When God Doesn't Answer

We’ve spent a lot of time in the past few articles listing things that can hinder our prayer life. I’ve encouraged you, if you feel hindered at all, to examine your life to see if any of the listed reasons could be yours. I trust you have done that.

However, what if you’ve examined your life and find no apparent reason for the lines to heaven being closed? You’ve searched your heart, and you are clean. All your sins are confessed, and you’re praying with a good motive. And you do have a heart that desires to please and serve God. Yet, the lines of communication seem blocked. What about those times? What about those times when you pray till we’re blue in the face, but no answer comes?

Those times happen to the best of us. Trials come into our lives and we pray, but the trials just seem to come faster and harder with no end in sight. The heartaches, the financial setbacks, the loss of a loved one, the illnesses; they seem to overwhelm us. Yet, God appears absent. We search for a reason within us, but we find none. Yet God is absent, and we are so alone and so empty.

Perhaps this is a time of testing for you. Remember the man Job? The bottom to his world fell out. He lost everything, including his family and his health. Yet, God never told him why any of it had happened. God was silent for some thirty eight chapters, and even then didn’t tell him why.

It was a test. We are told that in Job 1:9-12:
9 So Satan answered the LORD and said, “Does Job fear God for nothing? 10 Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!”
12 And the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person.”

God allowed Satan to sift Job like wheat to see what he was made of, and Job passed the test. Job passed with flying colors. Job said in the midst of the worst of his troubles: “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him (Job 13:15).” Do you have that kind of faith? Would you pass that kind of a test?

Look at this last passage and we’ll close
1st Peter 1:6-9
6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, 8 whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.

When the trials come and God remains silent, God wants to know, “Will you trust Me? Will you trust Me no matter what? Will you trust Me even through this?” That is the question I want to leave you with