Often, God does not answer at all. The reason? We already know the answer but have asked God in order to hedge our bets. We already truthfully know if we should pursue a certain thing, yet we just want to “hedge” our bets -- just in case -- and that way we can blame the answer on God, whether it is good in our eyes or not. In other words, "praise God" if it goes the way we desire or "boo-hoo" if it does not. When we do not get a "word" from the Lord it is often simply a matter of this kind of shallow spiritual reality at work. We absolutely know the answer and want one that is different from the one we know we would actually get from the Lord.   Also, God may not answer because we have not truly invested the time or effort in our relationship with Jesus in order to understand Him when He actually speaks to us. When we do this we often depend upon “feelings” or a “sense” that God has spoken. I find this extremely laughable. First of all God speaks to us in many ways through the Holy Spirit: His Word, other faithful believers, experience, and prayer. God is not some big time heavenly show host who wants us to ask twenty questions of Him or phone our "friend" Jesus in order to try and figure out what He truly desires or wants to do in our lives.   As Christians we already know what God desires of us and His plan. He desire that we love Him completely and others as we love ourselves. And, He desires that we live for Him and spread the good news of His Son to a lost world. As we live this way for Him, He will speak to us. Period. Did He not say, “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you”? (John 15:7) The problem is that far too often Christians do not “remain” in Him and yet expect Him to answer whenever they want one.   Just my own thoughts...