Wondering Why

So this is a followup to yesterday's post. Peter Greig in God On Mute gives several reasons why our prayers may go unanswered.

1. It was a stupid request-He gave the example of asking God to help him not run out of gas before he got to a gas station. How is God suppose to do that? Drop a filling station down from the sky?
2.Some prayer contradict other prayers-for example two teams both praying to win, or a bride asking for no rain as a farmer is asking for rain.
3.Some answered prayers would be detrimental to the world and the lives of others-Praying that God stops every storm would put the eco-system in danger and more people would ultimately be in danger than hurt in a storm.
4. Some prayers aren't answered because creation is "subjected to frustration" and has not been fully "liberated from it's bondage and decay" Romans 8:10-21
He gives a great example of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego who knew God could save them, but said "But even if he does not"....they would still worship Him only.
In John 16:33 Jesus says "in this world you will have trouble", so we should actually consider blessings to be the exception to the rule instead of expecting life to be trouble free.
5. Some prayers aren't answered the way we think they should because our understanding of God is wrong-We need to believe in God more than we believe in miracles. To our faith we need to add faithfulness that regardless of what happens, we trust God. He tells a great story about a lady named Margaret that had cancer of the throat. People would say things to her indicating that it was so unfair that she should suffer "like this" She wrote a reply to give to the well meaning assessors of her situation:
'This is not the worst thing to ever happen! Cancer is so limited. It cannot cripple love, shatter hope, corrode faith, eat away peace, destroy confidence, kill friendship, shut out memories, silence courage, quench the Spirit, or lessen the power of Jesus" He goes on to say that our prayers for ourselves are almost entirely aimed at getting rid of the negative at any cost rather than praying that the negatives be faced in the proper attitude.
6. Some prayers aren't answered because God has something even better for us.
7. Some prayers are not answered because they are selfishly motivated.
8. Some prayers aren't answered because God himself is a greater answer than the thing we are asking for. He wants to use our sense of need to draw us into a deeper relationship with Himself.
9. Some prayers are not answered because God will not force one to do what they do not want to do.
10. Some prayers are not answered because God's will is being directly contested by "the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms"
11. Some prayers are not answered because there are areas of disobedience in our lives.
12. Some prayers are not answered because we just don't believe they will be.

I just found this chapter to be thought provoking because I have always heard that God always answers prayer with a "yes, no, or wait awhile". Perhaps as this author suggests there are times when because of the reasons above and other reasons as well, God does not answer the prayer that we are praying.

On a totally unrelated note. Anyone else bummed to see Brooke leave American Idol. I didn't just like her voice I liked her honesty and just the way she was not full of herself. I will be sad that she is no longer in the running.