By Nicolas Lopez Merino

One of the questions I’ve often heard from some Christians is, “Why doesn’t God answer my prayer?” 

I thought that might be because the brothers or sisters do not pray to God with faith; or they are in disobedience and that is why God does not answer them.  I dare say that God has answered most of the prayers that I have prayed. That has led me to think that God will always answer me if I am praying with a lot of faith. 

When I saw that God did not answer one of my prayers, I recently asked this question myself. This prayer that I prayed, I had offered with faith, believing that God is almighty to heal my father. My father believed in God and spoke about God to people; he told people that they should believe and worship God who created the heavens and the earth. 

But my father had not given his life completely to Jesus Christ. He drank a lot, often getting drunk and not coming home until another day. One morning, my father left the house to go drink with his friends. He had not eaten any food, was drinking all day and all night and came home another day. He began to get sick and my mother prepared food for him of which he ate little. Each day, the portion of consumed food decreased until one day my father didn’t eat anything.

At this time, I prayed a lot to God for my father’s healing. I was very sad because he still did not accept Christ in his heart. I spoke with the pastor of the church who went to visit my father. My father received Jesus Christ in his heart four days before his death. Glory to God! Since the day I gave my life to Jesus Christ, I had been praying for God to touch my father’s heart so that he would be saved. 

With tears, I begged God to heal my father; but God did not heal him. The wonderful thing is that my father was saved, even though he was not healed.

However, when I saw that God did not answer my prayer for the healing of my father, I felt that my heart was broken into pieces. I didn’t know what to do, I even thought that it would be better if I died with my father. 

The only thing that I could say to God was, “Lord carry me in your arms; Lord, carry me in your arms because if you don’t carry me in your arms, I cannot bear this pain.” 

At that moment the Holy Spirit reminded me of the words that Jesus Christ said, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11: 25-26 NIV)

I thank God very much for my father’s salvation. I am thankful that God, who helps us throughout our life in this world, helps us even in more difficult situations, God our Father will never leave us; he is faithful to His word. I am sure that by God’s promise, my father is with Christ now. That is the hope and joy we have in Christ—that one day all of us who are children of God will be with him in his glory.

Nicolas Lopez is a CBF Leadership Scholar and is currently pursuing B.A. Biblical/Theological Studies and Music at Baptist University of the Americas, San Antonio, Texas.