Preserved by Purpose:  Aftermath of Answered Prayers

“It was an answer to my prayers but not the answer I expected or what I prayed for.” A good male friend of mine made a similar statement when he was describing how he felt about his new girlfriend a few years ago. I was a little confused about what he meant, so I asked him how that was possible. He explained that he’d prayed to God about the kind of woman he wanted to be in a relationship with. One of his prayers was that she be a “strong Christian.”  

When he met his current girlfriend a few months later, he was ecstatic because she was a “strong” Christian. However, when she told him that she was practicing celibacy, he thought for a moment that he didn’t want her to be THAT strong. He admitted that God had answered his prayer but that it was not exactly what he’d expected.       

I could understand his point of view. I thought about the times when I’d prayed for something and gotten it…and then felt a strange mixture of relief and confusion. I’d gotten what I wanted but once I got it, there was a part of me that didn’t want it anymore. I felt guilty for being ungrateful, but I had to be honest that the answer wasn’t what I wanted. For many of us, going to God in prayer is an easy thing to do. We’ve been taught to go to God for our requests. We even know the scriptures to pray that will give us the biggest bang for our spiritual buck.  But what do you do when those answered prayers are disappointing, not what you expected, and not what you like?

Job from the Old Testament may be one of the best examples of one who sought answers from God’s prayer but who seemed unsure and even overwhelmed on how to respond to the answered prayer. After Job and his friends spent chapter after chapter questioning God’s sovereignty, Job 38:1-3 says,” Then the LORD answered Job out of the storm. He said: “Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge?  Brace yourself like a man; I will question you and you shall answer me.”   

Job got a chance to respond 4 chapters later in 42:5: “My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you.” Job finally had a true long-lasting revelation of who God was and it was overwhelming. He also seemed stunned by God’s response. When we get our prayers answered, we may also get that same experience of being astounded by the intensity and purity of God’s presence.  

This happens especially if what you’ve prayed for comes in the form of an answer that you need and know that it’s God but it’s not necessarily what you expected. Wouldn’t it be exactly what you wanted if it were an answered prayer from God? Not necessarily. God doesn’t always give us what we want but he always gives us what we need! The point of the answered prayer isn’t to give us “stuff” but to give us a chance to strengthen our communication with God as well as have an authentic experience with Him. 

Shewanda Riley is a Fort Worth, Texas-based author of “Love Hangover: Moving from Pain to Purpose After a Relationship Ends” and “Writing to the Beat of God’s Heart: A Book of Prayers for Writers.”   Email her at preservedbypurpose@gmail.com or follow her on Instagram @shewandawrites.