Prayers That Don’t Work - All The Word for Today Daily Devotionals for 2026

‘My prayers returned to me unanswered.' Psalm 35:13 NIV

Misdirected prayers. Some people turn the blessing at mealtime into a public airing of their frustrations. Others bounce their prayers off God, hoping to hit the person across the table—the one they're trying to win to Christ. Don't do that. God gets enough bad press without you adding to it! Jesus said, ‘When you pray, don't be like the play-actors.' (Matthew 6:5 PHPS)

Judgmental prayers. In one church a childless couple was praying for a baby. The prayer group arbitrarily decided the husband wasn't ‘godly' enough to be a father, so they spent their time asking God to change him. If God gave children only to perfect parents, the human race would be extinct! The Bible says, ‘We make this plea, not because we deserve help, but because of Your mercy.' (Daniel 9:18 NLT)

Quorum-based prayers. You think there's a better chance of getting your prayers answered if you involve a lot of people, like having a quorum at a business meeting. With God, what matters is the faith with which you pray, not the number of people. Jesus said, ‘Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.' (Mark 11:24 NIV) Now, when you face a situation that's too big to handle alone, it's wise to reach for someone who really knows God and can pray in agreement with you.

Which raises the question: do you have prayer partners you can call on? Are you a prayer partner for someone else? If not, then begin praying for Him to send someone to come alongside you.

SoulFood: Dan 11-12, Mark 4:26-41, Ps 144:9-15, Pro 10:22-23