Archive for July 19th, 2009
Why won’t God answer my prayers? Here is the Reason
Why won’t God answer my prayers?
Every Christian experiences this multiple times in their lives. It’s actually very common. The cliché is if we pray to God sincerely God will answer us. But if you are tuned into reality, you know that is not always the case. There are times when God is silent and seems to go on for many years without answering your prayer. The false assumption is that God responds to our prayer because of our sincerity or because we are sincere, God will respond. Now that becomes a work of righteous and the Bible is clear that no one is righteous. You have often heard in church or through another Christian that “God will give you what you need, not what you want” or “God’s time to answer your prayers are not your time; God knows the right time”. Although these may be correct, that isn’t always true in every situation. You may have heard in the Bible when Jesus was saying “Ask and it shall be given to you” or “..I will do whatever you ask in my name”; “My father will give you whatever you ask in my name”.
But then there is silence on that matter and that prayer goes unanswered. We are then left wondering where’s God when we need him or “we must done something bad and our punishment is an unanswered prayer!” What some Christians fail to understand is that the Jesus’ promises were based on qualifications. Dr. William Lane Craig enlightens us on that issue in his book “Hard Questions, Real Answers” on biblical possibilities on why our prayers could be unanswered.
1. God cannot contradict Himself: We know that when two rival football teams, equal in faith, experience, and talent pray to God for Victory, only one will win and the other will lose. God cannot contradict prayers.
2. We have to repent for our sins and come clean:
Psalm 66:18 says “If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord will not have listened”
Proverbs 15:29 NIV, “The LORD is far from the wicked but he hears the prayer of the righteous.”
Unfortunately the Bible also says that no one is righteous and all have fallen short. But it is through the blood of Jesus, our faith in Him, and our repentance to Him that washes our unrighteous away.
The Bible says in (1 John 1:6-9 NIV), “If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. {7} But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. {8} If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. {9} If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.“
Romans 4:5
However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness.
Romans 4:9
Is this blessedness only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? We have been saying that Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness.
Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.
Bottom line: We must be right before God and come clean before He even accepts our prayers.
1 Peter 3:7
Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.
In other words, we must be respectful to our spouses and neighbors because failing to do so can hinder your prayers!
3. Wrong Motives- Too often are our prayers are motivated by selfishness such as “Dear God, please give me that car I always wanted”.
James tells us “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures” (James 4:3)
Prayer that is totally self-centered does not fall under the promises of Jesus. We should request things that are of God and not only to satisfy our selfish desires.
4. Lack of faith-
Mark 11:24 tells us “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”
James 1:6-8 tells us “But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.”
A doubtful prayer will not be answered. Words without faith are words without meaning, its empty. We must pray in faith and bold confidence.
5. Lack of earnestness.
You must be sincere when you pray.
6. Lack of perseverance- Many times we will pray once or twice and that’s it. We just give up. Jesus talks about perseverance in his parables Luke 11:5-8 and Luke 18:1-8. The point of the message is that if we want something bad we should preserve and never give up
7. It must be according to God’s will and not your own will.
Romans 12:2 tells us, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will.”
The only decision God does not want us to make is the decision to sin or resist His will.
“Delight yourself in the LORD and He will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4).
You will know what God’s will is by asking Him, walking with Him by obeying his commandments, and doing things that will glorify Him.
1 John 3:21-22 (New International Version)
21Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God 22and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him.
More related Blogs:
Historical Jesus and what the early Church Christians believe he was
Did Jesus die on the Cross and Resurrect?
Was Jesus a copy of the other gods like Horus?
Why does God allow Evil and Suffering?
Where did Morals come from?
What the Bible says about Reincarnation
What the Bible says about Astrology
Did Mary assume into Heaven?
Nephilim, Fallen Angels, Giants, and sons of God
Book of Mormon VS The Bible
Why Won’t God Answer my Prayers?
Why I CAN’T be an Athiest. Athiesm is illogical
Why did God order Genocide and murders in the Bible
