Unanswered Prayers... or are they?

Do you believe in unanswered prayers? I think that it makes for a great song, but that they do not exist. God desires a relationship with me, so why would He not answer my prayers? When my children ask me for something or to do something, I don't ignore them. That would make for a bad relationship with them and I know that eventually they wouldn't talk to me anymore. So why would a God who loves me and wants to know me ignore me? 


God always answers us, just in a way that we might not think. When He tells us yes, we are like a kid in a candy store. All is right with the world. When He tells us no, we are sad and disappointed, but we are able to eventually move on, knowing that He loves us and has a better plan for our lives. But what about those times that we don't have an answer? Is God listening? 


Matthew 6:8 says, "...God knows what you need before you even ask him." With that promise we can only believe that He is listening and that He has an answer for you. His answer might just be "WAIT". But why should we wait? If He is going to just say no to something, then why not do it right away? But who says He is going to say no? Sometimes He wants us to wait until we are ready for what it is we are truly looking for. 


"They that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not grow weary, they shall walk and not faint." Isaiah 40:31


In times of waiting, God has a plan to strengthen you, to renew you, to prepare you for what it is you are asking. They say that hindsight is always better. Looking back on my life I can see why God has told me to wait numerous times. In waiting I have not only grown in my confidence in myself but in my dependance on Him and in my love for Him and His plan for me. After waiting, the response is always the same, whether or not I got a yes or no. I am blessed more than I would have been if God had opened or closed the door right away. 


I am thankful that I have a relationship with a God who is alive and loves me. A God who knows me and my desires. But most of all, I am thankful to know a God, The Only God, who always answers my prayers. Especially when He answers "wait".