"So I say to you: ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you". (Luke 11:9)
We pray, but get no answer. We prayed so long, so hard, with no results. "Doesn't he see my needs?" ... "Doesn't he care about me?". "If God's ear is open to my prayer, and I pray diligently, why is there so little evidence of His answer?" Things continue as usual - nothing happens. "How long do I have to wait?" Is there a particular prayer you've been praying for a long time that hasn't been answered?
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Introduction
The devil's latest strategy to deceive believers is to make them doubt God's faithfulness by answering prayer. Satan would have us believe that God has closed his ears to our cry and left us to sort things out for ourselves. Let us be careful not to accuse God, as Job did, of being lazy; and not to concern ourselves with our needs and demands. Job complained, "I call out to you, but you don't answer me; I get up, and you don't look at me" (Job 30:20). His view of God's faithfulness was clouded by his present difficulties, and he ended up accusing God of forgetting him. God wisely rebuked him for this.
The first thing you need to be sure of is that God knows your needs even before you ask for them (Matthew 6:8). He cares for you unequivocally: "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future". (Jeremiah 29:11). We have great assurance that He hears every prayer: "In my distress I called on the Lord; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him. reached his ears". (Psalm 18:6).
Here are some of the reasons our prayers go unheard:
1. Our prayers can be hindered by a secret grudge lodged in the heart against another.
Remember the Lord's Prayer "Forgive us as we forgive others".
2. Our prayers are not answered when they are not in accordance with God's will.
We can pray for anything we want, as long as it is His will. “If we ask anything according to his will, he hears us” (1 John 5:14). The disciples did not pray according to the will of God when they prayed with vengeance and vengeance. They were asking God, "Should we command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?" Jesus answered them, "You don't know what kind of spirit you are" (Luke 9:54, 55). Daniel prayed the right way. First, he looked to the scriptures and sought the mind of God. Having obtained clear direction, and sure of God's will, he runs to the throne of God with mighty assurance. "Daniel 9:3). WE KNOW TOO MUCH ABOUT WHAT WE WANT AND TOO LITTLE ABOUT WHAT HE WANTS.
and he has a lot to teach us. We can plan our life and think we have everything under control. But as we see in Isaiah 55:8-9, God's thoughts are often different from ours. As humans, we are drawn to seeking earthly things that will pass away (temporal) but neglect heavenly things that are eternal (Matthew 6:19-21). But God's thoughts are to transform us from our earthly human tendencies and create something divine through our situations in life. we are attracted by the search for earthly things which will pass away (temporal) but we neglect heavenly things which are eternal (Matthew 6: 19-21). But God's thoughts are to transform us from our earthly human tendencies and create something divine through our situations in life.
If God doesn't give us what we ask for, we need to remember that he has a good plan and purpose for everything in our lives and he only wants the best for us. He looks at everything from an eternal perspective. Our time on earth is meant to prepare us for eternity. God cares about our physical needs, but he cares infinitely more about our spiritual needs and our growth. OUR GOALS MUST BE RIGHT DURING PRAYERS.
3. Our prayers are not answered when we tell God how to respond.
Those who prescribe to God how and when to respond are in fact limiting the Holy One of Israel. Since God does not bring the answer through the front door, they are unaware of his coming through the back door. They only trust conclusions and not promises. But God will not be bound by time, manner or means to respond. He will always do much, much more than we ask or think we ask. He will respond with health, or with a grace that is better than health. It will send love, or something beyond it. He will deliver, or do something greater. This because our prayers aren't answered exactly when or how we want them to be doesn't mean we should lose faith in the Heavenly Father.
One of the greatest things we can do to have our prayers heard and answered is to strengthen our faith in our God and trust Him to answer our prayers in the way that best suits us. LEAVE YOUR REQUESTS IN HIS MIGHTY ARMS AND WAIT PATIENTLY FOR THE ANSWERS.