Dear Rev. What if a person keeps praying about a matter and is sincere, but the matter seems to never go away. It may even seem to worsen over time. Does the fact that the issue remains unanswered somehow reflect a persons spiritual growth as being in poor condition? Why does it seem at times our prayer is unheard or ignored when we are in tune with God?

There are many ways that God works, some over time and some immediately.  The real peace comes when we are able to trust God with the answer 100 percent. In other words, no matter what happens or when it happens. I believe that God is so wise that the answer to our prayers is often way beyond our understanding. That’s why the scripture says – “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding” – Proverbs 3:5 and “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord” – Isaiah 55:9. No, I don’t believe answers to prayer reflect a person’s spiritual growth. When a child asks their father for something he always responds regardless of their age or maturity. And we, as His child, should trust our Heavenly Father who always knows best. Another thing is that we should never give up praying. Maybe God just wants us to come a little closer to Himself so that we don’t fall into the trap of treating Him like a Santa Claus. These are just a few reasons why answers to prayer don’t happen right away, but one thing for sure, we can trust Him with the answer implicitly. God Bless!