We can get awfully discouraged when it seems like God is not hearing or answering our prayers, can't we? It's so easy to begin to doubt God, to doubt His word and His promises to us, His children, when our prayers seem to go unanswered. It's so easy to doubt His provision for us, or, if our situation is really bad, to even doubt His love and His goodness. After all, our human mind reasons, if God is good, why did He allow this to happen? If God truly loves me, why am I going through all this?

That's one of the reasons keeping a prayer journal is so vital to our faith and spiritual growth. When it seems like God is not answering our prayers, we can go back into our journals and remind ourselves of all the prayers He has answered for us in the past. As you re-read your notes, meditate not only on the answered prayers, but all the times you have personally seen God work, all the unexpected blessings, all the ways that God protected, helped, or encouraged you. Remind yourself of His love, His holiness, His power and His grace. When we remember all that God has done for us in the past, it's easier to trust Him in our uncertain present, even though it seems like our prayers are not being answered.

Remind yourself of His goodness by reading and meditation on your prayer journal. Stay in His Word daily to remind you of His promises and His provision for you. Then know without a doubt, deep down inside your heart, that He HAS heard your prayer, and that He WILL answer it, in His perfect time. Sometimes we don't see the answers to our prayers because they come in a different form than what we were expecting. You can rest assured that even if His is not the answer you expected, it will still be the best possible answer for His beloved child. You may not always get the answer you prayed for, but your answer WILL come! Remember the works of the Lord!