Unanswered Prayers

Unanswered Prayers

Bible: Luke 7:1-10

Reading

I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel (V.9).

Why does it feel like some of our prayers never get answered? I’ve heard some people say it’s because we don’t have enough faith—enough trust in God. But that isn’t what Jesus said. In Luke 17:6 He taught that even if we have the tiniest amount of faith, we have the power to tell a tree tomove and plant itself in the sea—and it will. In other words, the answers to our prayers don’t only rely on how much faith we have. Luke tells us about a Roman soldier with “great faith” (LUKE 7:9). His trust in God was first shown when he asked Jesus to make his dying servant better (V.3). Then it was shown when he recognised that Jesus could heal his servant anytime, anywhere. The soldier did not ask Jesus to do things his way. Faith doesn’t just trust what God does, but who God is. When it feels like God isn’t answering us it might be that God is doing things in a different way. He knows best what we need and when. Or it may be that our timing is not His timing, or He has some far greater plan in mind. Let’s remember, even Jesus prayed to His heavenly Father, “Not my will, but yours be done” (LUKE 22:42). Do we have the soldier’s great trust in who Jesus is—a trust that lets God do His work in His way?

GOD’S ANSWERS ARE WISER THAN OUR PRAYERS.

Youth Edition – Our Daily Bread Ministries