Why are some prayers not answered?

Pastor Grace, please help me understand why the Lord is not answering my prayers. I am a good husband, a good person and have been praying to the Father but my prayers have not been answered. What must I do?

Blessings Brother G, I will start by saying well done to you. Few men can say they are good to their wife in all honesty. Keep up the good work!

  You may wonder at the testimonies of answered prayers or reading passages like Matthew 7:7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

 The question is “Does God really answer prayers”? Yes, He does! God is faithful and kind. His mercies endure forever. David testified in Psalm 66:19 But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer.

Psalm 65:2 O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come.

So why are some prayers not answered?

There may be a delay as the case of Daniel. He prayed and God answered, but the Prince of Persia withstood the Angel from delivering Daniel’s answer. The angel prevailed against Satan and Daniel received his answer after 21 days. Daniel 10:2 Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words. Sometimes there may be a bit of waiting on our side. Patience is the key. Keep the faith going and do not give up.

Cornelius was a devout man. He took his household along in the service of the Lord. Although a gentile, he singled himself out to love and obey God. His prayers were answered in Acts 10: 4 And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God. Most families are not so. Some parents excuse their household from God. All sorts of sin goes on in their families and they condole it or are ignorant to the fact that we can’t serve God and mammon. Such hinders prayer.

Unclean things in our lives and home. Keeping idols in our homes and lives, watching unclean things in the same house we pray will hinder our prayers. Deuteronomy 23:14 For the Lord thy God walketh in the midst of thy camp, to deliver thee, and to give up thine enemies before thee; therefore, shall thy camp be holy: that he see no unclean thing in thee, and turn away from thee.

 Fulfilling some virtues but lacking in some may hinder our prayers. The rich young man came to Jesus and told Him of how a good person he was and that he follows all the laws of Moses. Mark 10:21 Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, one thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. The price was too much for him to pay. He left sorrowfully. God may want our entire consecration but allegiance to friends, society, family and the world will not allow us, and prayers will be hindered.

 When we ask for the wrong thing that will not build us up and will rather bring stress and calamity, it will not be answered. Asking for an airplane, while we can’t ride a bike, talk less to fly an airplane. There is no money to pay for parking space at the airport and we do not have a private park and runway ourselves. Such a prayer will not be answered. James 4:3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

Idols in our heart. When we ask for things that are not the will of God for us. Some young people in their fantasies ask God for factory made individuals for marriage. For the ladies, a tall well-built man, handsome, with a good job, a fleet of cars, living in a mansion, caring, always at home. Israel wanted such, and they got Saul. The men look for a fair lady with good shape, the most beautiful, who they will keep at home. The lazy ones want a wealthy lady, respectful and a showstopper. It is all about the physical and not the life. If God loves you so much, that prayer will not be answered. If you get what you asked for, you will be in trouble for life. 1 John 5:14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us:

 When we live in disobedience of various kinds, especially with things we are comfortable with, we can justify because we see nothing wrong with it. 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:

Jeremiah 11:14 Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up a cry or prayer for them: for I will not hear them in the time that they cry unto me for their trouble.

Breaking of vows made to God. Job 22:27 Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he shall hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows.

Constantly abiding in Christ will bring answers to prayers. John 15:7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

 Seek God with all our hearts and not just half of it with other things in between. Jeremiah 29:11-13 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

 When we love God with all our heart, might, soul, He will hear us. Psalm 91:14-15 Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honour him.

Secret sin in our hearts Psalm 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me: The sin of the heart posses a hindrance to our prayer. Anger. malice, bitterness, envy, jealousy, unforgiveness, evil speaking, covetousness, greed, avarice and so on. Some people are addicted to shows that mock the things of God, traditions that are contrary to the holy life and all these set a ceiling above us and hinder our prayers.

Vain repetitions Matthew 6:7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Reciting a catechism will not get your prayers anywhere. We have been given a pattern in Matthew chapter 6

Please read more in Chapter 2 of His Glory Goes with Us. The memoir is free to download from the home page.