Overcoming Offense, Disappointment, and Resentment Toward God

When we wrongly believe that God is withholding from us, we withhold the one thing that God wants: us. Unknowingly, we harbor resentment toward God, creating a barrier that prevents intimacy with the Holy Spirit in prayer. The reason Jesus came to earth was to tear down every wall that obstructs fellowship and reconciliation with the Father.

This is what the enemy wants. Instead of prayer being a secret place where we unburden ourselves, we hide from the Father as the first humans did. Prayer instead becomes a place of pretense, where we shield ourselves, keeping our hearts far from God instead of drawing near to Him with a clean conscience (Matthew 15:8; Hebrews 10:22).

We have to be willing to engage with God, asking questions, and listening for direction when He doesn’t answer prayer in the way that we expected. Turning away, nursing disappointment, and feeding resentment toward God grants an opening for the enemy to seed a similar thought in us as he did with Eve in the Garden of Eden.

When we believe that God is withholding good from us, we become offended. Shame, pride, or fear may prevent us from confessing these feelings that we hold against the Almighty. Our religious practices and traditions may have informed us that we are irreverent or sacrilegious if we share our honest thoughts and emotions with Him.

On the contrary, the Father wants us to approach Him with boldness. In fact, coming to Him allows us an audience with the source, where we can get answers to what troubles us. God is fully able to handle our questions.

He is our loving Father, and part of His desire is that His children will come in times of need, gathering the grace and mercy that helps us overcome the uncomfortable and impossible (Hebrews 4:16). Where He may not offer the response that we desire, He will give us the peace that settles us and surpasses our comprehension (Philippians 4:7).

Purpose

We may not always understand why God hasn’t answered or responded in the way that we desired, yet He often uses delay to reveal our heart’s posture. Time affords us the opportunity to embrace fresh perspective and mature our character.

It also aligns with God’s ultimate purpose as we develop our relationship with the Holy Spirit. Jesus has conquered the principalities and powers, the unseen ranks of darkness that war against humanity; and sometimes their involvement in hindering our answers presents an opportunity for us to learn how to persist in prayer (Colossians 2:15).

God’s purpose underscores our lives with meaning. Knowing that there is more to our challenges than surface appearances helps to shift our approach to life through an overcomer’s attitude. Although delayed or unanswered prayers don’t fit our finite logic, considering God’s larger purpose helps us to present and reconcile ourselves with His plan, resetting our minds and emotions.

The Holy Spirit is faithful to remind us that God is at work, even when external conditions seem to contradict this truth. His peace and purpose help us to trust that He will eventually make sense of our circumstances where we lack comprehension (Philippians 4:7).

Despite the challenges associated with seasons of delay, we can learn to reframe setbacks. Instead of eviscerating us, they can encourage and affirm that we are indeed on God’s preferred path. Sometimes, the onslaught of trouble indicates the degree of Satan’s fear.

The kingdom of darkness strongly contends against us, encouraging resentment toward God, but our vigilance in prayer pushes back encroaching evil and ferociously plunders the enemy (Matthew 12:29). As we face tribulation, we bolster faith and invite God to flex through our stance, bringing every demonic power to bow at the name of our Lord Jesus (Philippians 2:11).

Persistence

Just because the answer didn’t appear the way we had hoped, we still need to pray with fervor and persistence, yielding to the Holy Spirit within us. Praying Scripture provides words where the emotions of disappointment and resentment mute our ability to verbalize on our own. God knows this, even as He collects our tears and records them as prayers (Psalm 56:8).

Here, the Holy Spirit recalibrates our hearts and intercedes the perfect prayer through our unintelligible moans. He interprets what we cannot, sustaining us beyond what mind and muscle can do to bring about our own deliverance.

Uncommon circumstances position us to keep pursuing our relationship with God. In prayer, we persevere. Through it, we develop the fruit of patience. Over time and in the process, the Holy Spirit stretches us. Persisting in the face of opposition doesn’t always have to wear us out, but rather it can drill a holy stubbornness, stamina, and strength that refuses to relent concerning God’s promises.

Daniel prayed and fasted for 21 days, waiting on God for an answer. In prayer, an angel appeared to him on the 24th day and comforted the prophet, reassuring him that God heard the first time he prayed. The truth was that God had sent the answer on the first day, but a demonic principality had wrestled the angel who was immediately dispatched with the answer (Daniel 10:12).

The messenger encouraged Daniel that his persistent prayers weren’t in vain. He had come for the prophet’s words, an encouragement to us, to keep praying and speaking God’s Word, even when we don’t see the initial fruit.

We don’t have to disconnect from God and abandon the One who has been faithful to us. We may not understand everything we encounter. It is only as we grow in a love and trust relationship with the Holy Spirit that we can surrender more of our hearts to what the Father knows is best. If it’s good, He won’t deny it and won’t forget us (Psalm 84:11). In the meantime, we are developing what we need to be able to persevere in all seasons and under all circumstances.

People

Simply put, we require the Person of the Holy Spirit to intercede and intervene on our behalf with the perfect prayer. Jesus called Him the Advocate, Helper, and Comforter who consoles, teaches, and guides. He counsels us in the Word to navigate our course, not only with spiritual food, but also with practical strategies that extend the victory that Jesus has already secured.

It is a relief to know that we don’t have to have all the answers sorted. God has already settled His Word and the conquest of demonic thrones and dominions, but He guarantees to walk us through the process with His wisdom when we acknowledge and ask.

His embrace will steady us. The Lord’s voice will speak through His Word, but we needn’t stop there when considering support systems and strategies. Interacting with an engaged community of friends, family members, or others who share our faith can provide powerful backing to anchor us in difficulty.

No one was created to blaze through life circumstances without the safe space that relationship with fellow believers offers. Healthy, interdependent connections act as buffers to cushion us with support and encouragement when our faith is taxed.

Enlisting the support of those in our circle reinforces the power of agreement. Fellowship with other believers sharpens us and intensifies our collective impact against the kingdom of darkness. Satan often uses isolation and loneliness to weary, frustrate, and discourage us, where he infiltrates our hearts with offense, disappointment, and resentment, toward God.

Having a community that understands what it is like to endure some of the same struggles offers a safe space to share. Friends help us to overcome those difficulties as we grow in grace and relationship.

Next steps

At some point in our spiritual walk, we may harbor uncomfortable feelings about our Father God. We won’t understand everything He does, and when that happens we need peace even when we don’t have answers.

There’s no shame in admitting that if that’s where you are. You don’t have to sort it out alone. Use this site to link with a professional counselor or coach to work through the effects that offense, disappointment, and resentment have leveraged on your soul, so you can navigate the path of peace in renewed hope and fortified faith.