What prevents God from hearing our prayers? Psalm 102:1-2 (NKJV) 1 Hear my prayer, O Lord, And let my cry come to You. 2 Do not hide Your face from me in the day of my trouble; Incline Your ear to me; In the day that I call, answer me speedily. God’s hearing is never impaired (see Ps 94:9). But the language of Biblical poetry sometimes pictures God as though he were deaf (see Dt 1:45). This was simply a figurative way to say that God does not always respond to requests as people might want. Sometimes answers come only after long delays (the "wait" or "yes" answer); other times answers may come in an unrecognized form (the "subtle" answer) or in a manner the petitioner would not have wanted (the "indirect" or "no" answer). Effective prayer requires that the one praying have the right attitudes: reverence, humility, proper motivation and purity. Ineffectual prayer—that which God seems to ignore—often results from the lack of such qualities. Here are six examples: 1. Irreverence God may ignore those who are irreverent (see Ps 50:21). 2. Pride God wants to help those who are humble in spirit, not those who are proud (see Jas 4:6). 3. Self-seeking When people pray for selfish reasons, God may refuse their requests (see Jas 4:3). 4. Sin Disobeying God can separate someone from God and cause prayers to go unanswered (see Isa 59:1–2). 5. Unbelief Spiritual instability can undermine prayers (see Jas 1:6–7). 6. Broken relationships A husband’s prayers may be hindered if he has treated his wife disrespectfully (see 1Pe 3:7). So, next time you feel your answers are taking long to come through, check this list above, otherwise be rest assured that God will answer in His own time and way!
Posted on: Thu, 27 Jun 2013 03:43:43 +0000
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