• Start Here
    • Disclosure & Privacy Policy
  • Blog
    • Prayer
    • Spiritual Disciplines
    • Trusting God
  • Prayer for the Week
  • Store
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
Prayer and Possibilities | Prayer - Discipleship - Spiritual Disciplines - Discernment - Trusting God

Prayer & Possibilities

  • Deepen Your Prayers
  • Develop Your Faith
  • Step Into God’s Possibilities
You are here: Home / Prayer / 5 Questions to Ask Yourself When Your Prayers Seem Unanswered

March 23, 2015 ·

5 Questions to Ask Yourself When Your Prayers Seem Unanswered

Prayer

Sharing is caring!

2.2K shares
  • Facebook385
  • Twitter
  • Email
  • Print

Do you feel like your prayers seem unanswered? Unsure how long you need to keep praying? Ask yourself these 5 questions and then keep praying.
I was going through a tough time, overwhelmed with the issues I was facing in my life and not living up to expectations I’d set for myself. The stress and worry were taking a toll and I needed something to change.

At the time, I believed in God, just didn’t have Him as a focal point in my life and wasn’t praying regularly. I had, though, recently started attending church again after a many year absence. The preacher invited me to meet him for coffee since I was a new visitor. As he listened to some of what was going on in my life, he began to counsel me to give these burdens over to God to carry.

Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire? ~ Corrie Ten Boom

I didn’t really pray, except to throw up a few ‘hail Mary passes’ when I was really desperate or on behalf of a friend who asked. I didn’t expect God to be involved in the day-to-day of my life. He was a supreme being, after all, busy looking after the whole of heaven and earth. So, this idea of giving my burdens and worry to God to carry was a foreign idea to me.

As we talked, though, I agreed to give this a try. I was desperate, so what would it hurt? But, how to even get started? And how long would this take to work?

‘Help’ is a prayer that is always answered. ~ Anne Lamott

That day, I began to pray a simple prayer to ask God to carry my burdens for a while. I decided I would keep praying that same simple prayer every day for a few weeks to see if it did any good.

Those first days, I didn’t really believe the words I was praying. I hoped God could magically fix my problems and take away the worry, but couldn’t imagine how that would happen. I still believed that I needed to fix all these problems on my own.

The function of prayer is not to influence God, but rather to change the nature of the one who prays. ~ Soren Kierkegaard

Do you feel like your prayers seem unanswered? Unsure how long you need to keep praying? Ask yourself these 5 questions and then keep praying.As I kept praying, I began a shift. From thinking an answer to this prayer was impossible to hoping God would intervene. From hope to wanting to hear an answer from God. From wanting to hear a response to believing a response was possible. From belief to anticipation; from anticipation to expectation, expecting that God would actually answer my prayer and then becoming watchful and observant to see how He would reply.

How often do you set a time-table for your prayers? “I’ll pray this for a week, for 21 days, for a month.” Yet, God doesn’t work that way. He’s not operating on our time frames or our schedules. He works in an entirely different dimension. He wants us to keep praying until the prayer is answered.

Pray until you pray. ~ Puritan advice

Stop asking “how long do I keep praying before I’ll have an answer?” or “how long do I keep praying even though God’s not answering?” Instead, make sure what you’re praying is in alignment with God and then commit to keep praying until you become aware of God’s answer to that prayer. Keep praying until you truly believe in the prayer and can open yourself to allowing God to answer it in His way.

5 Questions to Ask Yourself When Your Prayers Seem Unanswered

Do you feel like your prayers seem unanswered? Unsure how long you need to keep praying? Ask yourself these 5 questions and then keep praying.When your prayers seem to go unanswered and God feels distant, stop and ask yourself these five questions. Check the alignment of your heart and prayers. Do you need any adjustments in your prayers, in your approach, in your expectation of how God might be answering your prayer? Once you’ve done this heart-check and realignment, keep praying. Remember that God answers prayer in His way, in His time, and to His purpose and glory.

1) Check your motivation.

Is what you’re praying in alignment with God’s plan or something for your own plan?

2) Check your heart.

Do you believe God will really answer your prayer and are you praying with full sincerity?

3) Check your expectation.

Do you have a preconceived expectation of how God will answer your prayer or have you opened yourself to the possibility that God may answer in an entirely unexpected way?

4) Check your observation.

Are you looking for God’s response around you? Are you being watchful and observant to see the ways God is at work answering your prayer? Are you listening for God’s response or are you too busy asking?

5) Check your gratitude.

Are you showing God your gratitude for His work in your life? Thanking Him for the ways He’s answering your prayers? Are you cultivating that relationship with Him through regular prayer and gratitude?

“It is not enough for the believer to begin to pray, nor to pray correctly; nor is it enough to continue for a time to pray. We must patiently, believingly continue in prayer until we obtain an answer.” – George Muller

PRAY DEEP CHALLENGE: Consider your biggest prayer request and how long you’ve been praying it. Are you still waiting for an answer? Review the five checks above and see if your request is aligned with God. Spend some time thinking about God may already be answering your prayer. Then, commit to continuing in prayer and PRAY!

 

Pray DeepThis post is part of the “Pray Deep” series. For more information on the series or to download a complete set of printable prayer cards, click HERE.

 

 

 


Resources:

Like this post? Explore this and other forms of prayer through the Pray Deep prayer journals. Each book will lead you through a variety of prayer methods through 21 days of focused prayers. Get started with one today!

