Why It’s Important And You Need to Keep Praying Even When It Feels Embarrassing

Sometimes, one of the hardest parts of waiting isn’t just the waiting itself. It’s the questions.

• It’s the people who keep checking in.
• It’s the well-meaning person who asks, “Any exciting news yet?”
• It’s the auntie who wants to know if there’s a man in your life.
• It’s the friend who asks if the job came through.
• It’s the coworker who remembers you were hoping to move, get married, have a baby, buy a house, start the business, finish the degree, or finally see God do the thing you’ve been praying about for years.

And every time they ask, something in you tightens a little.

Because no, you don’t have an update yet.

• No, the prayer hasn’t materialized yet.
• No, the promise hasn’t taken visible shape yet.
• No, you don’t have something shiny and exciting to report yet.

And if you’re honest, sometimes it can feel embarrassing.

Not because you’re ashamed of God. Not because you don’t believe He can do it. But because the longer something takes, the easier it is to start wondering if you’ll end up looking foolish for believing in the first place.

The Curious Case of George Goodwin

Recently, I was watching TBN and saw two authors, Candace Lee and Eric Newman, talking about their book George Goodwin, Dragon Slayer. What stood out to me wasn’t only the book itself, but the journey behind it.

They said the story took 15 years to finally become a published book.

Yes, you saw that right.

Fifteen. Years.

That means this wasn’t a quick idea that turned into a finished product overnight. This wasn’t one of those “I had a dream, wrote the book, and it came out six months later” stories.

This was a long, drawn-out process.

A story they carried. A project they returned to. A dream that took years to get off the ground.

And during that time, people kept asking them about it.

• “How’s the book coming?”
• “Is it finished yet?”
• “When’s it coming out?”

At some point, those kinds of questions can start to feel embarrassing or even antagonizing. Because every question reminds you that you’re still in process.

Still unfinished. Still waiting. Still without the thing you thought you’d have or completed by now.

Sometimes, it can feel embarrassing to keep praying. Not because you don’t believe God can do it. But because the longer it takes, the easier it is to think you’ll end up looking foolish. #forsinglewomenonly Share on X

And honestly, I could relate.

Because sometimes, prayer feels like that.

You start praying for something with faith. You believe God can do it. You believe He hears you. You believe He’s able.

But then time passes. Then more time passes. Then even more time passes.

And suddenly, what started as a prayer request starts to feel like a public countdown clock.

You wonder if:

• People are watching.
• They’re secretly thinking, “Still nothing?”
• They feel sorry for you.
• They think you’re being unrealistic.
• They think your standards are too high, your faith is too much, your hope is too stubborn, or your waiting is taking too long.

And maybe, deep down, you wonder too.

You wonder if:

• God heard you.
• God’’s going to answer.
• You heard God wrong.
• You missed something.
• You’re praying wrong.
• You’re going to be the woman who kept believing and still ended up empty-handed.

Before you let embarrassment talk you out of prayer, I want you to remember something:

Delay isn’t proof that God has denied you. A long process isn’t proof that God forgot you. A quiet season isn’t proof that heaven is silent. And just because you don’t have visible results yet doesn’t mean nothing is happening.

What you need to remember

This is one of the hardest lessons to learn because you live in a world that loves receipts.

People like proof. People like updates. People like announcements. People like photos, rings, keys, contracts, sonograms, wedding hashtags, closing dates, and “God did it” captions.

But some of the most important work God does in your life happens before there’s anything to post.

• Before the ring, He may be working on your discernment.
• Before the house, He may be working on your stewardship.
• Before the child, He may be working on your endurance.
• Before the job, He may be working on your confidence.
• Before the marriage, He may be working on your identity.
• Before the public answer, He may be strengthening the private muscle of your faith.

And yes, prayer is a muscle.

That may not sound deep at first, but think about it.

You can do 25 squats today, but that doesn’t mean you’re going to wake up tomorrow with suddenly lifted, toned, perky glutes (if only!).

That’s not how exercise works.

You don’t work out one time and instantly see the full result. You keep showing up. You keep exercising. You keep moving. You keep doing the thing even when you don’t see much change yet.

Some days, you feel strong. Some days, you feel sore. Some days, you wonder if any of it’s working. But the consistency is part of the transformation.

Prayer is a muscle. Think about it. You can do 25 squats today, but that doesn’t mean you’re going to wake up tomorrow with suddenly lifted, toned, perky glutes. Consistency is part of the transformation. #forsinglewomenonly Share on X

Change takes time

Prayer can be like that.

You pray, and nothing seems to happen. You pray again, and the situation still looks the same. You pray another week, another month, another year or two, and you wonder if your prayers are just floating somewhere in the atmosphere unanswered.

But every time you pray, something is happening.

• Maybe the situation is shifting.
• Maybe your heart is being strengthened.
• Maybe your desires are being purified.
• Maybe your wisdom is increasing.
• Maybe your patience is growing.
• Maybe your faith is being trained to trust God beyond what you can see.

That’s why Luke 18:1 says Jesus told His disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.

Not pray once or twice and assume God said no. Not pray for three years and then let embarrassment silence you.

Always pray. Don’t give up.

You may feel embarrassed that you’re still praying for a husband.

Keep praying.

You may feel embarrassed that you’re still asking God for a job.

Keep praying.

You may feel embarrassed that you’re still believing for a child.

Keep praying.

You may feel embarrassed that you’re still hoping for home ownership, the right opportunity, the right healing, the right breakthrough, or the right open door.

Keep praying.

Story time

One of the reasons this topic hits home for me is because I have an older friend I’ll call John. John isn’t a believer. He struggles with loneliness, so every once in a while, I’d go play dominoes or checkers with him.

And because those games could go on for a while, so did the conversations.

We talked about life. We talked about relationships. And eventually, he learned about my Christian faith, my decision to practice abstinence, and my desire to date while also praying for God to reveal the right person.

He was flabbergasted. He couldn’t wrap his mind around it.

More than once, he told me, “You’re young. You’re beautiful. You need to get married before you get old like me!”

And every time I saw him, he wanted to know if I had any “exciting news.”

Maybe you’re feeling like you have no exciting news to share and you should by now. But that feeling of it should have happened “by now” can be dangerous if you let it become louder than God.

People measure your life by visible milestones, but God isn’t limited to their vision or timeline.

Habakkuk 2:3 says the vision waits for the appointed time. That doesn’t mean every desire will unfold exactly the way you pictured it, but it does mean God isn’t careless with your prayers.

He’s not ignoring you.

He’s not mocking your hope.

He’s not embarrassed by your faith.

So don’t let people’s questions make you ashamed to keep praying. You don’t owe everyone an update on the tender places where you’re still believing.

When someone asks, “Any exciting news?” you can simply say, “Not yet, but I’m still trusting God.”

And then keep praying.

If this spoke to you, write down the prayer you’ve been tempted to stop praying. Bring it back to God honestly, even if all you can say is, “Lord, help me keep trusting You.” And if you know another woman who’s been quietly waiting, send this to her as a reminder: God hasn’t forgotten you. Keep praying.