When God Doesn’t Answer Prayers

The last few weeks I have been in a state of worry and distress. This time it was with my business, but the truth is that it could have been my marriage, my kids, my ministry or any other facet of my life.

Things just weren’t going as planned. I tried harder but things got worse. I tried harder again but things got worse.

I tried to fix the problems. I read books. I read articles. I googled. But nothing I tried seem to fix anything.

Then it happened. I finally got it. God fixed me.

Back when I started my business I gave it to the Lord. I said it was going to be his. I was going to use everything that he gave me to point the glory back to him. I was going to use my shop to simply love women. Back when it all started I said,

I have held death in my arms and now I hold life. God has given me this salon and has entrusted me with the keys of life. I get to make women beautiful. I get to comfort the broken. I get to heal the hurting. I get to touch lives every day. That is scary and awesome and makes me beg for his presence.

I said it makes me beg for his presence. Over the past year I have begged less and less. I have inquired less and less. I have dedicated less and less to him. That was the problem.

My problems didn’t need a new business strategy, marketing meetings or structural reformatting. My problems need me to beg again. My problems needed me to remember that I have a task at hand that is WAY bigger than I am.

This adventure is my Red Sea. It is my Jordan River. It is my Goliath. If I don’t want to get swept under and slaughtered by this thing I better beg for the Lord’s presence some more.

So I did.

Then I realized my actions, or lack of action, deserved a little more repenting and confessing. I asked all the girls in the shop to pray. I asked them to call on him.

This week he answered big. And this is what learned.

God is waiting on me. 

So the LORD must wait for you to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion. Isaiah 30:18

All I have to do is ask.

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. Mt. 7:7

He loves taking care of me.

You fathers—if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead?  Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not!  So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him. Luke 11:11-13