Do you ever think God is not listening

​At some time in your life have you have probably thought that God was inattentive, uncooperative and late? You might be thinking that right now as you read this. Doesn’t it drive you crazy that some people make it look so easy, like all their prayers are being answered. And then you have that Christian friend who tell you “The other day I was running late and need to stop by the store and was praying for a close parking spot and then all of sudden a car pulled out and I got the best parking spot!” Then they say, “I’m so glad God answered my prayers.” If you’re anything like me, I want to say, “shut up!” Because you’re asking God to bring a son or daughter back home, healing for a sick family member or struggling marriage and your hearing nothing from God.
 
A few years ago, when I was going through my divorce, my middle daughter said to me, “I am praying you and Mom don’t get divorced.” About a year later, I remember sitting in my apartment talking to my daughter about this and she Dad, “I’m not sure there is a God because he didn’t answer my prayers for you and Mom to stay together.” I told my daughter just because he didn’t answer your prayers doesn’t mean he was not listen nor was he absent.  But she still struggled with that answer and questioned if there was a God. As we talked and studied I shared a verse with her out of Mathew 11:6, “Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.” I told her see God does not want us to lose faith because He doesn’t answer our prayers the way we want.
 
I shared with her the story of John the Baptist who was Jesus’ cousin. John the Baptist walked with Jesus and shared with others all about Jesus. If you remember, John the Baptist is the one who baptized Jesus in the river. However, a few years later John was put in prison by Herod. In addition, Herod’s wife wanted him dead. Here is a man who walked with Christ and while in prison he even started to question his faith. He even had his friends go ask Jesus, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” Matthew 11:3. And so, they did, and Jesus told them to tell John “Go and report to John what you see and hear” Mathew 11:4. Remember, they were seeing Jesus heal and preach to the world. John couldn’t see past his own circumstances. Did Jesus break John out of jail? No, he didn’t. John actually died in prison.  But John used his time to share the Gospel in prison.
 
We need to remember we will go through things and our prayers will not be answered the way we want but remember God will use our circumstances to reach someone else. Our personal circumstance does not determine how God feels about you. I mean look at John the Baptist, his own cousin. Look at what Jesus said in Mathew 11:11, “truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”
 
Therefore, when God seems to inattentive, uncooperative late, look back and remember other answered prayers or even unanswered. We need to look at our circumstances and reflect. No, it’s not easy at all, just as it was not easy for my daughter. But now she can talk with kids that are going through what she went through and show them what God has done for her. We never know how God will use us to help others from our unanswered prayers.