The Bible is very clear about trusting God. God instructs, encourages, and admonishes us to trust Him [Proverbs 3:5-6]. Trusting God is simply relying on Him to keep His word. God is eternal. He has no beginning or ending. Everything fades away but God. Everything dies but God. Everything loses its strength but God. Everything falls short of our expectations but God. The real challenge is to rely on God despite unanswered prayers. We pray, but sometimes God is silent. Did He hear us? Will He answer us? The delay of a response from God creates anxiety, stress, worry, and even fear.
Scripture acknowledges the reality of unanswered prayers and provides wisdom for navigating through them. In James 4:3, it is written, "When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures." This verse highlights the importance of aligning our prayers with God's will and purposes. Similarly, in 1 John 5:14, we are reminded that "if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us." Thus, unanswered prayers may occur when our requests are not in harmony with God's divine plan for our lives.
Proverbs 3:5-6 exhorts believers to "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." This verse emphasizes the importance of trusting God's wisdom and timing, even when we cannot comprehend His ways. It invites us to relinquish our reliance on human reasoning and to submit ourselves entirely to God's guidance.
The Prophet Isaiah reassures us of God's unfathomable wisdom in Isaiah 55:8-9, stating, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways... As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." This passage reminds us that God's perspective transcends our finite understanding, and His plans unfold according to His perfect wisdom.
So, the real question is, how do I handle holding on to my faith when my prayers are unanswered? Trusting God despite unanswered prayers often requires patience and perseverance. In Psalm 27:14, we are encouraged to "Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord." This verse underscores the importance of faith and hope while awaiting God's response. It reminds us that God is faithful and promises will be fulfilled in His perfect timing.
Similarly, the Apostle Paul writes in Romans 8:25, "But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently." This verse emphasizes the virtue of patience in the Christian journey and the assurance that our hope in God will not disappoint.
To trust God despite unanswered prayers requires us to anchor our trust in His unchanging character. Hebrews 13:8 declares, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." This verse reminds us that God's faithfulness, love, and sovereignty remain constant, regardless of our circumstances or unanswered prayers. Therefore, we can trust Him with unwavering confidence, knowing He is always dependable and trustworthy to His word [Psalms 62:8].
Trusting God despite unanswered prayers is a profound expression of faith that requires humility, patience, and unwavering confidence in God's character. God is consistent and dependable. We should refuse to listen to our minds but depend on His word through study and prayer. In the words of Psalm 27:14, "Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord."
Bishop John C. Parks
May 10, 2024
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