Why Didn’t God Answer Our Prayers?

Joe Biden is now the 46th president of the United States. 

It’s not a stretch to say that more people prayed for the 2020 U.S. election that any other presidential contest in history.

Since most secular progressives don’t believe in God or prayer, then we’re talking about millions of traditional Americans (and many others around the world) who prayed for revival, good government, and the re-election of Donald Trump.

Why didn’t God answer our prayers?

Why Didn’t God Answer Our Prayers?

For all his faults, Trump was the candidate of choice for most people of faith. I will discuss the many reasons for this in coming months, but the basics are obvious:

• Most of his policies came out of a Judeo-Christian worldview.
• He was committed to restoring American greatness which begins with “In God We Trust.”
• He appointed three constitutionalist justices and scores of other good judges.
• He brought many godly people into prominent government positions including Mike Pence, Mike Pompeo, Ben Carson, Betsy DeVos and many others.
• He stood by Israel and brokered four Middle East peace deals with Arab nations.
•  He used free market principles to invigorate our economy, destroyed Isis, and protected the southern border from illegal invasion.

I agreed with 90% of President Trump’s policies (not his tweets). So did 74 million Americans– among whom many were people of faith. Good government is all about policy.

We thought that God would hear our prayers for mercy, national renewal, and for President Trump’s re-election–despite the American axis of evil that distorted his record and may have fraudulently impacted the election.

We enjoined numerous days of fasting and prayer. “The Return” brought thousands to the National Mall and Franklin Graham led a momentous “Prayer March” to the Capitol. All over the world believers prayed that God would place President Trump in office one more time (against all odds).

Why? Because we are engaged in a fierce worldview struggle in the Western World.

Even when the election was called (amid signs of corruption), many believed that justice would prevail, and President Trump would eventually emerge victorious. Various prophetic voices in the Church stated that the president would triumph.

Personally, I have never prayed so intensely and daily for good leadership as I did in the 2020 election (in accordance with 1 Timothy 2:1,2). Like many others, I knew what was at stake.

But God didn’t answers our prayers.

Today let’s consider why He didn’t–and what we can learn from His answer. Prayer is a subjective realm. But many principles and examples can be found in God’s Word that give us insight. Jesus told us to never stop praying and lose heart (Luke 18:1). 

Here are my thoughts (I’d love to hear yours).

1. God is wiser than us and providentially in control of history. 

I recently re-read The Light & The Glory by Peter Marshall and David Marshall. Now I’m studying The Seven Miracles That Saved America by Chris and Ted Stewart. Both books remind us of God’s divine hand in our history. Sometimes he allowed hardship in answer to prayer (half the Pilgrims died on the voyage to the New World). Another time He supernaturally brought fog to rescue the American revolutionary army (battle of New York).

We do not always get what we want or think we need–under God’s providence. We must trust that He is far wiser than us and totally in control of history including fulfilling the Great Commission and the final consummation of Christ’s Kingdom. 

2. Progressive forces stood more united than the Church in this election fight.

I am deeply concerned by the disunity/apathy in today’s American Church compared to the level of cooperation among progressives to achieve their goals. In this election fight, they brought together the Democratic Party, secular news media, Deep State bureaucrats, Hollywood and academia elite, the professional sports world, liberal Christians, the Big Tech companies, and numerous business entities to out-work the faith community. Greater unity–better results. 

Just prior to the Reagan years, Pentecostals and evangelicals joined together in John 17 oneness through the Washington for Jesus rally to receive God’s blessing. In 2020, Pentecostals went to “The Return” and evangelicals marched with Franklin Graham–on the same day and in the same city. And many other good people were simply unengaged.

A house divided against itself can’t stand (Mark 3:25). Or win elections.

3. The other side is more disciplined and long-range committed.

Whatever label you choose–progressives, Marxists, socialists, leftists–have been tirelessly working for decades to tear down the biblical pillars of American freedom. They systematically took over public education–starting with the universities. They built a tremendous get-out-the vote machine in 2020 and their business backers outspent the Trump side by 4-1.

Gary North reminded us years ago that, “Marxism is the most consistent and powerful secular religion of all time. It can only be successfully challenged by an even more consistent and more powerful biblical religion.”

Right now, atheistic political philosophy is winning the cities–which is why we are losing elections.

4. You get what you deserve. When kings ruled during Old Testament times, prophets shared the word of the Lord with the nation to bring repentance and renewal. God often granted them good rulers (in answer to prayer) who brought societal change.

In democratic republics, we get what we deserve. Votes reflect hearts. We now stagger toward higher taxes, lower wages, increased gas prices, moral confusion, porous borders, and international weakness because we voted for it. Simple (and as foolish) as that.

5. We did not meet God’s conditions for 2 Chronicles 7:14. Many of us prayed this prayer daily, and many large prayer gatherings asked God’s forgiveness for our sins and shortcomings. But in a nation of over 325 million people, we did not meet God’s conditions for “healing our land”–or He would have mercifully answered our prayers for better leadership. 

The revival remnant we currently possess is not large enough for social transformation. 

6. God allows setbacks or injustices in life for His long-term purposes. I learned this as a teenager when God allowed my father to go to prison unjustly for three years–despite our prayers. But God used that injustice to bring awakening to our family as he often does through difficulties. 

Did fraud or injustice steal the 2020 election? Only God knows for sure. What we do know is that He allowed Joe Biden to become president and will use this choice in his future plans–for revival or judgment. Sometimes we need to be “spanked” to get headed onto the right path.

7. God’s chosen leaders make mistakes that affect future outcomes.

Just as both Saul and David sinned or made mistakes that impacted their rule, I believe Donald Trump made some errors that affected the vote in 2020. His undisciplined, childish tweets, name-calling, and putdowns of other leaders (e.g. John McCain and Mitt Romney) did not grow his gravitas in office. He must face those shortcomings and learn (repent).  Maybe we idolized him too much by condoning them. We must repent also.

I believe the best Scriptural analogy for Donald Trump was the Hebrew judge, Samson. I will unpack that analogy in a future column.

8. This is an hour for the power of darkness (Luke 22:53). The American people invited spiritual and moral evil to flood our nation on November 3, 2020. It is a lurch to the left–what will be a sin-soaked period of difficulty and confusion. It could be a prelude for the final Days of Evil and the return of Jesus Christ.

But never lose sight that God is wise, just, and merciful. As Robert Jeffress reminds us, He has not changed. We must trust Him. Learn our lessons.

And never stop praying.