Psalm 31:14~21

14 But as for me, I trust in You, O LORD,
I say, “You are my God.”
15 My times are in Your hand;
Deliver me from the hand of my enemies and from those who persecute me.
16 Make Your face to shine upon Your servant;
Save me in Your lovingkindness.
17 Let me not be put to shame, O LORD, for I call upon You;
Let the wicked be put to shame, let them be silent in Sheol.
18 Let the lying lips be mute,
Which speak arrogantly against the righteous
With pride and contempt.

19 How great is Your goodness,
Which You have stored up for those who fear You,
Which You have wrought for those who take refuge in You,
Before the sons of men!
20 You hide them in the secret place of Your presence from the conspiracies of man;
You keep them secretly in a shelter from the strife of tongues.
21 Blessed be the LORD,
For He has made marvelous His lovingkindness to me in a besieged city.

“We must allow the Word of God to confront us, to disturb our security, to undermine our complacency and to overthrow our patterns of thought and behavior.”

— John Stott

I think when a prayer goes unanswered it’s because God has a big picture plan for us that we aren’t aware of, and to have faith in HIS plan for us. An unanswered prayer can be a blessing, because the big picture plan that God has for us can be for our greater good in becoming who he designed us to be, so that we may use our experiences and gifts in bearing fruit for God’s kingdom. Also, we need struggles in life to bring us closer to God in our faith, and with being in HIS strength and not our own, as we learn to rely on God’s strength and not our own in our struggles.

Some of our greatest gifts are unanswered prayers. Our trials and tribulations in life, are our mercies in disguise.

“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves ; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.”