A Praying Life by Paul Miller

Week 8: Chapters 12–14 — The Problem of Unanswered Prayer

Read Chapters 12–14 of A Praying Life (covering the terrain of persistence, unanswered prayer, and what God is doing when he seems silent).

This is the section most of us have been waiting for — and most dreading. Miller refuses easy answers about unanswered prayer, which is precisely what makes his approach so trustworthy.

Discussion Questions

6 questions

1.Miller says that unanswered prayer is not an anomaly — it is part of the normal Christian experience, embedded in how God works. How does that statement land for you? Does it relieve you, frustrate you, or both?

2.He talks about the parable of the persistent widow (Luke 18) — Jesus telling us to pray and not give up. What do you think Jesus meant by persistence? Is it about changing God's mind, or something else?

3.Miller identifies three possible responses to unanswered prayer: giving up, becoming bitter, or persisting in faith. Which is your default response? What has shaped that pattern in you?

4.He writes that "delay is not denial" and that God's timing is often the most important part of the answer. Think of a prayer you have given up on. Is it possible God is still working — that you have stopped watching?

5.Miller argues that God is often more concerned with forming us through the waiting than with quickly delivering the answer. What have you learned — or what might God be forming — in you through a prolonged unanswered prayer?

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Closing Prayer

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