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Prayer
by Duane Huffstutler Prayer What is prayer? Prayer is the personal communication between you and God. You can tell him your deepest secrets and he will not tell everyone in the country. God also uses prayer time to communicate with you. You tell him what you want him to know and if you will stick around a little while and just listen, he will tell you what he wants you to know or do. You may ask: How do I know that it is God and not just my imagination? You must evaluate the request. Does it bring you closer to God? Does it bring glory to God? Or does it bring you out into the world? God will only ask you to do something that brings you closer to him or that will bring glory to himself. Anything else is your imagination or your mind working over time. So now you ask: I pray and pray and it seems that nothing happens, what am I doing wrong? I just don't understand. I will try to help you to understand what is going on. I don't have all of the answers, but I believe that God wants you to know so that you can change the situation. There are several reasons in the Bible as to why prayers are not answered. The most prevalent reasons are listed below. Disobedience Deuteronomy 1:42-45 - And the Lord said unto me, Say unto them, Go not up, neither fight; for I am not among you; lest ye be smitten before your enemies. So I spake unto you; and ye would not hear, but rebelled against the Lord, and went presumptuously up into the hill. And the Amorites, which dwelt in that mountain, came out against you, and did chase you, as bees do, and destroyed you in Seir, even unto Hormah. And ye returned and wept before the Lord; but the Lord would not hearken to your voice, nor give ear unto you. 1 Samuel 14:33-34 - Then they told Saul, saying, Behold, the people sin against the Lord, in that they eat with the blood. And he said, ye have transgressed: roll a great stone unto me this day. And Saul said disperse yourselves among the people, and say unto them, Bring me hither every man his ox, and every man his sheep, and slay them here and eat; and sin not against the Lord in eating with the blood. And all the people brought every man his ox with him that night, and slew them there. 1 Samuel 28:6 And when Saul enquired of the Lord, the Lord answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets. Secret Sins Psalms 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me: Indifference Proverbs 1:28 Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me: Neglect of Mercy Proverbs 21:12 The righteous man wisely considereth the house of the wicked: but God overthroweth the wicked for their wickedness. Despising the Law Proverbs 28:9 He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination. Blood guiltiness Isaiah 1:15 And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood. Iniquity Isaiah 59:1-2 Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither hi ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. Micah 3:4 Then shall they cry unto the Lord, but he will not hear them; he will even hide his face from them at that time, as they have behaved themselves ill in their doings. (cannibalism) Stubbornness Zechariah 7:11-13 But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear. Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words of the Lord of hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the Lord of host. Therefore it is come to pass, that as he cried, and they would not hear; so they cried and I would not hear, saith the Lord of hosts: Instability James 1:6-7 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord. Self-indulgence James 4:3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. Each one of these are sins against God's laws. There is only one way to turn this around and God said in 2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and heal their land. He also said in 1 John 3:22 - And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. Duane L. Huffstutler, Written 2011, Faithwriters.com Duane L. Huffstutler is the Sunday School Director at Oak Grove Pentecostal Ministries in Bonifay Florida. All scripture is from the King James Version (1611) Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |