15. What to Do When You Pray and Nothing Happens

Are you praying faithfully but still wondering why God feels silent?

Subscribe to Pretty Deep  ➡️ 
 https://www.youtube.com/@PrettyDeepPodcast

Have you been praying, waiting, believing… and still wondering if your prayers are reaching God? In this Pretty Deep episode, Petrina Verma speaks honestly about unanswered prayer, waiting on God, and what it looks like to trust Him when the answer hasn’t come yet. 

This conversation will help you dismantle the lie that something is wrong with your faith, understand what the Bible says about prayer and waiting, and return to truth when your feelings start pulling you toward fear.

In this video, you’ll hear:
 • Why unanswered prayer does not mean God is absent
 • The lie many women believe when they are waiting on God
 • A powerful framework for understanding how God answers prayer
 • How to praise God when life still feels unresolved
 • Why renewing your mind is an ongoing practice
 • How to use The Declaration Moment in your daily prayer life

🕒 TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 — Are my prayers actually reaching God?
2:11 — The cycle nobody talks about (but every praying woman knows)
3:55 — The lie underneath all of it
5:43 — A framework that completely changed how I see answered prayer
9:06 — What praising God in hard seasons actually looks like
12:19 — The most honest thing I can tell you
14:13 — Something concrete to take away

If you are in a waiting season, this episode is for you. God is not ignoring you. God is not panicked. God is not absent. He is working in ways you cannot yet see.

Download The Declaration Moment  ➡️  
https://plain-truth-76054.myflodesk.com/ycu5qpjolp

This free printable includes three simple declarations you can pray and speak over your life when the waiting gets hard.

This episode is part of 'The God You Didn't Know', a season of honest conversations about the misunderstandings about God that quietly shape our confidence, identity, and peace. 

Watch the full series here  ➡️  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuIjdmA2_b_OmBO6i6_R8hEsJrkRSXsGz

Watch this next  ➡️ 
 The Real Reason God Feels Far Away — And It’s Not What You Think
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBqU9R-0TXw&t=26s

Connect with Petrina on Instagram   ➡️  
 @PetrinaVerma

Scriptures mentioned in this episode:
 Philippians 4:6
 Romans 12:2
 Romans 8:28

#UnansweredPrayer #WaitingOnGod #ChristianEncouragement #PrayerLife #PrettyDeepPodcast

About:
 Welcome to Pretty Deep with Petrina Verma — a space for honest conversations about faith, purpose, identity, creativity, and seeing God clearly in the real places of life. If you are done striving and ready to go deeper with God, you are in the right place. Subscribe for weekly conversations that help you grow in faith, renew your mind, and walk with God through every season.

DISCLAIMER:
 This video is for faith-based encouragement, reflection, and educational purposes only. It is not intended to replace professional counselling, therapy, medical advice, crisis support, or pastoral care. If you are in crisis, grieving deeply, experiencing trauma, or struggling with your mental health, please seek support from a qualified professional, trusted pastor, counsellor, or emergency service in your area. This video is not sponsored. There are no affiliate links included. Any resources mentioned are shared because they may support your faith journey. Always use wisdom, prayer, and discernment as you apply what is shared here.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

You've been praying, not casually, not occasionally, faithfully. You show up, you pour your heart out, and you believe. Or well, at least you're trying to. And then nothing. Not a no, not a yes, just waiting. And somewhere in that waiting, a question starts to form. One that you might be a little afraid to say out loud. Are my prayers actually reaching him? If that's where you are right now, this episode is for you. And I want to start by telling you something important. I don't have five steps for this. I don't have a formula. I have something better. I have the truth. And the truth, when you really hear it, is going to bring you more relief than any five steps ever could. So stay with me. Hi, I'm Petrina and this is Pretty Deep, where we talk about things that really matter: faith, identity, purpose, creativity, confidence. If you're done striving and ready to see God and yourself, clearly you're in the right place. I'm so glad you're here. If this is your first time, welcome. Hit subscribe so you don't miss what's coming. And if you've been here a while, you know this is a safe place where you can be honest. Today we really need that because we're going somewhere real. Today we are talking about unanswered prayer. Specifically, the experience of praying faithfully and feeling like your prayers aren't reaching. We're going to talk about why you feel the way you feel. We're going to dismantle the lie that something is wrong with you. And we're going to look at what the Bible actually says about seasons of waiting. And I'm going to give you a framework, one that completely changed how I see answered prayer. And I think it's going to bring you so much peace. Let's go. Now, let me describe what this looks like. It's not that you've stopped praying, you haven't given up. You still show up. But somewhere in the waiting, something has crept in. A quiet confusion. A low-level hurt that you can't quite name. And the thoughts that come with it? Something like this. Did I do something wrong? Is my faith not strong enough? Am I praying the right way? Are my prayers actually reaching God? Does he care about this specific thing, my specific situation, my specific people? And then the cycle starts. You feel sad about not having the answer. Then you're confused, even though you know God is good. Then, why Lord, why? Then, will it happen? When will it happen? Honestly, God, I'm tired of waiting. Maybe even a little pity party. And then, praise God. You bounce back. You go back to thanking Him, praising Him, remembering all that He has done. And then the waiting resumes. And then once again the sadness creeps back in. And you wonder, is this what faith is supposed to look like? Can I tell you something? That cycle, the grief, confusion, the why, the bounce back, the praise, the waiting, that's not a sign that your faith is broken. That's what it looks like to be a human being who loves God and is learning to trust him in real time. We're going to talk about why. Before we go any further, first I want to name the lie. Because there's a lie underneath all of this. And it's this if my prayers aren't being answered, something is wrong with me or with God. That lie is the source of so much unnecessary pain. So I want to dismantle it. Not with a pep talk, but with scripture. Because here is what the Bible actually shows us about seasons of waiting. Habakkuk, you know, the whole book of Habakkuk opens with this. How long, Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, but you do not save. That's in Habakkuk 1-2. Habakkuk is a prophet of God, crying out, still waiting, and saying so directly to God's face. And what does God do? He doesn't rebuke him for his lack of faith. He answers him. God says, I see it all. I am working. You cannot yet see what I'm doing, but I'm doing it. And then there's David. Half the book of Psalms is David essentially saying, Where are you, God? In Psalm 13, it says, How long, Lord, will you forget me forever? This is the man after God's own heart, the one God called his beloved. And David sat in seasons of waiting, of not yet seeing, of crying out. This is not faithlessness, this is honest faith. There's a whole category in scripture called the Psalms of Lament. Prayers that don't pretend, prayers that say, I'm hurting, I'm confused, I'm waiting, and I'm still here. So if you're feeling like that, you're in really good company. Now, I want to give you something, a framework that completely shifted how I see unanswered prayer. I heard this from Pastor Beth Moore during one of the hardest seasons of my life, when I was wrestling with the loss of my best friend Sharon, who had passed away very suddenly at just 43 years old. I was grappling with all of it, the grief, the confusion, the why. And then Pastor Beth said something I have never forgotten. She said, when there's a problem, when you're praying and waiting, there are three ways in which God responds. Scenario 1, God delivers you from the problem. He takes the problem away. The healing or the breakthrough come. The answer arrives. That is answered prayer. Scenario 2, God delivers you through the problem. He doesn't remove it, but he walks through the problem with you. And his grace is sufficient for you. His presence is real and you endure, but you don't endure alone. That also is answered prayer. Scenario 3, God delivers you through the problem and into eternity. Now, I know what some of you just felt when I said that, because our human minds, you know, our physical, finite minds, cannot fully wrap themselves around eternity. We can't hold it, we can't see it, we can't feel it from here. So we treat this life as if it is everything. We treat it as the be-all and the end all of things. And that's why we fear death. That's why the thought of losing someone or leaving yourself feels like the worst possible outcome. But here's the truth: we are not just physical beings, we are spirit beings in a physical body. Our body is mortal, yes, but our spirit is not. And if we are saved and if we belong to Jesus, we get to spend eternity with God. Not as a consolation prize, not as the second best option. Eternity with God is the destination. It is the fullness of everything we were created for. It's every wrong thing made right, every broken thing made whole. Every question answered. Every tear wiped away. So for the person God delivers through the problem and into eternity, that is not unanswered prayer. That is the most complete answer of all. I have people I love dearly, people with debilitating health conditions, relationships that are broken, situations that have not shifted in years. We are praying together, in agreement, faithfully. And I hold all three scenarios before God because I know he is able. I know that he is willing. His word says he took all our infirmities on himself and that by his stripes we are healed. And I also know that sometimes I cannot see what God is doing, but I do trust that he is doing something. So, what do you actually do in the waiting? I want to be very honest with