Spurgeon's Prayer: The Wisdom of Unanswered Prayers

“Father, if You are willing, take this cup from Me. Yet not My will, but Yours be done.”
— Luke 22:42 (BSB)

God is too good to be unkind, and He is too wise to be mistaken. And when we cannot trace His hand, we must trust His heart.
— Charles Spurgeon

Father, we come to You this morning with hearts full of gratitude, even for the prayers You have chosen not to answer. Sometimes we have asked for things in ignorance, and You, in Your wisdom, have withheld them. We thank You for Your perfect will, which has protected us from paths that would have led us away from You. Lord, we may not always understand why certain prayers remain unanswered, but we trust that You know what is best for us. Let Your will be done, not ours, in all things.

We ask for wisdom this morning, Lord, to recognize when our desires conflict with Your plan. Help us to surrender fully to You, knowing that Your ways are higher than ours. Teach us to pray with humility and submission, seeking first Your kingdom and Your righteousness. Let us not persist in asking for things that may harm us spiritually or draw us away from Your presence. Instead, give us the grace to trust in Your perfect timing and Your wise decisions.

Lord, even in our unanswered prayers, we find blessings. You have kept us from walking down paths that might have brought us pain or distraction. You have given us Your peace, knowing that Your hand guides our lives in ways we cannot yet see. We rest in the assurance that You will always provide what is good and necessary for us, even if it is not what we asked for. Thank You for Your faithfulness. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.