Why are my prayers unanswered?

Question

I have been a christian all my life(my dad's a pastor) and just last year I totally recommited my life to christ. I was baptized, I went to a youth conference in August that got me on fire for God, I fell under the spirit for the first time, and began speaking in tongues. For most people your fire for God tends to fade, for my friends it has a lot, and for me 2 but not as much as them. But, it always seems like that when I pray I dont hear God and he doesnt answer my prayers. I know He's there but its so hard, when prayers dont get answered. I know with God everything happens for a reason, but lately I just dont undestand

I know my God is real and He is the one,true God. So dont tell me that I am in the wrong religion. I just need guidance, please give me a meaningful answer...thank you

I am only 15 and this is all so hard for me, dont get me wrong serving God is easy and my life is wonderful because of him. I just have to handle so much with my religion and I'm so young.

Answer 1

Hon, be patient...God just wants you to trust Him. Specially at those times when He remains quiet. You know He is there, hang on to that, don't loose heart. As you wrote this your faith is being strenghtened because you do know He is there and you recognize how hard it is. Grow baby, just keep your eyes on Him and grow..

Answer 2

Things are going on behind the scenes when you pray.
Remember the story of Daniel where the angel says "from the first day when you gave your heart to getting wisdom and making yourself poor in spirit before your God, your words have come to his ears: and I have come because of your words. But the angel of the kingdom of Persia put himself against me for twenty-one days;"
He had prayed and partially fasted for 24 days before he got the answered to his message. But, notice that God had heard his words from the first day and was acting on them. When you are praying God is working from the start, you just need to keep praying through until it is finished.

The apostles had unanswered prayer when they were praying for the demon possessed boy. Christ told them that these kind only come out by prayer and fasting.

Jesus also promised us that wherever 2 or more agree on earth, it shall be done for them by the Father in Heaven. There is power in praying with other believers and agreeing together.

Another powerful concept is the persistent widow that finally wore the judge out and he granted her request.

Don't get discouraged, we have all been where you are at. I was baptized in the Spirit when I was 16 (24 years ago) and since then I have had unanswered prayers and I have had some miraculous answers to prayers.

There is a lot more to this that I cover at http://www.akoloutheo.net/teachings/godanswersprayer.html

You seem very sincere and searching for something deeper.
I am sure you will make quite a prayer warrior.

Answer 3

Make sure you are praying according to God's will. His will is his word (1 John 5:14-15). When you pray make sure you believe in what you asked for (St. Mark 11:24). One thing I would recommend is to look up scriptures on prayer and faith. Also there are books that teach you about prayer. Seek help from your pastor. Another thing, you must have faith in God even if you don't see the results you want to see. God will answer you, but you must be patience and believe.

Answer 4

I am glad you aren't under the impression that God OWES you to answer your prayers, and I would prefer it if you didn't assume that God is unwise because he doesn't answer your prayers.

I wonder about the wisdom of letting people think that their prayers have the power to change things, as if God is a handyman to be summoned to work when you want him, and if he doesn't show, you can ransom your faith, your belief in him to force his hand.

How fortunate to have a God that would say, "No, you do not have that power, and if you try this method, I am likely to say, 'NO' automatically for a while to make the lesson clear, because I love you and do not want you to think that you can emotionally manipulate me."

I am not a Christian, but a great admirer of the Christian faith. I know God exists, for a fact, due to my experience with God. He owes me nothing, I pray rarely, save to make the conscious effort to open myself to "his will". He doesn't answer my prayers at all.

But I am often amazed at how often things I want that are good for me and others seem to happen when I listen to him more carefully, and how often my needs are met.

Was this a prayer? Were you listening?

Answer 5

These are the 12 Keys to Answered Prayer that WILL help you: 1) -Pray Sincerely to the True God...2) - Study the Bible...3) - forgive Others...4) - God Often Hears the Unconverted...6) - Seek God's Will...7) - Have Faith in God...8) - Be Persistent...9) - pray fervently...10) - Ask God to Fashion and Mold You...11) - Give Praise and Thanks to Almighty God...12) - Pray in the Name of Jesus Christ........These will work if you are obedient to God's Commandments....All of them!

Answer 6

Oh sweetheart! What an honest question to ask!

As far as prayer goes: God ALWAYS answers prayers. Sometimes He says, "yes". Sometimes He says, "No". Sometimes He says, "Later".

There were many times in earlier years that I prayed so hard for things- and often times the answer was either "no" or "later".

I can't tell you how happy I am NOW that those prayers weren't answered with a "yes".

As far as "Hearing God"-I think we all have our ups and downs in our spiritual lives. I think all of us feel so incredibly close to Jesus at times. And at other times we feel kinda far away.

I think these ups and downs are in our human nature. The one thing that doesn't change and will not change is God's never ending/never changing love for us. Our emotions and aspects of life change with the tide but God never does.

Try not to stay in what you are feeling-branch out in faith and go forward. He (Jesus) will never let you down.

Answer 7

OF course you "know" God is real. Your dad is the pastor. You never had any choice but to beleive. Which means its NOT freedome of choice.
If you were to become a buddhist or a hindu, your father would tell you that you are going to hell. Do you really want to beleive in a violent God who makes threats like that?

My dad was a deacon and I grew up in the church like you have. I left when I was 19 because the hypocrisy, the violence/abuse, and the fakeness eventually got me asking some serious questions.

Perhaps your prayers are not being answered, because your god is not real. Read POCM (below) and learn the REAL truth about your religion.

Answer 8

you are young so i think you still need some time to get stronger in what you want from him. You do know that he answers all prayers you might not some the answer for some time because maybe other things have to happen before what you asked for can be answered. I know it took almost 6 months for mine to be answered but other things went on first, after that i understood more. i am not so quick to see now. I hope you keep the faith and enjoy you youth.

Answer 9

Maybe he is answering ur prayers in a different way than u expected. Or maybe He is waiting for the right time to give u what u ask for.
Remember, Ask and it shall be given to you. Seek and you will find.
You can't give up. Keeping on asking will show that you really want what you are asking for and are serious.
And too, so maybe you don't get what you want right now, but be thankful for little things that God has blessed you with. I know, trust me. I had to learn to do that because I struggled with God for a while.
Don't forget, everything will fall into it's place at the right time.

Answer 10

I think you would be better served asking your dad or confiding in a youth pastor or a mature Christian than in this forum. You may get some worthwhile feedback, but many on this site have no knowledge of God and are likely only to further confuse you and discourage you. If you need some free first rate spirit-filled Bible teaching by a great man of God please go to
http://www.derekprince.org/site/PageServer

Answer 11

God hears all your prayers, dear one. I know how you feel because I have gone through those times when I feel that God doesn't hear me. Don't get discourage, keep doing what you know to be right and just tell God that you love Him and want to know Him better. Sometimes in my life, and I know I am much older than you, I didn't realize it at the time that God was leading me. It wasn't until years later I looked back and saw that God's hand was indeed leading. God Bless you child of God.