7 Reasons Why Your Prayer for Today Might Go Unanswered
Have you ever felt like your prayers are going unanswered? It could be because of one of these 7 reasons. The last reason is one of the most common—and it might surprise you—so stick around until the end. Today, we’re uncovering seven powerful reasons why God might not be answering your prayers.
If there has ever been a time when we needed to pray, that time is now.
Ephesians 6:12 (ESV)
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
Prayer is essential in this battle, but it’s equally crucial that our prayers aren’t wasted. Too many people are spinning their wheels, praying without seeing results, because they either don’t know or refuse to submit to these seven biblical principles. Get ready to take notes or decide today to apply at least one of these principles to transform your prayer life.
Reason #1: Your Will Is Not in His Will
One of the most significant reasons prayers go unanswered is that what we want doesn’t align with what God wants. This is not a suggestion but an absolute necessity for our prayers to be effective. This principle is so vital that Yeshua included it in the Lord’s Prayer:
Matthew 6:10
10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
These words emphasize seeking His kingdom and His will above our own desires. Yeshua not only taught this principle but lived it, especially during His most challenging moments. In the Garden of Gethsemane, knowing the suffering ahead, He acknowledged His own desires but ultimately surrendered to His Father’s will:
Matthew 26:39
39 And going a little farther [Yeshua] fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”
Matthew 26:42
42 Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.”
Even as Yeshua prayed, He ensured His will aligned with His Father’s. His life was rooted in seeking and fulfilling Yahweh’s desires. He declared His dependence on His Father:
John 5:30
30 “I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me.
Yeshua even described His sustenance—His “food”—as doing the Father’s will:
John 4:34
34 Yeshua said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.
If we desire our prayers to be heard, we must first align our will with the Father’s. Our requests should not be rooted in building our own kingdom but in seeking Yahweh’s will and advancing His kingdom. Only then will our prayers carry the weight and purpose needed to be heard and answered by the King of kings.
Reason #2: You Don’t Really Believe
Yeshua emphasizes the importance of faith in prayer when He teaches:
Mark 11:24:
"Whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours."
Prayer is not merely about uttering words; it’s about having unwavering faith in the One you are petitioning. Yeshua calls us to believe wholeheartedly that what we ask for is already ours. This means envisioning ourselves possessing the blessings or favor we’re seeking—not with doubt, but with confidence in Yahweh’s faithfulness.
James reinforces this truth, warning against the dangers of doubt:
James 1:6–8 (NIV)
6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.
Doubt erodes the power of our prayers, leaving us unstable and disconnected from the faith required for God to respond. If we fail to trust Yahweh fully, we cannot expect Him to honor our requests. True prayer demands faith that is firm and unshakable, rooted in the belief that Yahweh hears us and will act according to His will.
Reason# 3: You Can’t Handle the “Yes”
Sometimes, the reason God doesn’t grant our prayers isn’t because He isn’t answering—it’s because the answer is “no” or “wait.” He knows that giving us what we’re asking for in our current condition could harm us more than help us.
Consider the Israelites and the Promised Land. If Yahweh had handed over the entire land all at once, it would have overwhelmed them. Without the strength or numbers to manage it, the very land they longed for would have turned into their graveyard. Yahweh explained this to them:
Exodus 23:29
29 I will not drive [the Hivites, Canaanites, and Hittites] out from before you in one year, lest the land become desolate and the wild beasts multiply against you.
So this is what Yahweh did:
Exodus 23:30
30 Little by little I will drive them out from before you, until you have increased and possess the land.
You might not be receiving the answer you want to your prayers because you’re not ready to handle a “yes” right now—or perhaps not ever. A “yes” to your current prayer request could seriously backfire, bringing harm instead of good. What you perceive as a blessing could, in reality, become the biggest burden you could have ever imagined, turning the very thing you hoped for into a curse. Sometimes, God’s "no" or "wait" is His way of protecting you from a blessing you’re not prepared to receive.
Reason #4 You Ignore the Cries of the Poor
Proverbs 21:13 says
13 Whoever closes his ear to the cry of the poor will himself call out and not be answered.
If you are unwilling to show compassion to those in need, how can you expect Yahweh to respond to your needs? This principle isn’t just about being charitable; it’s about reflecting Yahweh’s heart for justice and mercy. Turning a deaf ear to the cries of the poor reveals a heart that is out of alignment with Yahweh’s character, which is one of compassion, generosity, and love for the vulnerable.
Consider this: Yahweh consistently calls His people to care for the poor, widows, orphans, and strangers throughout Scripture (Deuteronomy 10:18, Isaiah 1:17). Ignoring those cries doesn’t just affect the poor—it hardens your own heart, distances you from Yahweh’s will, and blocks the flow of His blessings in your life.
So, if you want Yahweh to hear your prayers, you must first ensure you are hearing and responding to the cries of those He has commanded you to care for. This isn’t optional; it’s foundational to a life that honors Him. True worship and obedience extend beyond the walls of prayer—they are demonstrated in how you treat the least among you (Matthew 25:40).
Reason #5 You Refuse to Forgive
Yeshua’s teaching in Mark 11:25 reveals a profound truth about prayer and relationships:
"And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses."
