Each of us has experienced disappointment when things didn’t work out the way we wanted them to, and if we had prayed for that outcome that didn’t happen, we were doubly disappointed—first because we didn’t receive what we had asked for, and second because it seemed that God had failed us.
Even when there are obvious, logical reasons why something didn’t go the way that we had hoped and prayed it would, we are tempted to wonder why God didn’t make it happen anyway. After all, if He’s God, He can do anything, and if He loves us as much as the Bible says He does, why didn’t we receive the answer to our prayer? At times like that, it’s easy to hold it against God for not answering prayer the way we had hoped He would.
The first thing to bear in mind is that God never fails to do what’s best for everyone involved, and He never goes back on the promises He has given in the Bible. We, on the other hand, can and do fail sometimes. Also, because He’s given us free will, God is often limited in how He can answer our prayers by the choices we or others make.
God always answers our prayers, but not always right away or in the way we expect Him to. Sometimes He says yes, sometimes He says no, and sometimes He says wait. There are a number of factors that affect the process, including you and your situation, God and His will, and the situations of others involved.
When the conditions are right for the result that God knows is best, He will answer according to His perfect will and plan. So never doubt for a moment that God is going to answer. Trust Him and thank Him for the answer—even if you don’t see it immediately!