“Jesus replied, ‘I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.’”
– Matthew 21:21-22

Have you ever had a prayer God didn’t answer? If your answer is yes, you’re not alone. There are many, many other people that would respond similarly.

So, how do we take to heart what Jesus said in the verse you see at the top of this devotional? First, we have to ask ourselves does Jesus really answer our prayers? The Bible is literally chock full of verses and stories that support the idea that, “yes,” God does answer our prayers. So, if we believe this to be true, then we have to step back and look at our prayers through this lens.

If God answers prayers, then what are we to make of the times when God doesn’t appear to answer ours? First, we have to ask if the prayer was in line with God’s character. So, praying for an ex-boyfriend to have a piano fall on his head or praying to win the lottery or praying to pass the test you blew off studying for . . . yeah, these might not be prayers God will honor.

But what about prayers that do seem to be in line with God’s character and plan? We have to allow for the fact that God may not answer prayers like we want Him to, or within our timeline. We have to trust that His answer is for our good and His glory, even if we can’t see how that’s the case. We have to trust. We have to believe. We have to have faith.

God does answer prayers. Sometimes it just takes time to have the perspective to realize exactly how He answered them.