Why does God not answer my prayers?

[newgirl]

Hello-

I recently became a Christian again, after falling away in my late teens/early twenties.

I am really struggling though - the church that I go to is full of older people and TBH this is turning me off from going. They are lovely people, but they aren't the kind of people who I can really relate to at this point in my life.

I keep praying to God that he will help me find some Christian friends of my own age, but I haven't gotten an answer - this has been going on for almost a year now. I'm so lonely and my faith grows weak beause I have no-one to share it with. Why does God want me to be this lonely?????

I wake up most weekends feeling so depressed because of this. Why does God not answers my prayers? Maybe my prayers have been answered and the answer is NO?

Newgirl

 

[PastorMikeJ]

Maybe He has said no or maybe He is telling you to go and search for the church that fits you...He may want you to take that first step and then He will take over....I have found out that sometimes the Father wants us to step out of the boat and onto the palm of His hand...Are there other churches in your town?? if there is start going to them to see what they are like....

 

[newgirl]

Thank you for you reply MikeJ.

I live in a big city so I am sure there are more churches out there.

I probably do need to make the first move - but I am quite shy which makes it hard for me. I would like to be outgoing, but it isn't in my nature.

 

[PastorMikeJ]

It is hard for me to.. but it is just the one step out in faith and He will take it the rest of the way....Trust in Him and He will bless you...God Bless and remember my wife and I will be praying for you..if you need to talk to some one my wife is a great listener...her name is GlendaJoanne... she is on here also..

 

[Nilla]

Hey newgirl, I know what you mean. It's hard to be sort of new in a church. I agree with Mike, go to the other churches. See what they are like. And the shy part...I have been very shy as well. Most of it is gone now though. For me it helped a lot to move away from home, to a new city where no one knew me from before. That way I could start fresh, no one had any expectations on how I should be. I could be the person I was and thats who they got to know. Sure it's hard the first few times when I start talking to new people but I know I have nothing to lose. And besides God is there with you, you have nothing to lose girl.

I'm praying for you girl. Go out there and see what God has in store for you! You might find a "better" church, or you might find that the one you are in now isn't that bad at all. Who knows? But whatever you do, go for it!

God bless,

Nilla

 

[newgirl]

Hey newgirl, I know what you mean. It's hard to be sort of new in a church. I agree with Mike, go to the other churches. See what they are like. And the shy part...I have been very shy as well. Most of it is gone now though. For me it helped a lot to move away from home, to a new city where no one knew me from before. That way I could start fresh, no one had any expectations on how I should be. I could be the person I was and thats who they got to know. Sure it's hard the first few times when I start talking to new people but I know I have nothing to lose. And besides God is there with you, you have nothing to lose girl.

I'm praying for you girl. Go out there and see what God has in store for you! You might find a "better" church, or you might find that the one you are in now isn't that bad at all. Who knows? But whatever you do, go for it!

God bless,

Nilla

Thanks Nilla!

 

[Nilla]

Anytime girl. Let me know what happens

Nilla

 

[jamiepr79]

Hi newgirl
I was very similar to you, and it wasn't easy but I went to my Church and I was very scared, scared of rejection but I am willing to be rejected a 1000 times because God loves me and you so much.

You have nothing to fear, though you walk through the shadow of the valley of death, the Lord is with you. And it isn't easy but I'm sure you will pull through.

Even David who was a young lowly shepherd but he put all his trust and faith in the Lord and he was unstoppable.
Don't worry about the physical things, food, water, material things when you start building your relationship with God all those things will fall into place, besides he gives you other gifts which bring unbelievable joy and happiness.

And you don't have to be right with God for him to answer your prayers, Jesus's blood cleanses you of all your sins it, it is a gift of God his grace and love for you, just accept it and submit to God, it is that easy he will make your burdens light.

But this does not mean you can sin freely, if you love God you will do your best not to sin and please him, If you keep sinning you will hinder your personal relationship with God.

He has a perfect plan for you just have patience and faith, go in peace sister.

 

[Dondi]

newgirl,

I agree to find another church that have people more your speed. One thing you might do is simply go through the phone book and in the yellow pages under churches and look for ads that suggest there are youth groups (or whatever age group you're looking for) at that church. Then call up the church and inquire anonymously. This way you can get a feel before you visit and maybe you won't waste so much time attending churches that seem like dead ends.

