Blogs - Chief of Pray Blog

Shed No Tears for Unanswered Prayers

Unanswered prayers. How do you know if you’re still waiting for an answer to your prayers, or if your prayers were answered and nobody told you? It would be great if there was a holy leader board. Kind of like the electronic billboard you see at a golf tournament. God would be updating our requests and we would know the score at the end of each round.

Terri is my Facebook friend. She works with my cousin Lonnie, who is the connector between me and Teri. I confess, I’m not sure if I ever met Teri in person. It’s kind of fun to get to know somebody you don’t really know.

I came across Teri’s status update when I was trolling my wall the other day:
I know God has a plan, I know God has a plan.....please let give me hint as to what is ahead...PLEASE !!!!!!!!!!!!!

I felt compelled to comment, my response was less than brilliant:
Teri, all good things ahead. No matter how dreary today may be. Blessings.

We ask questions like Teri’s – what’s the plan? But we’re really asking whether everything is going to be O.K. We want our prayers to be answered and we want it NOW! We want our world to be happy and our lives uninterrupted. That’s not how it goes. How should Teri deal with her reality? If I could re-word her heartfelt prayer, I would suggest:

I know God will answer my prayers, whatever the answer is. Give me the strength to handle what comes my way.

Not only are we not privy to the divine plan, we can’t always be sure our prayers haven’t already been answered. Garth Brooks sings about it in a lovely song called Unanswered Prayers. He realizes, years later, the one prayer request he most often asked of God in his youth, had been answered— with a gentle, but firm, no.

It’s God’s way, to give us the gift of choice. We make decisions— right or wrong, that shape us. Stuff happens— good and bad, that affect us. God gives us the ability to deal with what’s difficult and to treasure what comes easy. Ultimately it’s up to us, to live our lives with joy and purpose, as the plan unfolds.

You know I don't always hear You,
when the task is difficult,
the journey hard,
the way ahead frightening.
Help me recognize the messengers
You send my way
even as You help me
find the courage
to carry out Your plans.

-Sue Bradford Edwards