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There are lots of reasons to have doubts about God. You might have doubts about Christianity because of questions that you have about the Bible or the miracles of the Bible. We’ve covered these doubts in other lessons. But you might have doubts based on your experiences in life. Sometimes life causes us to doubt God. There are a lot of reasons for this.
One of the top reasons people have doubts about God is because God doesn’t work in their lives like they want him to. For example, maybe you have asked God to do something good in your life: heal a sick grandparent or stop your parents from getting a divorce. But your grandparent still died or your parents still got divorced. In those moments, you might wonder: Why doesn’t God answer my prayers?
When God doesn’t answer our prayer the way we want him to, it may cause us to doubt God. So, let’s look at a couple reasons why God may not answer our prayers the way we want him to.
God Knows Better Than We Do
We can get mad at God because he doesn’t do the things we’d like him to do. But we have to admit that God knows a lot more than we do. God can see the big picture. He can see the big picture of your life, your family, and the big picture of human history. He knows what is going to happen in the future and how his actions in the present will affect the future. If God answered “yes” to all of your prayers, then this might cause you to miss out on something better that God has for you in the future. Or, you might miss out on a lesson that God wants to teach you. God understands the big picture of life.
God Promises to Turn Evil to Good
God isn’t the cause of evil in the world, but he could stop it if he wished. Often, however, he lets evil happen. But God gives us another promise in the Bible. He promises to use ALL the evil that his people experience for good.
Romans 8:28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.
Remember, God knows the big picture of your life and all of history. And he knows how to turn the evil things you experience into good. We see this truth illustrated time and again in the Bible. So, what is our response when God doesn’t answer our prayers like we wish he would? Trust in him.
Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.
Every moment in life and every doubt you have is an opportunity to trust in God.
- What is your initial reaction to this topic? What jumped out at you?
- Share a time when God said “yes” to one of your prayer requests. How did this make you feel?
- Share a time when God said “no” to one of your prayer requests. How did this make you feel?
- How can God saying “no” to us cause us to doubt him?
- On a scale of 1 to 10, how comfortable are you with letting God handle your future? Explain.
- Read Romans 8:28. What is the promise of this verse?
- Read Proverbs 3:5-6. How can you practice trusting in the Lord “with all your heart”?
- Write a personal action step based on this conversation.
