In this deeply personal and reflective episode, I explore one of the most difficult spiritual questions many of us face: Why do some prayers go unanswered, especially in our darkest moments?
Through my own experience of loss, particularly the passing of my son, I’ve wrestled with this question on every level: emotionally, spiritually, and intellectually. Like many people of faith, I was taught that God hears all prayers and responds according to His divine will. But when your most heartfelt plea is met with silence, that belief can start to unravel.
In this conversation, I examine two primary paradigms for understanding prayer and suffering:
🔹 The Traditional View: God as a sovereign being, external to us, who answers prayer according to divine knowledge and purpose—even when the answer is “no.”
🔹 The Spiritualist View: God as a presence within us, where prayer becomes an act of alignment with soul-level intention, energy, and purpose.
Both perspectives offer comfort—and also raise difficult questions.
Can a loving God truly allow a child to suffer or die as part of a mysterious plan?
Or is our soul on a path of growth that includes pain, grief, and transformation—by—design?
I also share the role that soul contracts, pre-birth planning, and messages received through mediumship have played in reshaping my understanding of prayer. What initially felt like betrayal has, over time, transformed into a more expansive spiritual view – one that holds both the mystery and the hope.
Finally, I offer five thoughts that have helped me and may help others process the pain of loss and begin to find peace when prayers seem to go unanswered.
This episode isn’t about theology, doctrine, or certainty.
It’s about holding space for the unknown, honoring our grief, and exploring how love, even in silence, continues to reach us from beyond.
My podcasts target left-brained types like me, whose rigid view of life restricts us from considering things outside the tightly organized spiritual paradigm we either grew up with or built for ourselves.
Follow my podcasts to discuss serious topics like grief, human suffering, prayer, religion, and spiritual practices. I also cover things that I used to consider craziness or “woo-woo” such as: meditation, manifestation, spiritualism, spiritual awakening, reincarnation, past-life regression, the channeling of spirits and aliens (seriously…), soul groups, astrology, and even Chinese fortune cookies!
Mike
Website: https://mikenicholas.com
Email: mike@mikenicholas.com
YouTube Channel: @mikenicholas-unleashed
YouTube Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@MikeNicholas-unleashed/podcasts
All Links: bit.ly/m/MikeNicholas-links
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