prayer

Please welcome Bible teacher and author Debbie Taylor Williams as my guest today!

“Mommy, why isn’t God answering my prayer?”

I turned and looked deeply into my child’s sad eyes.  My daughter wasn’t being accusatory. Her soft voice revealed her hurt. She felt God was ignoring her.

“Lauren, come here.” Slowly, my daughter made her way to me. “Sit down beside me.”

Opening my prayer journal, I turned to the Week at A Glance section and pointed to her name at the top of the column of the prior week. “Look here,” I pointed, encouraging her to read a prayer request that I’d highlighted when the prayer was answered. I turned to the prior week. “Look here.” Again, I directed her to the yellow highlighted answered prayer request under her name. Thumbing through my journal, I encouraged her, “God is answering your prayers.”

In those moments I watched Lauren’s countenance change from dejection to joy. Her Heavenly Father hadn’t ignored her. He wasn’t withholding good things from her. He was involved in her life and answering her prayers. She’d simply forgotten. I assured her we’d continue to pray over unanswered prayers, keeping in mind that in God’s wisdom, His answers and timing may be different from ours.

Do You Ever Feel Like God is Ignoring Your Prayer?

You’re doing everything you feel God wants you to do. You go to church, read your Bible, and pray. You try to be kind to people. So, why isn’t God answering your prayers? You try to faithfully serve Him, but it seems others receive longed-for answers from God while you don’t.

In the hustle and bustle of life, it’s easy to forget the many times we call on God. We may shoot quick “arrow” prayers heavenward as we dash to work. We may drift to sleep while praying for family and friends. While we work and while we sleep, our Heavenly Father is moving on our behalf. It’s easy to forget all the prayers we pray and the way He does answer them. But, it becomes easy to remember if we record our prayers and His answers in a journal.

What is spiritual journaling and how do you do it?

Prayers of My Heart – Your Book of Remembrance

“Why isn’t God answering our prayers?” The simple answer is, He is. God hears your prayers. And He will answer. In His time, in His way. But, so often, the yet “unanswered” prayers become our focus, causing us to forget all the many ways God has already provided.

One of the best ways to remember God’s faithfulness to us is record it. Like the Israelites set up stones of remembrance after crossing the Jordan River on dried ground (Joshua 4:8-24), we too can create a “spiritual marker” through journaling to remind us of the way God has answered our prayers.

In addition to serving as a reminder, Journaling has other major benefits like the joy of seeing God move in our life and in the lives of those for whom we pray. Our prayer journal, serves as a book of remembrance for us. And it is a book of remembrance to leave for those who come behind us.

God has a book of remembrance. “Then those who feared the Lord spoke with one another. The Lord paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed his name.” (Malachi 3:16 ESV) Isn’t it time we journal our prayers and His answers in a book of remembrance?

 In the comments section below, please share below how journaling has blessed you!

 

Today’s post is written by Prayer journalDebbie Taylor Williams. Debbie is a speaker, prayer mentor, and Bible study teacher. She is the founder of Hill Country Ministries and the author of numerous books including The Plan B Woman in a Plan A World and the soon-to-be released, Prayers of My Heart. In this personal prayer journal, you’ll find help to maintain the focused, meaningful, and intentional prayer life you want. This journal includes twelve Month-at-a-Glance charts, fifty-two Week-at-a-Glance charts, and ample journaling pages, along with complete instructions and examples to help you start recording your prayer requests and praising God for His answers! PRE-ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY!

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