5. We lack faith or confidence in Heavenly Father.

Sometimes we think that others can receive answers, but we can't. If so, we can build faith by learning that God lives, that He knows us, that He loves us, and that He has a plan for us. When you pray, picture Him as the kind, wise, understanding Father that He is. He wants you to succeed.

Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles teaches that when answers don't seem to come or come in a way that we don't expect, we should remember that "sometimes He answers yes, sometimes no. Often He withholds an answer, not for lack of concern, but because He loves us—perfectly. He wants us to apply truths He has given us. For us to grow, we need to trust in our ability to make correct decisions. We need to do what we feel is right. In time, He will answer. He will not fail us" ("Learning to Recognize Answers to Prayer," Ensign, Nov. 1989, 30–31).