Unanswered Prayer Part 4 -- God Says...

Full Series here.
Part 1 here.
Part 2 here.
Part 3 here.

The goal from here out is considering why our prayers may go unanswered. In order to consider the why of unanswered prayers, we need to take a moment and consider the potential responses God may give to our prayers.

1. God says Yes.

This is obviously answered prayer. We take a request to God. We receive what we ask for in some form. We like it when this happens.
Ex.
The forecast says 90% chance of rain. Pray that it doesn't rain. It doesn't.
Grandma is sick. Pray that God would heal her body. She gets better.

2. God says No.

In a lot of ways, this is still answered prayer, but we will label it as unanswered as it is not the answer we were wanting. This is when we pray for something, and we receive the opposite of what we ask for.
Ex.
The forecast says 90% chance of rain. Pray that it doesn't rain. It rains.
Grandma is sick. Pray that God would heal her body. Grandma dies.
I pray that we get pregnant this month. We don't.
David prays and asks God to spare his son born from his adultery with Bathsheba, the son dies. (2 Samuwel 12:13-18)

3. God says "I Can't".

This one will be met with a little cognitive dissonance on your part if you, in any way hold to the bible as 100% infallible. God saying "I can't" would go against Jesus' statement that "with God, all things are impossible."
I would say that with God all things are possible, yet in how he's chosen to set up this world, there are certain prayers where his response back will be, "I'm sorry I CAN'T do that." or "I'm Sorry I CAN'T allow that."
Ex.
"God, cease to exist." (I'm sorry I can't do that.)
"God, save Jimmy right now." (I'm sorry, I can't do that without Jimmy choosing to follow me)
"God, take me back in time 5 years." (I'm sorry, I can't allow that).

4. God Says "Wait."

When I pray and ask for something. I don't hear or sense a no or yes, but I do sense a definite "Wait."
Ex.
I pray and ask God if it's time for me to change occupations. Circumstances or his still small voice give strong indication that a time is coming where I will need to, but now is not the right time.
I ask God to give me a child. Circumstances or his still small voice make it clear that one is coming, but not right now.
The disciples pray for the Holy Spirit to come for 40 days before He shows up. (Acts 1:12-14)

5. God says Nothing

This is the tough one. We pray. We ask God for guidance, an answer, or a sign... and we get nothing in return.

Check out the words of David in Psalm 13... you identify with this at all?

1 How long, O LORD ? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?

2 How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
and every day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?

3 Look on me and answer, O LORD my God.
Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death;

4 my enemy will say, "I have overcome him,"
and my foes will rejoice when I fall.

As I personally have wrestled through my unanswered prayer of asking God to provide us with a Child, I found myself asking what answer(s) I've been getting back. For me, it's mainly two answers...

God saying NO...
to my specific monthly prayers that this would be the time Janelle would get pregnant.

God saying NOTHING ...
to my underlying prayers that he would help us no if there's anything physically or spiritually keeping us from having a baby.

I would venture to say the toughest situations when it comes to what any of us would label as Unanswered Prayer are when God says No, or when God says Nothing. We find ourselves wondering things like...
Are you there?
Do You Care?
What's wrong with me?
Am I not a strong enough Christian?

It's easy to give up. But the best question to ask is "Why?"
Why are my prayers not being answered. Now we get into the fun stuff... because it's in this question we begin to grasp on to who God is, ans what He is seeking to accomplish in us.