Expert: John Zalewski - 1/11/2011

Question
Hello. I was wondering if the intent behind prayers is a factor in God's deciding to answer them. I sometimes pray for things and later regret asking for them. Sometimes I think that God answers prayer kind of like human parents answer requests (as in if we don't really need it he will not give it to us). I could be wrong of course. Does unanswered prayers mean that God is angry with us or that I am not a true believer?

Answer
Hello, Michelle.

Unanswered prayers do not mean that God is angry with a person or that said person is not a truly saved person. Remember, God is fully in charge of our lives. He knows way more than we do.

Although we may think that what we're praying for is honorable, God may still want us to wait for it. For example, it could be completely reasonable to pray to God for a job, if we're out of work, or to pray for health, if we or a loved one is ill, or to pray for the salvation of others, if we are concerned about them. But this doesn't mean that God is obligated to give us what we want.

Several verses in the Bible seem to indicate that if we're saved, then we need only ask God for something, and it will be ours. I have seen atheists use these verses as 'proof' that the Bible is not true.

But we have to read everything the Bible says on the subject. In I John 5, God expands on this matter.

I John 5:14-15: And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask any thing according to His will, He heareth us:

And if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him.

It's according to God's will that we are to pray. This is when God hears us, when our prayers are according to God's will.

So, it's not wrong to pray for our physical needs, and certainly not wrong to pray for our spiritual needs, but ultimately, we have to understand and desire that it's God's will that matters, not our will. For the child of God, we want God's will to be done in our life, and the lives of others, even if in the short-term the problems in our lives may not be so appealing to us.

There's a verse in James 4 which emphasizes this.

James 4:13-15: Go to now, ye that say, Today or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:

Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow: for what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.

This is the attitude we are to have, that God's will may be done in our lives, and if God wills, then we can have this or that.

Hope this helps. Feel free to write back if you have additional questions.

May God bless you,
John

Leviticus 7:16-17: But if the sacrifice of his offering be a vow, or a voluntary offering, it shall be eaten the same day that he offereth his sacrifice: and on the morrow also the remainder of it shall be eaten:

But the remainder of the flesh of the sacrifice on the third day shall be burnt with fire.