Every one of us knows what it’s like to hold prayers that haven’t been answered. That season of waiting can feel like one of the toughest battles of all. I experienced this myself during my marriage crisis, and I can’t tell you the number of times I cried out to the Lord to answer my prayer.
My guest knows what it’s like to live with an unanswered prayer. She searched for over 10 years for her biological father, all the while fervently praying that God would lead her to him.
Dr. Deanna Shrodes is an ordained minister, an author, speaker, and spiritual life strategist. She has been featured in various media outlets, including CBS News and People Magazine. Her latest book is Uncommon Answers: Partnering with the Holy Spirit to Receive Extraordinarily More, and in it she offers fresh hope and faith for those weary for a breakthrough.
In this episode, you’ll hear:
- An incredible story of a long-awaited prayer
- How to persevere in prayer
- The importance of continuing to pray even when you don’t receive an answer
- And more!
I was so encouraged by Deanna’s incredible story of answered prayer and her insights on what to do in those long seasons of waiting.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
- Connect with Deanna on her website, Instagram, or Facebook
- [BOOK] Uncommon Answers: Partnering with the Holy Spirit to Receive Extraordinarily More
- As a thank you for listening, get your 3 free eBooks.
My Key Takeaways:
1) Keep seeking and asking. Just because God has not yet answered your prayer doesn’t mean that you should stop talking to Him. Sometimes His “No” may really be an answer of “Not yet.” Scripture tells us to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) and to make our request known to God (Philippians 4:6). And through the waiting, God is still at work—both in you and for what your request is.
2) Spend time listening to God outside of your request. This is something that Deanna refers to as “soaking prayer” in her book. This is a time where you sit quietly before the Lord and simply spend time before Him without focusing on your request. You merely soak up His presence. This is an important practice because it allows you to grow by hearing what other ways the Lord may be leading you, rather than only focusing on your request.
3) Wait with confidence. The Lord is trustworthy and will follow through. While Deanna was searching for her father, the Lord impressed upon her that his name would be “Gus.” While it still took a number of years to locate her father, when she did, it was true that his name was exactly as the Lord had told her. Of course, it’s always important to prayerfully and carefully test anything we believe we’ve heard from the Lord. But Deanna’s story reminds us that we can pray and wait with confidence knowing that nothing can thwart the will of God.
About Deanna:
Dr. Deanna Shrodes is a pastor, author, speaker, and spiritual life strategist. For decades, she has walked with women in every season, helping them hear God’s voice and take the next faithful step with clarity and peace. Deanna has been featured in various media outlets, including CBS News and People Magazine. Her latest book is Uncommon Answers: Partnering with the Holy Spirit to Receive Extraordinarily More, and in it she offers fresh hope and faith for those weary for a breakthrough.
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