Have you ever stood in the hushed echo of an unanswered prayer, its silence heavy on your heart? The longing whispers from your lips, the tears that dampen your cheeks – all seemingly swallowed by the vast unknown. It's a human experience that is common to everyone, especially Christians who have learned that we have a God who answers prayers.
But what if the silence isn't an absence of response, but rather a different language we haven't learned to understand? In the vast library of the universe, our personal prayers might be whispered verses, their true meaning resonating on a frequency beyond our current comprehension. I mean, what if the silence of God is in itself an answer, just that you need to learn how to decode this type of answer?
The Bible, as the ancient tapestry of faith and wisdom, offers a perspective that transcends the immediacy of our desires. It reminds us, through the words of Jeremiah, that "The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him" (Lamentations 3:25, KJV). This echoes the same perspective expressed by Isaiah through the Holy Spirit: "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:8-9, KJV).
God's perspective, the Bible reminds us, is one of infinite wisdom and perfect timing. In his vast knowledge, he sees the intricate tapestry of our lives, the threads of cause and consequence interwoven beyond our limited human understanding. As C.S. Lewis eloquently puts it, "He chooses the path for us, but He trusts us to walk it." For a true child of God, the Bible does not resonate with the popular opinion of many that there is anything like “unanswered prayers”, rather what we read in the Bible is the wisdom of God’s sovereignty and His perfect timing.
This doesn't negate the sting of unanswered prayers. The pain of loss, the yearning for healing, the ache of unfulfilled desires – these are real and deserve acknowledgment. But within that very silence, lies an opportunity for deeper growth; a point of peace where you define the delay or silence from God according to His sovereignty and perfect timing.
"It is God's usual way of working to keep his children in a state of dependence," writes A.W. Tozer in his classic, "The Pursuit of God." The silence, then, becomes a crucible, refining our faith and drawing us closer to the source of all strength. I am not saying your prayers as a child of God cannot be delayed or sometimes God just seems to be quiet, my point is; when I searched the scriptures, I see that none of your prayers are wasted, I see that for every prayer a true child of God offers, God will work it out in a way that will glorify His sovereignty and perfect timing. If child of God A and B prays, asking God for the same thing, and B gets the request almost immediately, and it seems A is not getting the same request; we must understand that the parameters that prompt God granting of the request to B and delaying it for A are not just as simple as choosing to answer one and deny the other, not at all; it’s a question of God’s sovereignty and His perfect timing. “Sovereignty” here does not mean God playing “big-me-small-you”, it means the vastness of His knowledge about us, which transcends what we know about ourselves and our situation.
If you stood in the same standpoint as God, it would be easy for you to understand the why. Perspective and standpoint can impact knowledge and knowledge can influence action. For instance, your knowledge about poison will keep you away from taking it, no matter how it may be appealing; assuming you, an adult, who understands what a poison can do, see a little child, begging you in tears, pleading that you should permit to take a poison, would you because of the pleading allow the child? At that time, the child would feel hurt, thinking that you have denied them of their request, but have you really denied them of a request or protected the child as a result of your knowledge? This is just an illustration to explain the aspect of God’s knowledge, which I summed up in the word “sovereignty”. The second part is His perfect timing.
This doesn't mean you should abandon your prayers. As John Piper encourages, "Keep praying. Keep believing. Keep hoping. And wait patiently for God's timing." Our prayers, even those seemingly unanswered, hold power. They express our vulnerabilities, shape our desires, and connect us to something larger than ourselves.
Whenever you pray and it means there is silence, as a child of God, you can ask “Father, show me what you want me to see”. Sometimes in 2021, I experienced a very difficult situation that God used to develop me in several ways. Among others, I had to learn to define that;
If I pray and I have not gotten the answer, God is most likely working out a better option for me, better than my prayer point for me, or
If I pray and I have not gotten the answer, God is most likely working it out for His perfect timing.
I have asked God some things and gotten an outright no; I wanted those things, but they were not in line with God’s purpose for my life. Whenever this happens, a true child of God does not struggle; you must have had your flesh crushed by the cross of Jesus, so no struggle with the Holy Spirit.
The next time you find yourself standing in the echo of an unanswered prayer, remember this: the silence is not an absence of response, but a whispered invitation to trust, to grow, and to seek a deeper understanding of the divine language spoken not in words, but in the unfolding of your life's tapestry. Ask God to “Show you what He wants you to see and teach you what you need to know.” In the name of Jesus, receive clarity. Hallelujah, amen!
By
Caleb Oladejo
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