“The more I pray, the worse my situation gets.”
“I prayed so hard for this exam and still failed.”
“I waited on God, kept myself pure, and yet I’m almost 40 and still single.”
“I don’t want to hear that preacher anymore; he only cares about my offering. None of the prayers have worked for me.”
Sound familiar? Maybe you’ve said something like this. Or someone close to you has.
Welcome to the month of October — and I truly believe it can still be a month of breakthrough, testimony, and answered prayers. But let’s be honest. Some of us have prayed and fasted so much we’ve developed stomach ulcers. We’ve jumped from one revival to another, from one “mountain” to another, from one prayer line to another. And yet… nothing seems to change.
We’re at the wall. We’re out of breath. And the questions flood in:
Is there really a God in heaven?
If there is, why does He seem to ignore me?
Should I just stop believing? Should I get angry at God? Should I just call the whole thing a scam?
Let’s get real with some examples.
Person A has been believing God for the fruit of the womb for eight years. They’ve prayed, fasted, sowed seeds, yet nothing. Unbelievers around them have children without even praying, and now Person A feels like God is partial. Why keep calling on Him?
Person B was faithful to God, gave generously, loved his neighbors, and still ended up sentenced for a crime he didn’t commit. How do you tell such a person to “keep the faith”?
Or think about a mother who’s been praying for her wayward son for years, yet he’s still astray. She wonders if God is punishing her for her parents’ sins. How do you preach to her about the prodigal son, Joseph, Job, or David when she’s tired of Bible stories?
What do we do when our backs are against the wall, when hope has evaporated, and “holding on” feels like clutching at smoke?
Here’s what I learned in my own wilderness season. I had prayed, fasted, gone from pillar to post — and nothing happened. Then I stopped striving and switched to worship. Not worship as a magic formula to “make God do it,” but as a way of keeping my sanity. Worship reminded me that God is still God, even when life isn’t adding up.
And no, saying things like “God will never give you more than you can handle” doesn’t always help. In fact, to someone hurting, it can feel like salt in a wound. Sometimes, the most loving thing you can do for someone losing hope is not preach at them, but sit with them. Listen. Let them know they’re not alone.
Even Tasha Cobbs, a powerful gospel singer, testified about how she ministered to thousands while privately battling depression. She was God’s vessel for healing others while still hurting herself. That’s real life.
So, should you just keep quiet? Maybe not. Maybe this October, instead of more striving, you try breathing. Resting. Worshipping. Maybe your prayer shifts from “God, change my situation” to “God, change me in this situation.”
Hope isn’t always loud. Sometimes it’s just a whisper — but that whisper can keep you alive. You’re not crazy for feeling tired. You’re not faithless for questioning. And you’re not alone in the struggle.
This month, even if the answers haven’t come yet, I pray you’ll find unexpected peace, small miracles, and reasons to smile again. Because hope isn’t dead — it’s just quiet sometimes. And God isn’t ignoring you.