Kristen Grossman Prose

Sometimes, despite faithful prayer, moments of stillness, immersion in Scripture, and crying out to God, He seems silent. How do I handle my questions about the goodness of God when my prayers seemingly go unanswered?  Can I still trust in His care for me when I don’t see Him at work?

Our loving Heavenly Father asks us to come to Him with our joys and triumphs, our sorrows and needs.

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” Matthew 7:7-8

It would be easy to read this verse and assume that the Lord promises that if we ask Him for good things, they will be given to us in the manner that seems best to us. However, further reflection makes it clear that God does not promise to provide us with whatever we ask of Him, no matter how pure our motives or how unselfish our desires are. Instead, He promises to hear us, to be present for us, and to open the door to a relationship with us.

Some of us spend years on our knees pleading for good things such as the salvation of a loved one, the physical healing of a young child, or a wayward family member’s return to Christ. When we see no tangible result, we may feel as though God has abandoned us. We may even begin to doubt His very existence.

Fortunately, our loving Father can handle our doubts and fears. If we continue to come to Him, He will walk with us through the hard places. Remaining on our knees during those hard times may not give us the desires of our aching hearts. However, it will deepen our relationship with our Father, who desires to provide us with good things.

 “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” Matthew 7:9-11

Furthermore, as Mark Batterson points out in his book The Circle Maker, perseverance is vital when coming to God in prayer.

“Sometimes the power of prayer is the power to carry on. It doesn’t always change your circumstances, but it gives you the strength to walk through them. When you pray through, the burden is taken off of your shoulders and put on the shoulders of Him who carried the cross to Calvary.” Mark Batterson

Batterson goes on to point out that time spent in prayer is never wasted.

“The reason many of us give up too soon is that we feel like we have failed if God doesn’t answer our prayer. That isn’t failure. The only way you can fail is if you stop praying.” Mark Batterson

Dear Lord, help me to be persistent in my prayers. May I trust that time spent in prayer is never fruitless, even if I cannot see the results I am looking for. Grant me the faith to keep coming to You and to trust in Your plan. Amen.

My Favorite Prayer Journal Giveaway

Comment on my blog during the month of February for the chance to receive a copy of my favorite prayer journal, My Prayer Journal: A 3 Month Guide to Prayer, Praise, & Thanks by Lettering Design Co.

Each blog post comment between February 6-29 enters your name in a drawing for this prayer journal. A random winner will be announced on Monday, March 2, 2020. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I do! ❤

A question for today is: how do you handle discouragement when God seems silent? Or, do you have any examples of times when it took years to receive an answer to your faithful prayers?

Do you ever read a portion of Scripture and feel God speaking directly to your heart? Check back on Monday, February 10th to ponder Looking for God’s Voice in His Word.