you here because I think this is where so many people get it wrong. They think that praising God in a hard season means pretending everything is fine. To people on the outside, I know it can look like denial. It can look like we're deluding ourselves, like we just can't face reality. But let me explain what's actually happening. Praise is not a feeling, praise is a declaration. It is a choice made even in the absence of the feeling. Praise is us saying, God, I trust you. I trust that you are on this. I trust that you have it safe in your hands. I trust that you are working it all out for my good. And I want to be real with you. Good doesn't always mean pain-free. Good doesn't always mean easy or comfortable or what we pictured. But God's good is always true. It's always purposeful, and it's always bigger than what we can see from where we are standing. God is always using everything to make us more like Jesus. For me, praising through the storm looks like this. Though things are not going my way, I declare that God loves me. I declare that he is good. I declare that he is working on my behalf. I declare that he is working all things for my good. I declare that God is faithful, merciful, just, kind, loving, generous, patient. My problems are still there. They haven't gone away. That's not me pretending, it's me saying what I know to be true. That my God is bigger than my problems. And I know this solidly in my heart. The Holy Spirit inside of me testifies to it, and so I'm able to declare it even on the days that I don't feel it. Sometimes I say it out loud, sometimes I whisper it. Sometimes I sing it. And I've recently started writing my prayers out, often with tears running down my face. I even walk and talk to God. No fancy words needed, by the way. God already knows everything. He knows what you're carrying before you open your mouth. So just bring it as it is, as you are. Because prayer is not a posture. Prayer is a relationship and a conversation. And you bring all of yourself to it. The grief, the gratitude, the confusion, the confidence, the questions, the praise, all of it. Don't be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your request to God. In Philippians 4, 6. In every situation, with prayer, with petition, with thanksgiving. All of it together. That is the practice. Now, here's the part I really want you to hear. Because this is the most honest thing I can tell you. You can receive truth and forget it. I heard that framework from Pastor Beth Moore. And when I heard it, it brought me so much peace. I genuinely received it. And then in another hard-waiting season, I forgot it. And I had to choose consciously to go back and remind myself again and again and again. And that's not weakness. That is why the Word of God exists. That is why in Romans 12, 2, it says, do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Renewing its present tense, it's ongoing, it's continuous. Not renewed once, renewing always. We keep coming back to the truth because our minds drift. Our feelings pull us back towards fear. And we need to be renewed again and again and again and again by what God says. This is not a sign that you haven't grown. This is the process. This is discipleship. The woman who keeps coming back is not failing. She is exactly where she's supposed to be. So the next time the waiting gets loud, come back to the truth. God is not absent and God is not panicked. He's not ignoring you. He is working in ways that you cannot yet see for a good that you cannot yet imagine. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8.28. All things, not some things, all things. Before I close, I want to give you something concrete to take away. Something you can use this week. I call it the declaration moment. Here's what it is. Once a day, ideally in the morning, before the noise of the day gets in, sit with God for a few minutes. Bring him what you're carrying. The waiting, the confusion, the specific thing you are praying for. No fancy words needed. Just bring it as it is. And then you make three declarations. One, God, you are able and you are willing. Two, God, you are working. Three, God, I trust you even while I wait. Say them out loud if you can. Write them down if that helps you. And here is what I do because this is something that has made a real difference for me. I often write my declarations on post-its, the things I'm believing God for, the scriptures, the declarations. And I put them up on the walls in my study, my bedroom, my bathroom mirror, next to my computer. Wherever I will see them and be reminded. Because the truth is, we are human and we forget. And we need to keep seeing it until it becomes part of how we think, until it renews the mind. That is not weakness, that is wisdom. And if you want a beautiful printable version of the declaration moment with the three declarations and the scripture that anchors them, I've made that for you as a free download. The link is in the description. Pop your email in and I'll send it straight to you. It's one page. You can print it, stick it on your mirror, put it in your Bible, and you can keep coming back to it every time the waiting gets hard. Can I pray with you before you go? Father, for the woman listening to this right now, the one who's been showing up faithfully, Lord, praying, waiting, believing, and not yet seeing the answer, please, Lord, would you meet her right there? Let her feel in this moment that you see her, that you hear every single prayer that she has ever prayed, that not one of them has fallen to the ground, that the waiting is not your absence, that you are working even now in ways that she cannot see, to produce results that she cannot even imagine, Lord. Lord, please give her peace that passes all understanding. Give her the courage to keep declaring what is true even when she doesn't feel it. And Lord, when the answer comes, however it comes, let her recognize your hand in it. Lord, you are always faithful. And she is not alone in the waiting. Thank you, Lord. We ask this in the name of your Son, Jesus. Amen. Thank you so much for being here today. Truly. These conversations, these honest, real ones, are why I do this. Now, if this episode spoke to you, I have a small ask. Please like this video. It genuinely helps more women find these conversations. And I think that there are women right now who need exactly what we talked about today. And if you haven't subscribed yet, can I ask that you please do? Every week on Pretty Deep, we come to exactly these places, the hard, honest, searching ones, and we find what God actually says in his word about those situations. And before you go, I want to point you to something. If what we talked about today resonated with you, I think this episode is going to go perfectly hand in hand with it. It's called The Real Reason God Feels Far Away. It's not what you think. This episode picks up exactly where today's conversation leaves off. I've linked it right here. Go and watch that next, please. I'll see you next week. Much love.