Is My Praying Enough?
When life throws unexpected surprises: what to do when you’ve prayed but the trouble remains.
You’ve prayed. You’ve waited. But the trouble isn’t over. So the question quietly forms in your mind: Is my praying enough?
Life can sometimes throw up all kinds of unexpected surprises. One day it seems that all is well, and the next your world collapses. Job, the poster boy for suffering, clearly experienced this kind of dramatic collapse. In a single day he endured four tragedies:
His oxen and donkeys were carried off, and the servants tending them were killed.
Fire fell from heaven—possibly lightning—and consumed his sheep and the servants with them.
A raiding band of Chaldeans swept in, took his camels, and killed the servants who cared for them.
Finally, and most devastating of all, he was told that his seven sons and three daughters had died after a great wind struck the house where they were gathered.
These were cascading tragedies. For perspective, very few people have experienced suffering of this magnitude in a single day. He did not only lose his livelihood; he lost what mattered most: his children.
There is so much to learn from the story of Job, but that is not my focus here.
All of us face troubles—different in shape, scale, and severity. And in the middle of them we often wonder if God still loves us, because we cannot reconcile our understanding of His love with the reality of our pain. It’s the age-old tension between God’s love and human suffering.
For any true believer, one of the first instincts is to pray—to call out to God. But what do you do when you have prayed and there is no answer?
You may begin to experience a kind of cognitive dissonance: your faith feels shaken, and there seems to be a chasm between God’s promises and your reality. You might wonder if you have prayed enough, or if there is something else you should be doing. Uncertainty sets in, and your footing feels unsteady. This is the point where faith is tested—the crucible of life.
If you find yourself in such a place—or know someone who is—take heart. Scripture provides guidance, as seen in an experience Apostle Paul recounts in his Second Epistle to the Corinthians. Let's break it down.
The Lessons of Paul’s Trial
Paul begins by telling us that these events happened in the province of Asia. “Asia” in that context does not refer to the continent we know today, but to a Roman province located in what is now modern-day Turkey.
“We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia...”
— v8a
He then describes the severity of the situation. It was so grave that Paul believed they might not survive it. If you are facing something like that now, know that you are not alone.
“…We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death…”
— v8–9
Next, Paul tells us the outcome: God’s deliverance. God delivers His people from trouble, and we can wait on Him with confidence.
“…He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again.”
— v9
We do not always understand why God allows painful experiences in our lives. But the heart of every trial is that we might learn to trust Him more—that our faith might be deepened.
“…But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.”
— v9b
The Central Message
Now we come to the central message of this post, which answers the question posed earlier: What should you do when you are in trouble—or when you’ve already prayed, yet the trouble remains? Listen to what Paul says.
“…On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.”
— v10–11
Are you wondering what you need to do for God to deliver you from trouble? Pray.
Do you need to pray more than you are praying now? Not necessarily. You may pray more if you wish, but God does not require endless repetition before He acts. As Jesus Christ said:
“And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.”
— Gospel of Matthew 6:7
Is praying the only thing you need to do? Yes—but even when you may not feel like it, it is good to meditate on God’s past faithfulness and goodness, and to thank and worship Him for it. You may also fast if you feel led.
This is the message God wants you to hear: prayer is what He asks of you. Do not let anyone convince you that you must perform other rituals. God does not require a complicated spiritual formula. Prayer is enough.
If you are going through a difficult season and the Holy Spirit convicts you that it is connected to sin in your life, then repent in prayer. Otherwise, remember what Moses told the Israelites:
“…Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today.”
— Exodus 14:13
A Faithful God
God is faithful in every situation—from Job’s unimaginable losses to Paul’s life-threatening struggles. Our hope for deliverance rests entirely on God, not human effort. Keep praying and ask others to pray along with you. God controls the outcome, and this is the foundation of our confidence.