If Prayers Aren’t Yet Answered, Keep Trusting God

Wicked winds whipped through our area in a fast and furious storm, snapping power lines and poles, leaving mass outages in their wake.

My husband and I were some of the unfortunate ones in the storm’s path. I looked at my neighbors’ lights glowing across the street and marveled through the dark at how one side of the street had power and one did not.

We had a slow evening with candles and flashlights, went to bed early, and woke to the same status update we were given the day before.

I texted a few groups to let them know our situation and ask for prayer. I lifted my own prayers to God as well. Shortly after, I checked our power company’s website and saw we had a crew assigned to our area and an estimated restoration time! I responded to those groups and to God with gratitude.

The power of prayer is real. But sometimes we feel like we aren’t heard. God receives our prayer but seemingly puts it on an ever-increasing stack of requests. Are we stuck in a continual waiting line?

According to Scripture, our prayers are heard more than we know. God wants us to come to Him in confident dependence and listens to what’s troubling us:

“For a people shall dwell in Zion, in Jerusalem; you shall weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry. As soon as he hears it, he answers you” (Isaiah 30:19).

He isn’t storing those prayers away in a sealed-tight box — He’s listening with an attentive ear because He cares about what we care about.

I’ve experienced immediate responses to prayer that make me stand in awe at how personal God is. I’ve also had to wait for answers far longer than I’m comfortable with. God isn’t a magic genie, but He is good and knows what is best for us and when.

Whether it’s something small, like electricity being restored, or something significant, we can take our ask to God, who is gracious and generous and full of love for us, His daughters. As children of God, we always have the ear of our Father.

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So honored to be over at Proverbs 31 talking about not-yet answered prayers. Will you join me there?