Why God would not listen to my prayers

Did God ever say no to your prayers and thought that He was not listening?

I bet there were moments when you asked God why he did not listen to your cry, even when He said in His words that He would hear when you call upon His name.

We could sometimes think, “What happened, Lord? I thought I was your child, but why did you not grant my heart’s desire?”

Two years ago, when my eldest brother fought for his life because of Pneumonia, I cried and prayed for healing, but God seemed deaf to listen. He still took my brother at 28 years old. 

It was a very devastating moment amidst the COVID-19 pandemic when we could not even have the chance to hold his hands and say goodbye. 

My parents were ministers, my husband is a pastor, and I serve in the church.

On the other hand, my brother was a Christian. Although he was not perfect, I knew he was trying.

Yet, God did not listen to our cry to cure my brother and let him live more with us.

Even those who serve the Lord sometimes do not get what they want. 

I realized that even David, regarded as the man after God’s “own” heart, experienced the same situation.

He pleaded to God when his son was suffering. But God did not make his son live. (2 Samuel 12:16-23)

Jesus Christ, the Son of God himself, cried for help when He suffered on the cross. But God did not take away His pain and let Him die. 

In Matthew 27:26, about three in the afternoon, He shouted, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me.”

Does it mean God does not love His Son and His people enough? Or does it mean we are not good enough for God to listen to our prayers?

If God did not answer our prayers the way we wanted, does it mean God did not listen?

Understanding Prayer

Prayer is not about demanding God to listen and follow what we want. Most of us misunderstood that the Lord would obey and give us what we want when we pray. 

Sometimes, we forget that God is god and we are not, that when we pray, we want our will, not His.

In this case, when He did not grant us our wish, we blame Him.

God’s Response to Prayers

There are three ways that God responds to our prayers. It could be Yes, No, and Wait.

When God says no to our prayers, it does not mean He did not listen.

Recall when Jesus cried out to God the Father asking why He was forsaken, the Father could have laid down saved Jesus. Still, the Father chose not to.

Had the Father responded to Jesus, people would not have been saved and reconciled to God the Father. Jesus would not have resurrected and proved that He is God.

On the other hand, if God said Yes to your prayer, it could be under His will.

Then, if God says, “Wait,” this time would not be perfect for you to receive what you ask for.

Remember that God makes everything beautiful in His time. (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

Reasons Why God Would Not Listen

Most of the time, when God says “No,” we question His decision. Some people also get mad at Him for not saying yes to their desires and regard Him as a cruel God. 

Moreover, those who have been devoted believers would question God and tell Him how faithful they were to Him.  

As humans, it is normal for us to ask God, especially when we ask for the healing of our loved ones or something very significant to us, like our career or business.

Here are some reasons why God would not listen to what we want.

Not God’s Plan

God listens to prayers because it is in line with his purpose.

It is not because of our effort or sacrifice.

A national prayer leader once stated that the problem is not about praying more but about helping people see God’s vision.

You may ask God to give you the desired job, but in His plan, that job could harm you and take you away from Him and your family. So he did not grant your prayer.

Maybe you were asking God for a car now. In His vision, you still could not afford the maintenance of having a vehicle which could cause you debt.

Instead, God asked you to wait until you are ready.

In addition, maybe you are asking for healing for yourself or your loved one, yet God did not grant your desire.

Though we may not understand God’s answer to our prayers, that does not mean He did not listen. 

We must understand that we lift our desires in prayer while allowing God’s plan to prevail. 

Whenever God says “No,” our trust in Him is tested.

Romance 8:28 reminds us that no matter how painful the situation is, we must remember that everything works together. This would be for the good of those who love Him and are called according to one’s purpose.

We may not understand everything, but we do not have to. His thoughts and ways are higher than our thoughts and our ways, as mentioned in Isaiah 55:8-9.

Not Doing His Will

Another reason God does not listen to our heart’s desires is our sins. We must repent when we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.

It means we must turn away from our wicked ways. 

James 5:16 says that the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

Remember that God is not pleased with those who only call His name but do not do His will. 

God may not grant your request if your heart is not pure and you still care for your “pet” sins. 

He is willing to give you the desires of your heart according to His will, but we are blocking Him from answering your prayer because of our wicked ways. 

Why would God listen when you could not even lend an ear to Him? 

Another, why would God forgive your sins when you could not even forgive others?

Why would you ask God to love you when you could not love Him back?

If we want God’s blessings, we need to obey His commands. God is not deaf to our needs. Maybe we are just too blind to see our sins that hinder Him from intervening in our life.