Daniel Whittle shares many great answers to prayer in his book, but he also shared a prayer not answered:
Many years ago, a man then recently married, settled in my native town. It was then quite new, destitute of religious privileges, and given to all manner of wickedness. There was no Sabbath, and no sanctuary. The man was pious. The thought of bringing up a family in such a place distressed him. He wished to remove; and he used to retire daily to a little grove, and pray that God would send someone to buy his farm. This prayer was not answered. Better things were in store.
A neighbor was taken sick. He visited and conversed with him. In the midst of the conversation, one sitting by interrupted him and said, ‘Sir, if what you say is true, I am lost.’ This gave new interest to the occasion. Prayer was offered, the Spirit was found out, and many were converted. A prayer-meeting was started; other revivals followed; in due time a church was organized, a house of worship built, and a pastor settled, mainly through the instrumentality of that one man; and he trained up his family there, and lived to see most of them members of the church of Christ. Do not despair, God will either answer your exact prayer, or do something better for you; He knows what is for your best good.
