How to Respond to Our Unanswered Prayer? (2Cor. 12:9-10)

One of the most difficult things about prayer occurs when our sincere and faithful prayers are not answered. When God gives us what we ask of him, our thanksgiving and praises reach the pinnacle of heaven; however, unanswered prayer often discourages us in a number of ways and forces us to ask, “Why doesn’t God answer our prayer?” Some might tell you that you have not prayed long enough or faithfully enough or that you have unforgiven sins that need to be repented. Then, how should we respond to our unanswered prayers?

Apostle Paul was the man of God who received many spiritual gifts of the Holy Spirit, experienced supernatural miracles, and had a strong faith in God. Unfortunately, he was having an issue with a thorn on the flesh, and many NT scholars still debate about the exact nature of the thorn. After offering his sincere prayer to God, he heard God’s response to his prayer. That was, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2Cor 13:9, NIV). Simply put, his supplication was rejected, regardless of his faithfulness and sacrifice for the kingdom of God.

How did Paul respond to God’s answer? He said, “I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me” (2Cor. 12:9, NIV) and added that he could “delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties” (2Cor. 12:10, NIV). His response is a paradox. In our wordily standard, if you are weak, you could feel miserable, sad, and jealous. If you are insulted, persecuted, and offended, you could be discouraged, curse your accusers, and make complaints to God. If God does not answer your prayer, you react with doubt, grudge, and anger, turn your back on him, or leave the faith.

Then, what should we do in those situations? We need to remember that one of the primary purposes of our prayer is to submit to God’s will. When God explained to Paul why he would not remove the thorn of the flesh, he was “okay” to suffer the pain of the thorn and experience its negative consequences. More than that, he could delight in weakness, insults, hardships, persecutions, and difficulties. Why? It was more important for Paul to submit to God's will than to have him accomplish his will. Paul’s prayer and response resemble the agonizing prayer of Jesus on the eve of the crucifixion. Jesus foreknowing the tremendous pain and humiliation that he had to endure on the cross prayed to God three times but was more concerned with submitting to the will of the Father: “he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will’” (Matt. 26:39). As we know, he submitted to the will of the Father on the cross.

However, when God does not answer our prayer, things can get complicated. An unanswered prayer can become obsession, and this changes the way in which we ask God for our needs. Instead of humble prayer, we try to persuade God to grant us what we ask of him. When persuasion fails, it can become demand. Finally, demand can become command, unfortunately. Certain believers use Bible verses in their prayers. This type of prayer can be beneficial, but others misuse the Bible verses to demand God to answer their prayers, as if God forgot what he has spoken and promised that he needs our reminder. At the end, we could make the mistake of commanding God to give us our need and to submit to our will. Of course, we do not want to go there, and need to carefully examine our prayer.

So, what is the purpose of your prayer? Are you willing to submit to the will of God, although it may seem different from your will and desire? The attitude towards your unanswered prayer can serve as a helpful tool to examine the purpose of your prayer. Surely, we can feel disappointed, sad, and even bitter when God does not give us what we beseech him; however, our response to unanswered prayer can be joy and praise because God who knows what is best for us is alive and is always in control of our lives. Whether God answers our prayer or not, we should remember that it is better that God’s good and holy will is accomplished in our lives rather than our sinful and selfish will. As Jesus said, even the evil one wants to give good things to his or her child. Then, how much more our Father in heaven would desire to bless us with good and holy things? (Luke 11:3). Whether we have what we want from him or not, let’s believe that God will accomplish his holy will in our lives and submit to his will with joy and gratitude.