Happy hunting! I'll be praying for you, newgirl.

P.S. I noticed your icon says baptist. Are you looking for a good Baptist church? I happen to be attending a baptist church. When we moved a couple of years ago, we had an idea what we were looking for because of our experience in another Baptist church. We looked for an independant, fundamental, bible-believing, soul-winning, missions giving and missionary sending, praying, Baptist church. It also had to have a youth program like AWANA for our children to attend. Well, after attending several we found the one we liked and we felt really comfortable with and the people there were really friendly and the pastor was on fire. (We did attend a SBC, but something was missing there. That all SBC are bad, I was in fact saved in a SBC, but we had some issues with the one we visited. You'll know the Spirit is there or not). Just make sure you find a church that is uncompromising in doctrine and in their moral bearing.

 

[Mishy]

Hello newgirl.

I can really relate to your post. When i first became a Christian, the first church i went to was full of old people. Like you said, they were all lovely and supportive but i really craved to be with people my own age as well.

I basically was like you and started to feel lonely and weak etc but was too shy to try anywhere else. I felt lonely, none of my friends or family were Christians (before becoming a Christian i'd lost contact with a lot of my family). My only Christian friend at this time lived miles away, but he offered to help me and researched into the area of possible places i could go. As much as i appreciated his help this didn't motivate me as the idea of visiting a church by myself scared me and carried on as i was.

I constantly prayed about it and one day while praying i realised that it was great to have the support from my friend but it was something i needed to do myself so that God could guide me to the right place, i just needed to put my faith in him. So, i started to look into churches locally and i stumbled upon a church which i never knew existed, i had very little information about it except its service time but i felt an incredible draw to it like I've never experienced before. So that week i went and to my surprise as i walk in i bump into my Aunt who i haven't spoken to for about 5 years. She didn't live in that area so she was the last person i expected to see. She immediately hugged me and welcomed me to the church, she introduced me to everyone and helped me settle in (as well as getting me back in contact with other family members) and i haven't looked back since.

So, guess what I'm trying to say is have faith, God will lead you somewhere when the time is right for you. I used to worry that I'd never find anywhere more suitable for me, but the minute i put my faith in God he didn't let me down. I look back now and i can see reasons (which i won't go into) why I needed to stay at the first church for that long and had i of moved sooner wouldn't have all worked out as well as it did. As frustrating as it was at the time I can now see it was all for the best.

Hope this helps

 

[dan888]

Hello lonely person of Christ,

I have always wondered about your situation myself. I haven't been inside a church for more than ten years, although I continue to grow slowly. I don't have a good record with the Lord as far as living a good Christian life and being obedient, but I know I am still a redeemed child nonetheless, as with you.

My feeling is that since you've been away from the Lord for so long, that He misses your communion and fellowhip, and is isolating you all to Himself first. Take time to get to know the Lord again. He knows exactly what you need and how long you need it, even if
it means isolation. He's also chastizing you for falling away, but know that His chastizement is with love. It is like a father who punishes his child and sends him to sit in the corner for a timeout. But much to the child's amazement, the loving father has painted the walls with beautiful artistic sceneries for the child to gaze and wonder at. So think on Him and gaze and wonder and surround yourself in His love first, and He'll eventually provide you with what you need, even if you don't ask for it.

 

[leanne708]

Hi new girl

I struggled with a church but keep praying because God does answer prayers if its acordying to his plan. I have just prayed as well

 

[zoesahm24]

Hiya
Can I just say that reading this thread has really helped me to make a decision.... Hope you dont mind me saying but I have had the same problem and that is why I gave up going to church and since then my faith has become weaker..... Until I joined this forum and just read some threads and I feel I am so ready to start again I am now really excited about sunday I even know which church I am going to try

So thanks guys
Zoe

 

[Dondi]

Hiya
Can I just say that reading this thread has really helped me to make a decision.... Hope you dont mind me saying but I have had the same problem and that is why I gave up going to church and since then my faith has become weaker..... Until I joined this forum and just read some threads and I feel I am so ready to start again I am now really excited about sunday I even know which church I am going to try

So thanks guys
Zoe

Good for you! God doesn't want us to travel on this journey alone.

 

[Tootall]

Hello-

I recently became a Christian again, after falling away in my late teens/early twenties.

