|
Unanswered Prayers? Take This Spiritual Health Check.
by James Aidoo-Baidoe In our Christian life we are supposed to have a close relationship with our Heavenly Father and enjoy a life of regular answers to our prayers. When our Lord Jesus was in the world, He lived His life daily in an unhindered communion with His Father so that He could say to His Father, "I know that you always hear me" (John 11:42). We too can have a daily-unhindered communion with God, our Heavenly Father. However many Christians ask without receiving, seek without finding and knock without having the door opened unto them. Below are some of the main reasons for unanswered prayers: 1. Unforgiving spirit and unforgiveness in the heart of a Christian could hinder the answers to your prayers. Hatred, grudge, bitterness and envy can block answers to your prayers more than anything else. (Matthew 6:12-15). 2. Unconfessed sins: Although we are saved, we must not love sin. If we hold any particular sin in our heart and love it, excuse it and cover it up, then that becomes a hindrance between God and us. God hates sin but thank God that He has remedy for sin. (1 John 1:9). Unconfessed sin will hinder your liberty in prayer. So get along with God and keep sweet fellowship with Him. 3. Indifference towards the Word of God: Day to day regular answers to your prayers depends on delighting in the law of the Lord and meditating on it day and night. Knowing the Bible or reading it is good but not enough. Good success and prosperity which is receiving answers to prayers always depend on having the Word of God in your heart and mouth meditating on God's word and observing to do everything in it. (Joshua 1:8 and John 15:7). 4. Impatience: This can hinder our prayers. Impatience substitutes our plans and purposes for God's. It means unwillingness to accept God's time, and thereby questions God's timetable and His Sovereignty. (Ecclesiastes 3:1). Patience, however is power behind faith. This helps us to hold on until the answer that you have received by faith is manifested in the natural realm. 5. Praying Outside God's Will: When we pray outside the will of God, we should expect unanswered prayers. God does not hear just any kind of prayer, but only prayers offered in accordance to His will. (John 5:14). So without the knowledge of God's word and the help of the Holy Spirit in prayer, a lot of wrong request made to God will never be answered. 6. Lack of Faith: Faith plays a critical role when we go to the Lord in Prayer. Without faith it is impossible to please God. (Hebrews 11:6). We should not pray with doubt in our heart. God works in an atmosphere of faith. Faith means having confidence in God's Word, His mercy and goodness. Behind every major receiving in the Bible was a mighty believing. (Matthew 17:20-22) and (Mark 11:22-24). 7. Interference of the Power of Darkness: The two accounts in Daniel 9:20-21 where Daniel received immediate answer from God and Daniel 10:1-14 where he had a delayed answer to his prayer caused by evil interference from the power of darkness gives insight into understanding this aspect of our prayer life. We need to recognise the opposition that we are up against from the enemy so we don't get tempted to stop praying. 8. Lack of Fasting: The Word of God hints us in Matthew 17:14-21 that some prayers will not be answered except they are accompanied with fasting. Learn to fast for at least one day and you will experience amazing results of answered prayers and supernatural breakthroughs in you life. 9. Lack of Praise and Thanksgiving: Many of us receive and keep receiving things from our Heavenly Father but never praise Him or thank Him for them. King David got much from God because he cultivated the habit of praising and thanking God even for little insignificant answers. (Psalm 95:1-2; Psalm 100:1-4; Psalm 107:20-21). 10. Finally, always remember to be specific in your prayers. Don't lump many things together in prayers. Identify the most pressing need and present it clearly before God. The Word of God declares in Jeremiah 33:3 that you should call upon your Heavenly Father and He will answer you and show you great and mighty things you do not know. Now go ahead and have a wonderful fellowship with your Heavenly Father in prayer and I can assure you that your prayer life will never be the same. God bless! James runs an online Christian media ministry reaching out with God’s message of hope, wisdom and encouragement to strengthen you in your Christian walk. You can visit his website at: http://www.thecallofwisdom.com Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |