The Hidden Wrestle of Answered Prayer
Paige Allen
Author of Matriarchs
“But the two children struggled with each other in her womb. So she went to ask the Lord about it. ‘Why is this happening to me?’ she asked” (Genesis 25:22, NLT).
Have you ever found yourself living inside an answered prayer that looks nothing like you imagined?
Maybe you got the job you prayed for, only to find yourself overwhelmed by the pressure. Maybe you waited years for marriage, only to discover that even a good man can be messy and capable of wounding your heart. Or maybe God answered your prayer for a child, and today you find yourself hiding in the bathroom, exhausted and on the verge of tears.
This morning, I awoke with anxiety coursing through my veins and thoughts racing through my head. I could see my calendar, the demands of my job, the fact that my children would need to be fed and cared for, and a difficult conversation I’d have to have at work today. Then I remembered it’s my husband’s birthday, and I haven’t gotten him a thing.
There was a wrestling within me.
Answered prayers don’t usually come in tidy packages with pretty bows.
They come with crazy calendars, messy kitchens, eye-rolling teenagers, unreliable bosses, and difficult people.
And this isn’t just a modern struggle. We see it in the women of Genesis, whom God entrusted with the birth of a nation.
Rebekah, wife to Isaac, one of the patriarchs of Israel, desperately wanted a child but remained barren for 20 years. Genesis 25:21-22 says, “Isaac pleaded with the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was unable to have children. The Lord answered Isaac’s prayer, and Rebekah became pregnant with twins. But the two children struggled with each other in her womb. So she went to ask the Lord about it. ‘Why is this happening to me?’ she asked” (NLT).
Twins — a double answer to prayer! Yet that answer brought pain, uncertainty, and the question, “Why is this happening to me?”
Have you ever asked God this question? It’s what we ask when life feels unfair and the struggle feels louder than the answer.
Rebekah took her question to God, and He didn’t correct her, ignore her, or shame her for not being more grateful for her answered prayers. Instead, He welcomed her and responded (Genesis 25:23).
Hebrews 4:16 says, “So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most” (NLT). God invites us to come into His presence with boldness to ask the honest questions of our wrestling hearts.
And when we come, He meets us there. The Lord met Rebekah with revelation and peace. He spoke to her about her children's future, and at the sound of His voice, she was given what she really needed — the reminder that she wasn’t alone. Her wrestle was a by-product of God’s answered prayer, which meant the Lord was intricately involved even in that hard part of her life.
God is intricately involved in the hard parts of your life too. What would it look like today to take a cue from our Genesis mother and bring your honest questions to the Lord?
Lord, sometimes there is a wrestling within me, and I need Your help. I choose to listen to You today and remind my heart that You answer prayers and stay close, even when those answers bring a struggle. In Jesus’ name, amen.
OUR FAVORITE THINGS
Paige knows it can feel overwhelming to embrace God’s promises and live with purpose. In her book Matriarchs: What the Women of Genesis Teach Us About Our Part in God’s Story, she shares lessons we can glean from mothers of the faith.
ENGAGE
For more of Paige’s writing, subscribe to her Substack, “Live Like Daughters, Lead Like Mothers,” at https://paigeallen.substack.com/ or follow her on Instagram @paigeallentexas.
Enter to WIN your very own copy of Matriarchs by Paige Allen. To celebrate this book, Paige’s publisher will give away 5 copies! Enter to win by filling out the form here. {We’ll randomly select 5 winners and notify them via email by Monday, August 24, 2026.}
FOR DEEPER STUDY
Philippians 4:6, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done” (NLT).
What prayer has God answered in your life? Can you give Him praise for the answer, even if it looks different from what you imagined?
What honest question can you boldly bring to God today? Share with us in the comments!
Proverbs 31 Ministries
P.O. Box 3189
Matthews, NC 28106
www.Proverbs31.org
Originally published Wednesday, 19 August 2026.
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