"Unanswered Prayers" lyrics

"Unanswered Prayers"

Just the other night at a hometown football game
My wife and I ran into my old high school flame
And as I introduced them the past came back to me
And I couldn't help but think of the way things used to be

She was the one that I'd wanted for all times
And each night I'd spend prayin' that God would make her mine
And if he'd only grant me this wish I wished back then
I'd never ask for anything again

Sometimes I thank God for unanswered prayers
Remember when you're talkin' to the man upstairs
That just because he doesn't answer doesn't mean he don't care
Some of God's greatest gifts are unanswered prayers

She wasn't quite the angel that I remembered in my dreams
And I could tell that time had changed me
In her eyes too it seemed
We tried to talk about the old days
There wasn't much we could recall
I guess the Lord knows what he's doin' after all

And as she walked away and I looked at my wife
And then and there I thanked the good Lord
For the gifts in my life

Sometimes I thank God for unanswered prayers
Remember when you're talkin' to the man upstairs
That just because he may not answer doesn't mean he don't care
Some of God's greatest gifts are unanswered

Some of God's greatest gifts are all too often unanswered...
Some of God's greatest gifts are unanswered prayers


Thanks to scorpio89hottie, independentgurlygurl, Steve for correcting these lyrics.
This song was released in October 1990 as the second single from the album. It also appears on "The Hits", "The Limited Series", "Double Live and The Ultimate Hits".
The song expresses the thought that even though God doesn't answer some of our prayers sometimes, it means that there's something different is waiting for us which we cannot comprehend yet.
According to Garth Brooks, the song is based on a true story, "In October of '89, I saw my old high-school flame. And I can say this now. At the time I couldn't. For the first two years of my married life, I really thought the girl that was for me was still that girl that was in high school. And now, man, just the realization that what you have is the best for you and the best you could ever do in your lifetime—it sure makes you sleep well at night."
This song topped Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart in 1991. It is one of Garth Brooks' most popular recordings. It helped his "No Fences" album stay on the top of the charts for more than 30 weeks.