence, I answered my own prayers I guess, I’m not sure how to explain it. I wasn’t handed the job out of nowhere…now that I believe would have been from God if that was the case.
I don’t really believe in God because I have my own personal reasons.
The one thing I pray for most, I have yet for it to be answered.
And nothing good has come out of what He has supposedly “given” me so far as an alternative except for me being extremely unhappy and bi-polar.
to have him.
I just wanted to say that you look A LOT like amanda bynes (:
I think it’s wise to remember that a lot of the time we pray the wrong prayers. We get so wrapped up in our emotions, what we want, what we think we want, or what we think is best for us. It’s so easy to forget, but probably one of the most important thing to remember.
Yes it’s good to tell God everything and ask for what we want. But isn’t what is more important is what He has in plan for us? Or for what He wants to use us for?
Shouldn’t we remember that He has our best in mind? Needs and wants? That as a christian child and a follower of Jesus we should be asking for what we want AS LONG as it fits into His will?
Something similar… I was with someone for far too long that didn’t treat me well at all and with whom I definitely didn’t love in the way that I convinced myself I did. I prayed that it wouldn’t end and when it did, I cried and cried and cried… Then Brian walked into my life, became my friend, and everything just clicked. I was able to experience true, genuine love that blew all other past experiences with “love” out of the water. So far that unanswered prayer, I am so grateful.
I don’t pray, so….*shrugs*
Great post… I love how you put lyrics into it and titles… Anyway, how are things? You planning a trip through OK any time soon?
I’d accidentally clicked a link to your blog by accident, but I have to admit, what I read was uplifting, I guess it wasn’t an accident after all
I looked around a bit and saw you like to write stories
I was wondering if you’ve heard of http://www.Celtx.com it’s a free writers resource program that you might enjoy.
God bless ^_^ ~ J
I remember praying desperately one night to fall asleep after 4 nights of not sleeping (long story). I didn’t sleep. This, mixed with other things shattered some of my trust in God.
I don’t know if I’m specifically thankful for that unanswered prayer, but I am thankful for the many months of hardship that I had to endure after (and related to) that time. Because of these events, starting with that sleepless night, I didn’t go to grad school – I got a job. A job that I had to leave after 2 years…my choice to leave brought me to where I am right now. Working as a “professional volunteer” with women in a drug/alcohol rehab program. I’m loving every second of it.
It’s amazing how things turn out.
When I was little I asked God to make me into a ThunderCat. I mean that would have been cool for a little while, but then I would have to go through my whole life as some freakish man-cat thingy. And even worse the show got cancelled. I would have been totally irrelevant by the mid- 90′s.
Hey Jen nice entry. I see you are on the Xanga Plug Tracker. Good job blogging.
@vanedave - Dave you should check out youtube. Thre is a fan movie for thundercats.
I love the idea of this. Great post!!
I don’t know what unanswered prayer I am most thankful for . . . I guess we will have to wait and see
I saw your comments on redlegsix’s post today and your plugz….ryq…Glad He didn’t answer a prayer for an out of town job I wanted…6 months later there were layoffs!
Blessings to you,
Mike
Unanswered prayer: going into full time ministry. (He put me into it in His timing, not mine.)