Here are some of the reasons I've heard in regards to why prayers are not answered:
1. We do not repent of sin, and continue to live knowingly in that sin.
2. We ask with wrong intentions.
3. We don't believe we will actually be answered.
I want to address the third reason. Spurgeon says that "Many prayers fail of their errand because there is no faith in them. Prayers which are filled with doubt, are requests for refusal" (108).
I believe he is absolutely right. If you called a friend and said, "Hey, I need some help putting together my bookshelf, would you come help me? But I know that you won't come help me because you're busy and you don't want to. You have better things to do. Thanks anyway." How likely would they be to help you if you have no faith in their love for you?
If God delights in giving us good gifts, by doubting him we take away His joy of giving.
If we truly understood who God is and all that he is capable of doing, MAN! We wouldn't hesitate asking him for every little thing we needed help with.
satan comes to steal, kill, and destroy. Well if he can steal our confidence in our God, then we won't ask God for all that we would have. And if we don't ask God for things then we are not being equipped to fight in the battle.
Imagine being a Roman soldier who enlists in the army and you are told to ask the General for whatever you are in need of. You've heard some say that the General will give you anything, but then you've also heard that the General only gives to a few people and doesn't always give what you ask. So you decide not to bother the important guy, and ask around from others for supplies and a weapon. The time comes for battle and you still haven't gotten a weapon or shield. You have no hope except to fight with your own hands. The enemy sees you and aims his arrow at you, laughing at the pitiful sight you make on the battle field.
This is every believer who does not equip himself in prayer and reading of the Word. You have no weapon or defense against the enemy.
God stands ready to arm us with the Armor of God and to teach us how to take a stand against the devils schemes (Eph. 6:10-18). We need only approach him and ask.
Sweet brother or sister, ask him for faith. Ask him to help your unbelief (Mark 9:24). He will answer you. He tells us himself that if we ask, how much more will he give of himself! (Luke 11:13). The Almighty God of Heaven and earth wants to give you more faith, more belief, more courage to believe that your prayers are heard and will be answered.
There is no catch, there is no game we have to play. Simply believe. It is so simple, yet made so difficult. And that's why we can start with asking for faith. For if we have faith, the asking comes easy.
If nothing else, know that God is good, and because he is all good nothing bad can come from him. He does not see your sin.
There is a story of a woman who had visions of Jesus. A priest wanted to see if she was telling the truth so he went and told the woman that next time she sees Jesus to ask him what sin he had just confessed. She was shocked and asked him if he was sure he really wanted her to know his confessed sin. He said yes. A few days later she came back, and told him she had asked Jesus what he had confessed. The priest was excited to hear her answer. She told him, "I asked Jesus what sin you had recently confessed. He said, 'I can't remember.'"
You see, sweet friend, "as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us" (Psalm 103:12). He doesn't see your sin. He sees the purity of the blood of the Lamb. He sees a perfect child, white as snow, spotless, blameless. So know that you can approach the throne of God with confidence and assurance that you are worth listening to. You are worth the time of God because of his Love. Because he loves you, you are worthy.
Talk to him. He hears you. He will answer you. He knows what is best, so trust that no matter what you ask you will be answered and you will receive what is best in regards to your request.
You are adored. You are important. You are worthy. You are heard. You are loved. So loved.
There is no catch, there is no game we have to play. Simply believe. It is so simple, yet made so difficult. And that's why we can start with asking for faith. For if we have faith, the asking comes easy.
If nothing else, know that God is good, and because he is all good nothing bad can come from him. He does not see your sin.
There is a story of a woman who had visions of Jesus. A priest wanted to see if she was telling the truth so he went and told the woman that next time she sees Jesus to ask him what sin he had just confessed. She was shocked and asked him if he was sure he really wanted her to know his confessed sin. He said yes. A few days later she came back, and told him she had asked Jesus what he had confessed. The priest was excited to hear her answer. She told him, "I asked Jesus what sin you had recently confessed. He said, 'I can't remember.'"
You see, sweet friend, "as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us" (Psalm 103:12). He doesn't see your sin. He sees the purity of the blood of the Lamb. He sees a perfect child, white as snow, spotless, blameless. So know that you can approach the throne of God with confidence and assurance that you are worth listening to. You are worth the time of God because of his Love. Because he loves you, you are worthy.
Talk to him. He hears you. He will answer you. He knows what is best, so trust that no matter what you ask you will be answered and you will receive what is best in regards to your request.
You are adored. You are important. You are worthy. You are heard. You are loved. So loved.
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