Your prayers are never one-sided conversations.
Have you ever asked God a question and then … felt nothing? Everyone has. Recognizing answers to prayers can be super tough sometimes. But that doesn’t mean God’s not listening!
Here are three important things to remember:
- Trust God’s timing. He has a purpose in everything. There may be a reason you aren’t getting an answer right away. You may need to practice patience. Or you may not be fully ready to accept the answer.
- Good things take work. Like President Russell M. Nelson taught, “The Lord loves effort, and effort brings rewards.”1
- Listen in lots of ways. Scriptures, hymns, sacrament and general conference talks, seminary devotionals—the Lord can speak through many sources.
The most important thing is to not give up. Don’t get discouraged. Not every prayer will be answered immediately, and that’s OK. Just keep praying. Keep listening. God loves you!
Use Your Voice
Try finding a private place to pray out loud, and then quietly listen with your heart. This extra effort can make a big difference.
Note
1. In Joy D. Jones, “An Especially Noble Calling” (general conference, Apr. 2020).
This post is adapted from “Getting Answers from the Lord” from the June 2021 For the Strength of Youth magazine.