If you lived in the 90’s and didn’t know Garth Brooks, well you lived under a rock. If you lived in the 90’s, knew of Garth Brooks, but didn’t listen to his music well I am not sure we can be friends anymore. In 1990, Garth released a song Unanswered Prayers and as I recently watched a documentary on Netflix Garth Brooks: The Road I Am On, I began thinking about this song. Granted the song is about not marrying the woman he prayed to marry in high school and although I am thankful for those too, there is a much bigger reality here than high school crushes. 

We all have unanswered prayers. 

In Luke 18:1-8 Jesus tells about a persistent widow who would not take “no” for an answer. In this example the judge is unwilling to help the woman. He does not fear God nor care about man. 

4 The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, ‘I don’t fear God or care about people, 5 but this woman is driving me crazy. I’m going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!’”

6 Then the Lord said, “Learn a lesson from this unjust judge. 7 Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?”

Jesus is telling us to keep asking. To keep praying. To have faith. But if I am honest, I am not always very good about it. 

Sometimes unanswered prayers are not on our own time so we become impatient and we choose to turn to something else. 

In Exodus 32, Moses was on the mountainside speaking to God when the people of Israel grew impatient. 

1 When the people saw how long it was taking Moses to come back down the mountain, they gathered around Aaron. “Come on,” they said, “make us some gods who can lead us. We don’t know what happened to this fellow Moses, who brought us here from the land of Egypt.” 

It resulted in them worshipping golden calves (Exodus 32:5-6). Has there been a time you have grown impatient and turned to something else for answers?

Sometimes these unanswered prayers lead to mourning and then worship even when it feels unfair. 

In 2 Samuel 12, we see King David exhibit this when God doesn’t heal his sick son. It says that David didn’t just pray to God, but he begged God for healing. 

19 When David saw them whispering, he realized what had happened. “Is the child dead?” he asked.

“Yes,” they replied, “he is dead.”

20 Then David got up from the ground, washed himself, put on lotions, and changed his clothes. He went to the Tabernacle and worshiped the Lord. 

Have you ever been able to turn a mournful time into worship?

Sometimes these unanswered prayers lead to new insight. 

Paul speaks of the “thorn in his flesh” that he begged God to remove in 2 Corinthians 12.

9 Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. 10 That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Have you ever realized because of your unanswered prayer, you were given a new perspective? 

Sometimes these unanswered prayers lead to a hardened heart toward God. A head that then says, “Fine. I didn’t want to believe in you anyway.” 

This is why Jesus says, “…how many will he find on the earth who have faith?” 

The reality is to have faith you have to be persistent in prayer, even when it goes unanswered. King David and Paul didn’t leave their faith even when their prayers went unanswered. 

I have had prayers answered immediately. One was quite silly and while on a date, let’s just say I’ve never had a more ridiculous but necessary prayer from a bathroom stall. 

I have had prayers answered in a way I didn’t want. An ending that I felt was not better suited for my needs. 

I have had prayers that appeared to be unanswered. 

Notice a common thread here? My unanswered prayers. My timing. My ideas of answers. 

John Piper said in a sermon on prayer in 1983, “Faith is the furnace of out lives. It’s fuel is the grace of God. And the shovel for feeding the buner is prayer. If you lose heart and lay down the shovel, the fire will go out, you will grow cold and hard.”

This week I’ve begun to rethink prayer. Quite possibly it is because the reality of homeschool is upon me and I’m scared to death (but I hide it with pretty planners and a confident smile). 

I want to challenge you to consider:

• How do you respond to unanswered prayers? Are you like David or Paul?
• What prayers have actually not been answered? 
• If there are unanswered prayers how might you instead be the persistent widow and remain in communication?

That just because he doesn’t answer doesn’t mean he don’t care

‘Cause some of God’s greatest gifts

Are unanswered prayers… Garth Brooks