Faith
What do you do with a prayer that has not been answered?
Why this question matters
Most believers have one. A prayer prayed for years, still open. It is not usually a crisis of faith — it is an ache carried alongside faith.
Communities often respond with tidy explanations. Honest company is more useful than a tidy explanation.
You may be carrying
- A prayer you have stopped praying out loud
- Weariness with encouragement that arrives too quickly
- A quiet question about whether you were heard
- Faith that has continued anyway, which is not nothing
Consider this
- Tell God the honest version. The Psalms give ample precedent.
- Distinguish between silence and refusal. We often assume the second.
- Ask what has grown in the waiting, without pretending the waiting was pleasant.
A question to sit with
What would you say to God tonight if you did not tidy it up first?
Scripture & reflection
How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily?
This complaint is in Scripture, unedited. Honest prayer is not a lapse in faith; it is a form of it.
What others may be carrying
The same situation is lived differently by different people. In one conversation you might be sitting with:
- Someone whose prayer was answered and who feels awkward saying so
- Someone praying for a family member rather than themselves
- Someone who prays rarely and is unsure whether they should
Related Pillow Talk questions
You Don’t Have to Carry Every Conversation Alone.
Everlasting Blooms is a Christ-centered community where you can belong while you are still becoming. Come as you are.