A Prayer For Those Who Live With The

Burden Of Unanswered Prayer

 

 

Lord Jesus, our redeemer and reconciler who even now sits on the right hand of our heavenly Father and makes intercession for us, this week we lift into Your presence those who bear the unending pain of unanswered prayer.  We think of the mother who has prayed not for days or weeks but for years for her son who suffers uncontrollable seizures; of the mother who prays that her brain injured daughter would be healed; for the parents who end each day on their knees praying for the return of a prodigal son or daughter only to continue living with their loved one far from the heavenly Father.  Yes, Lord Jesus, for all who pray with faith, persistence and hope and yet are unrewarded for their efforts, we pray.

 

How are they to understand You when You said, “Therefore I tell you, what ever you ask for in prayer, believe that you will receive it. And it will be yours”?  How are they to understand Your promise that if they ask for bread You will not give them a stone?  If they ask for fish You will not give them a serpent.  Surely that for which they pray are neither stones nor serpents so why should their prayers continue to go unanswered?

 

Father, they find little comfort in Your words to the disciples when they asked concerning a man born blind, “Who sinned this man or his parents?” and You replied, “Neither this man nor his parents, he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him.” But could not our heavenly Father have reveal His love and power even more gloriously by giving sight to the blind man?  Would not God receive greater glory by answering the prayers of His people than by remaining deaf to their petitions?

 

Lord Jesus, is it not possible that You provided the answer to all the questions we can ask when our prayers are unanswered, when on the night before You were crucified You prayed with a faith and persistence not known to man:  “Father if it be possible take this cup from me, nevertheless not my will, but thine be done.”   Are You not teaching us that along with every request made by man must be added “submission?”  Prayer changes things but only what a sovereign God wants changed.  Remind all who pray of the words spoken by God to Isaiah: “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.”

 

Holy intercessor, encourage those who carry the burden of unanswered prayer to continue praying but always whispering, if every so softly, “Not my will but thine be done.”  Grant to all the peace of knowing that their heavenly Father is the God of grace, love, power and wisdom, and He hears their prayers, and for reasons known only to Himself, chooses not to give that for which they ask.   Of all our prayers, hear this prayer for the grace and strength to accept this answer to why prayers are at times not answered.

 

In Jesus name we pray!        Amen