I am really struggling though - the church that I go to is full of older people and TBH this is turning me off from going. They are lovely people, but they aren't the kind of people who I can really relate to at this point in my life.

I keep praying to God that he will help me find some Christian friends of my own age, but I haven't gotten an answer - this has been going on for almost a year now. I'm so lonely and my faith grows weak beause I have no-one to share it with. Why does God want me to be this lonely?????

I wake up most weekends feeling so depressed because of this. Why does God not answers my prayers? Maybe my prayers have been answered and the answer is NO?

Newgirl

Maybe he did answer your prayer by directing you to this forum! Perhaps He wants you to interact here until the right church for you comes to your view.

That's my $.02.

Ummm...BTW, define "older people"? (Only kidding!)

Cheers!

 

[lingjanet]

My life in christ also always going up and down because I have not yet settle down in a place and I kept running here and there. I believe a church will effect us to grow in god's life.

When I am a kids until I am 11 years old I have attended a big church where there is many oldest and young brothers and sisters. Over there, i doing very well and I have joined many activities in church. But I do not have much closer friend beside my cousin sisters and my sisters.

After 11years old, my family and I have move to new house and I have joined a new methodist church which is near to by new house. I am getting more lonely and bore at that time becase I totaly do not have any friends there. What I did was just go for sunday services and go home. Furthure more the environment make me feel like awaying the church. From there, my faith to god started to become weak.

Slowly after few years of don't know where is god in my heart. one day I saw one group of christian brothers and sisters were doing their fellowship and I have a admire on them because I also want to have group of friends which I can play with jsut like them. That time i started to pray to god. I asked god to give me a new life in christ, beside I told god that I want to accept HIM and ask him to prepare a road for me to walk so that I can know HIM More.

And very surprisingly that, after sometime, one of my church brother approaching me to join them in youth and so I did and from there I did quite well and my faith started to grow.

Pray and give sometime for god to answer your prayer. Sometime we need more than 1 prayer for god to answer our prayer.

 

[MikeMcK]

Hello-

I recently became a Christian again, after falling away in my late teens/early twenties.

I am really struggling though - the church that I go to is full of older people and TBH this is turning me off from going. They are lovely people, but they aren't the kind of people who I can really relate to at this point in my life.

I keep praying to God that he will help me find some Christian friends of my own age, but I haven't gotten an answer - this has been going on for almost a year now. I'm so lonely and my faith grows weak beause I have no-one to share it with. Why does God want me to be this lonely?????

I wake up most weekends feeling so depressed because of this. Why does God not answers my prayers? Maybe my prayers have been answered and the answer is NO?

Newgirl

Do you think it's possible that God wants you to stay here because, being a relatively new Christian, those older folks have something to teach you, or perhaps because He wants you to minister to them in some way?

I grew up in a very large extended family that included my grandparents and many of their friends. Not a lot of young people.

I can tell you that, although it is much different than what you're expecting, there is very good fellowship to be found there if you're willing to look.

Is the preaching in this church good? Are you being taught well? Are you being fed? Is this a place where you're able to use your gifts for the edification of the church?

Fellowship is important and, as much as I believe that you'll find fellowship there if you'll just be patient, that's only one reason that we go to church.

Hang in there.

 

[martinmillar]

GOD ANSWERS ALL PRAYERS BUT SOMETIMES YOU MAY NOT LIKE THE ANSWERS, SOMETIME THE ANSWER COULD BE NO, OR WHO ARE YOU KIDDIND OR TRY HARDER OR YOUR TRYING TO HARD PLEASE GET BACK AND LET ME KNOW HOW YOU ARE COPING

 

[lingjanet]

Thank you for you reply MikeJ.
but I am quite shy which makes it hard for me. I would like to be outgoing, but it isn't in my nature.

You sound abit like me, which is shy.
I been in that situation before. But I knew our father in heaven is a glad god. God will prepare a right church for you. Just pray for your church. When there's come a church which suitable for me, I am sure at that time you will not be shy to join them anymore.

Try to ask around your friends of which church they attend.

Pray to god..HE will answer you.

 

[lorali]

Maybe God wants you to realilse that all you need is HIM! Dont long to have friends your age, long to serve Him. Long that He will except you. Then maybe your prayers will be "allowed" to happen.
I feel you though. Trust me I know exactly what your going through.