Why does God sometimes delay answering our prayers, and why does He sometimes not answer them at all?

St. Basil the Great says, “It may be that He delays answering a prayer so that your zeal and your desire to approach Him may be multiplied, and that you may appreciate the gift of God and guard it carefully when you have received it. That which a person receives with great effort, he strives to protect, lest in losing it his labor will have been in vain.”⁴⁹

St. Augustine says, “He, who was not willing to give [the unjust judge in Luke 18:2], gave what was asked, because the other did not faint in asking. How much more then shall that Good One give who exhorts us to ask, who is displeased if we ask not? But when at times He gives somewhat slowly, it is that He is showing us the value of His good things; not that He refuses them. Things which have been long desired, are obtained with the greater pleasure, whereas those which are given quickly, are held cheap.”⁵⁰

“Some things, indeed, we wish because we are in Christ, and other things we desire because still in this world … Abiding, therefore, ourselves in Him, when His words abide in us we shall ask what we will, and it shall be done unto us. For if we ask, and the doing follows not, what we ask is not connected with our abiding in Him, nor with His words which abide

46 Ward, Benedicta. The Sayings of the Desert Fathers: The Alphabetical Collection , trans., Benedicta Ward (Liturgical Press, 1984) Macarius the Great 19: p. 131.

47 St. John Cassian, The Conferences 9.32 (NPNF II/11:398) amended.

48 St. John Climacus: Ladder of Divine Ascent , trans., Colm Luibheid and Norman Russell (Paulist Press, 1982) 28:37: p. 217.

49 See St. Basil of Caesarea, Const. Mon. 1 (PG 31:1325–1338).

50 St. Augustine of Hippo, Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament 11.6 (NPNF I/6:296) amended.

in us, but with that craving and infirmity of the flesh which are not in Him, and have not His words abiding in them. For to His words, at all events, belongs that prayer which He taught, and in which we say, Our Father, who art in heaven (Matt. 6:9). Let us only not fall away from the words and meaning of this prayer in our petitions, and whatever we ask, it shall be done unto us … But when His words abide only in the memory, and have no place in the life, the branch is not to be accounted as in the vine, because it draws not its life from the root.”⁵¹

Abba Isaac , the disciple of St. Anthony, says, “We sometimes ask for things opposed to our salvation and that we are most providentially refused our requests by Him who sees what is good for us with greater right and truth than we can. And it is clear that this also happened to the teacher of the Gentiles when he prayed that the messenger of Satan who had been for his good allowed by the Lord’s will to buffet him, might be removed, saying: ‘For which I besought the Lord thrice that he might depart from me. And He said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for strength is made perfect in weakness’ (2 Cor. 12:8–9).”⁵²

Pope Gregory the Great says, “why is it that Paul three times besought the Lord and did not merit to be heard, but was told: My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness (2 Cor. 12:9). Did the great preacher not ask in the name of the Son? Then why didn’t he receive what he asked? … The Son’s name is Jesus. Jesus means ‘saviour’ or ‘saving.’ One who asks in the Saviour’s name asks what pertains to actual salvation. If what he asks for is not for his good he is not asking the Father in Jesus’ name. Hence the Lord says to his apostles while they were still weak, Up to now you have asked nothing in my name (John 16:24) … That is the reason too why Paul was not heard. If he had been freed from temptation it would not have been of help to his salvation … consider your requests, I beseech you, and see if you are asking in the name of Jesus, if you are asking for the joys of eternal salvation … Seek first the kingdom of God and his justice, and all these things will be given you as well (Matt. 6:33).”⁵³