This command to forgive underscores the inseparable connection between our relationship with Yahweh (vertical) and our relationships with others (horizontal). Unforgiveness blocks the flow of Yahweh’s mercy and hinders the effectiveness of our prayers. It calls us to pause and engage in deep introspection, asking ourselves: Whom do I need to forgive?
This invitation to forgive may include:
Family members
Former friends
Work colleagues
Current or past romantic partners
Acquaintances or strangers
And even ourselves
This principle is so crucial that Yeshua includes it in what is commonly known as the Lord’s Prayer:
"Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors."
Matthew 6:11–12
The story of a woman struggling with anger toward a relative highlights the weight of this command. Though she knew the Lord’s Prayer, when she reached the words “forgive us as we forgive others,” she was unable to continue. Her unwillingness to forgive revealed the barrier between her and Yahweh—a barrier she could not bypass until her heart aligned with the act of forgiveness.
Yeshua goes even further, teaching that Yahweh does not accept our offerings or prayers if we remain unreconciled with others:
"So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift."
Matthew 5:23–24
Forgiveness is the starting point, but Yahweh’s ultimate desire is reconciliation wherever possible. Among the names that may come to mind, consider who you can reach out to and seek reconciliation with. This act of obedience not only aligns you with Yahweh’s will but also opens the door for your prayers to be heard and answered. As Paul reminds us:
"If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all."
Romans 12:18
Reason #6 You Don’t Listen to God
Yahweh does not delight in prayers offered by those who refuse to heed His instruction. Proverbs 28:9 states this unequivocally:
"If one turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination."
Our willingness to listen to Yahweh’s law is directly tied to His willingness to hear our prayers. We cannot expect Him to answer us if we disregard His wisdom and correction in our lives.
Even Solomon, in personifying Wisdom, highlights Yahweh's sentiment toward those who reject His counsel. In Proverbs 1:23–31, Wisdom speaks with striking clarity:
"If you turn at my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make my words known to you. Because I have called and you refused to listen, have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded, because you have ignored all my counsel and would have none of my reproof, I also will laugh at your calamity... Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently but will not find me. Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of Yahweh, would have none of my counsel and despised all my reproof, therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way and have their fill of their own devices."
Ignoring Yahweh’s guidance leads to a point where He will not respond to our cries. Our disregard for His wisdom has consequences, leaving us to face the results of our own choices.
David echoes this truth in Psalm 66:18:
"If I had cherished sin in my heart, Yahweh would not have listened."
We cannot reject Yahweh’s law, follow our own ways, and still expect Him to answer us when we call. Prayer is not a transactional act; it is rooted in a relationship of submission and obedience. If we want Yahweh to listen, we must first listen to Him, embracing His Word and aligning our lives with His will.
Reason #7 You Don’t Persevere in Prayer
One of the most significant reasons prayers may go unanswered is the lack of perseverance. Yeshua emphasized the importance of persistent prayer in Luke 18:1–8, where He shared the parable of the persistent widow. The story begins:
"And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart" (Luke 18:1, ESV).
In the parable, a widow repeatedly pleads with an unrighteous judge for justice. Though the judge initially refuses, her persistence compels him to grant her request. Yeshua concludes by highlighting that if an unjust judge responds to persistence, how much more will Yahweh, the righteous Judge, respond to His chosen ones who cry out to Him day and night? This parable underscores that perseverance is not merely encouraged—it is expected.
Even Yeshua modeled perseverance in prayer. In Matthew 26:44, we see Him in the Garden of Gethsemane, facing the weight of the cross. Despite His anguish, Yeshua prayed fervently and repeatedly:
"So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again."
His persistence shows that repeating prayers is not a lack of faith but an expression of trust in Yahweh’s timing and will. Yeshua’s example reminds us that prayer is not about bending Yahweh’s will to ours but about aligning ourselves with His purpose, even as we persist in our requests.
When we stop praying too soon, we miss the opportunity to demonstrate faith and patience. Yahweh often uses the waiting period to refine us, build our character, and strengthen our trust in Him. Persistence in prayer is not about nagging Yahweh but about demonstrating that our faith endures beyond immediate circumstances.
As Yeshua concluded the parable in Luke 18:8, He posed a sobering question:
"Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?"
Persistence in prayer is a direct reflection of faith. If we want our prayers to be heard and answered, we must persevere, trusting in Yahweh’s timing and sovereignty.
Take a moment to reflect: Which of these reasons might be standing between your prayers and God’s answers? How can you realign your heart with His will today?
Let’s hear from you in the comments: Which point spoke to you the most? Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe so you never miss another devotional.
Closing Prayer
"Father, thank You for the gift of prayer. Forgive us for the times we’ve approached You with wrong motives or hardened hearts. Teach us to pray according to Your will, with faith, perseverance, and humility. Help us to listen to Your voice and align our lives with Your Word. In Yeshua’s name, amen."
"Thank you for joining me today! Remember, unanswered prayers don’t mean God isn’t listening—they’re invitations to grow closer to Him. See you tomorrow for another Daily Devotional!"