{These are affiliate links – and my own books – so any purchases help grow and sustain this blog.}


Other Posts You May Like

Previous Post: « How To Walk a Labyrinth {and enrich your spiritual journey}
Next Post: Praying With the Saints »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. joanneviola says

    March 24, 2015 at 6:24 am

    Kathryn, such an encouraging post on prayer. George Muller truly summed it up well for us > “We must patiently, believingly continue in prayer until we obtain an answer.” May we not give up but be persistent in prayer believing our God will answer as He knows best & in His timing. I have so enjoyed this series so far!

    • Kathryn says

      March 24, 2015 at 6:33 am

      So often those answers He gives aren’t changing our situation but changing our heart

  2. Kelly Balarie (@kellybalarie) says

    March 24, 2015 at 7:35 am

    “The function of prayer is not to influence God, but rather to change the nature of the one who prays.” I was just thinking this last night. Great point! There is much power in coming to God this way. He leads us to his truth! Cheering you on from the #RaRalinkup.

    • Kathryn says

      March 24, 2015 at 8:06 pm

      How often is it our hearts that change when we pray, instead of our circumstances? I think that’s the real power of prayer.

  3. Mary Geisen says

    March 24, 2015 at 4:54 pm

    I had to stop and think when I read is my prayer aligned with God’s plan or my own. I have never thought about that question before when praying but I know I will now. I appreciate this series so much and your heart for spending time teaching us so much. Have a blessed week!.

    • Kathryn says

      March 24, 2015 at 8:07 pm

      This has always been my struggle. I get disappointed in the whole prayer process when a prayer doesn’t get answered – but it probably was answered in a different way according to God’s plan.

  4. kristine says

    March 24, 2015 at 7:25 pm

    Awesome prayer advice, Kathryn. I love that, “Pray until you pray.” I’m carrying that advice with me this week!

    • Kathryn says

      March 25, 2015 at 9:47 pm

      Isn’t that a great saying? So true in my life – I need to keep praying until I’ve truly released the thing to God and committed to believe in that prayer and whatever answer God will have for it.

  5. lmm3491 says

    March 25, 2015 at 6:50 am

    Wow! It’s been awhile since I’ve had a prayer check. Thanks for these great reminders!

    • Kathryn says

      March 25, 2015 at 9:48 pm

      “a prayer check” – love that idea! This series has really been a check for me – and gotten me out of a prayer rut.

  6. Tai East says

    March 25, 2015 at 11:48 am

    Kathryn, thank you so much for sharing this! It spoke volumes to my heart this morning and reminded me of this Scriptural gem (1 Thessalonians 5:17 AMP- Be unceasing in prayer [praying perseveringly])! Wow! Infinite blessings to you, Love! 🙂

    #RaRaLinkup 😉

    • Kathryn says

      March 25, 2015 at 9:51 pm

      persevere in prayer and pray until you pray. How often I set time-tables on my prayers or give up when I don’t get a quick answer – but it’s really about remaining in prayer for as long as it takes.

      • Tai East says

        March 25, 2015 at 11:46 pm

        That’s very true! Thankful that your blog has reminded me of that.

  7. [email protected] says

    March 25, 2015 at 6:22 pm

    When all else fails … I pray ‘the prayer that never fails.’

    Thy will be done.

    I know He hears and understands. I raise my hands and release, release, release. Over and over again.

    Thanks, Kathryn …

    • Kathryn says

      March 25, 2015 at 6:42 pm

      Yes -over and over and over again.

  8. [email protected] says

    March 26, 2015 at 9:58 am

    Thank you for sharing this today. I am your neighbor over at Jennifer’s Tell His Story this morning. George Muller gave us such an example of what it means to be a prayer warrior. Oh to be that faithful. Thank you again.

    • Kathryn says

      March 27, 2015 at 9:33 pm

      I just love that quote, too! Thanks for stopping by!

  9. sarahgirl3 says

    March 26, 2015 at 11:10 am

    God really does move in when we start to pray regularly! I love the quotes you used!

Trackbacks

  1. Pray Deep: Ignite Your Prayer Life - Finding Hope says:
    March 24, 2015 at 6:35 pm

    […] God hasn’t answered. How long do I keep praying? […]

  2. 3 Steps to Find Focus for Your Year - Finding Hope says:
    May 20, 2016 at 5:01 am

    […] pray daily over this same question or topic, allow God to work in your heart. Don’t worry if you don’t get a specific answer. Prayer is more about getting your heart aligned with God than getting a specific answer. The […]

  3. 4 Steps to a More Consistent Prayer Life - Kathryn Shirey says:
    September 24, 2016 at 9:43 am

    […] you are struggling with prayer, maybe these will help: 5 questions to ask yourself when prayers seem unanswered and 5 questions to ask yourself if you’re not sure prayer […]

Primary Sidebar

Welcome

Hi, I'm Kathryn! I'm glad you're here to journey with me! I'm just an ordinary girl following an extraordinary God, learning to seek God's possible in this world of impossible. Fueled by loads of coffee, I'm passionate about helping and encouraging you along this journey, too! Let's step forward together and learn practical ways to live into God's possible! Read More…

Lookup a word or passage in the Bible


BibleGateway.com

Footer

Seek and you will find. Knock and the door will be opened to you. (Matthew 7:7)

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Start Here
  • Privacy Policy
  • Blog
  • Store
  • Contact

Copyright © 2023 · beloved theme by Restored 316

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Reject Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT