Unanswered Prayer

Unanswered Prayer - 

    A typical night at my house ends with me saying a silent prayer just before I go to sleep.  These days, I do a lot of praying for other people, relationships, health, my future, and my family.  However, this has not always been true.  Even through addiction, I prayed. The prayer I prayed every night for about 2 years was the most selfish prayer I can imagine, but it was genuine at the time, and I will share it with you.  My prayer was rehearsed, and always began the same; “Dear God, please take me in my sleep, please do not let it be painful, and take care of my family after I am gone.” The end was a little different every time as I would add whom I was praying for at the time, and typically I would fall off to sleep only to wake up in the morning with the first thought being; “I guess last night was not the night for my prayer to be answered.”  See, today I am most grateful for unanswered prayer.  I know now that he knows, he knows every hair on my head, so he knew that my time was not up, and today I look back and feel as though he had other plans for me. One of the most horrible realities of addiction is the feeling of worthlessness. I was in a horrible relationship where I was tore down every chance the person I was with had; I was an addict, as was my wife at the time.  No matter how I tried to get sober, the presence was all around me, and I felt my only was out was for God to remove me from the situation.  Of course he had other plans on how to accomplish this, and keep me living and serving him by witnessing to others.  Being laid off, and my wife at the time, kicking me out was a blessing that was unrealized, it did not ruin my life, it made my life better.  So, yes, I am grateful for unanswered prayer because if he had answered it, you would not be reading about this HUGE blessing.  Keep the addict close to your heart in prayer, pray for them often, because they need that support.  And when God doesn’t answer your prayer, don’t be discouraged, there may be a perfectly good reason – or maybe God has a different plan than you. KV