Why Your Prayers May Look Like A Waste

Many people around the world today pray for a lot of things from God. For some of these people, their prayers are answered soon enough and for some others, God seems to have turned a blind eye to their pleas.

To the latter, they begin to think their prayers are a waste and sometimes they become frustrated and jump into the conclusion that God doesn't exist. This article seeks to explain why your prayers may look like a waste in case they seem to be unheard.

I'll begin with examples:

Meet Fred and Jerry: Fred is an undergraduate student in a reputable university studying accounting. And Jerry is a friend from the same school studying the same course.

Fred had been studying really hard to pass his upcoming final exams and he still makes out time to pray. Jerry wasn't really studying. He was always seen in the chapel praying to pass his exams. He hoped to pass the exam somehow by faith.

The exams came and Fred passed in flying colors. Jerry failed woefully and started blaming God.

Meet Jane and Julie:

Jane's husband has been seriously sick for days and she had been advised to treat her husband with some required medication and treatment. Jane bought the required medication, treated her husband as advertised and prayed for his speedy recovery.

Julie's husband on the other hand was also really sick. Julie was advised just like Jane on the treatment required to take care of her husband's illness. Julie thought of herself a strong devotee and believed she only had to pray. She did nothing else but pray.

In the end, Jane's husband recovered quickly. Julie's husband is now late. And she says it's God's will.

There are two countries; country A and country B.

Country A had serious issues. There was corruption, there was no lasting progress made in the country, everything seemed to go down the drain.

Citizens of country A actively went into politics and fought for the true democracy they wanted. Some of them who actively participated in transforming their country also prayed.

They made sacrifices and kept fighting for the country they wanted. It paid off and today Country A is a leading nation in the world.

Country B had similar issues. But they were just focused on praying about those issues. They expected God to magically transform those challenges for them.

They kept praying and allowed those challenges to grow stronger and stronger and yet claimed it was God's will.

Today country B is pretty messed up and is in serious external debt. Things have gotten so bad that it will actually need a miracle to turn things around.

The youths and majority of the learned population in country B don't even believe in the country. It has become a laughing stock on a global scale. Why? Because they prayed more rather than actively reprogram the country when they had the chance.

Some pray for good jobs, money and cars. But all they do is pray and keep praying. Many of them won't go out there and at least try the little they can in line with their prayers.

They stay in the same place, do the same things they have always done, then expect God to give them those things by virtue of just their prayer.

How will God bless you when you do nothing else but pray all day? What is He going to bless? What are the efforts you make that he will bless?

But you expect a magic from him.

There are multiple examples depicting how much most of us would rather pray instead of taking some actions to show our faith in the answer to our prayer.
But I will stop at these few.

Your prayers will look like a waste to you when you are not active, when you are not taking your shots, when you are not doing anything at all to create what you desire in prayer.

Nature has always tried to teach us that life is all about activity. It is activity that will create. It is your activity that God will bless to answer your prayers.

A house won't build itself. Water cannot drink itself. A car cannot appear and become yours. Businesses won't start by itself. Everything takes some time and comes through processes.

You are the one who will kick off those processes through the things you do, through the part you must play  and through your contribution.

It is your "kick off" that God blesses and through it, he gives you what you desire.

Therefore, learn to play your part in kicking off the avenues through which God can bless you, no matter how small they may be.

Go out and meet the people you're led to meet or ask for help. Apply to the dream jobs or opportunities you wish to have no matter how many times you may have been rejected in the past.

If you're inspired to start a small business, kick it off with whatever little fund you have been able to save and if you have no funds, look out for jobs you can do to raise money or ask friends and loved ones for small loans.

If you're sick or your loved one is sick, kindly take them to the hospital for medical treatment. There's a reason God blessed those doctors with their knowledge and expertise.

If you have exams, by all means, study well and prepare your best for it.

If you think your country has lost it in governance and politics, why not play a part in it's transformation in whatever way you deem fit?

You can start a political party, you can shape the minds of others using social media.. At least, you can vote for your desired candidate.

It is when you play that your part in achieving whatever you desire that your prayers to God stand a chance.

Your prayers are never a waste when you're doing your own best in your capacity.

It only looks like a waste when you aren't being active about it.

I think every genuine prayer is actually answered and the only thing that makes it look as if has not yet been answered is sin. Sin here means the failure to play your own active part as a human and do what you have to do.

Pray while also being active and keep winning.