Biblical Answer

The idea that God doesn't answer prayers because He's not obligated to do so can be a frustrating and discouraging concept for many people. This perspective suggests that prayer is not to get answers from God, but to have perfect and complete oneness with Him. In other words, prayer is a means of building a relationship with God, not just asking Him to grant our wishes. When we pray, we are not just making requests, but also communing with God, spending time with Him, and deepening our understanding of who He is and what He desires for us. As the Bible says, "The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit" (Psalm 34:18). God is not distant or uncaring, but rather a loving Father who desires a personal relationship with each of us.

However, this doesn't mean that God always answers our prayers in the way we want Him to. In fact, the Bible teaches that God's ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are not our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9). This means that God's answers may not always be what we expect or desire. But this doesn't mean that He doesn't answer our prayers at all. Rather, He may be answering them in ways that we can't see or understand. As the Bible says, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares 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). This means that we must trust in God's goodness and sovereignty, even when we don't understand His ways.

In fact, the Bible teaches that God's silence can be a form of answer. When we pray, God may not give us a direct answer, but He may give us a sense of peace, comfort, or guidance that we didn't have before. This is because God's answers may not always be in the form of a direct response, but rather in the form of a deeper understanding of Himself and His ways. As the Bible says, "The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O God, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands" (Psalm 138:8). This means that we must trust in God's goodness and sovereignty, even when we don't understand His ways, and seek to deepen our understanding of Him through prayer and communion. By doing so, we can experience a deeper and more meaningful relationship with God, even in the midst of uncertainty and doubt.