THINGS THAT KEEP PRAYERS FROM BEING ANSWERED Prayers are earnest petitions of the heart expressed to God. Everyone prays to God at times in their lives. Some might have a wrong concept of God but in time of need people still pray. There are many things that keep God from hearing many prayers that are made. 1. Refusing to hear God will keep prayers from being answered. God says, "Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer: they shall seek me early, but they shall not fmd me: for they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD: They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof." (Proverbs 1:28-30). "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" (Zechariah 7:13). God cries to us in his Holy Word so let us listen to it because the time will come when we will want Him to hear us. 2. Refusing to forgive one another keeps prayers from being answered. "And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses." (Mark 11 :25). 3. Not being righteous will keep prayers from being answered. The eyes of the Lord are over the righteous and his ears open to their prayers (I Peter. 3:12). The prayers of a righteous man avails much (James 5:16). 4. Selfish prayers are not heard. "Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts." (James 4:3). 5. "If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear me" (Psalms 66: 18). 6. "When ye make many prayers, I will not hear; your hands are full of blood." (Isaiah 1: 15). 7. "But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear." (Isaiah 59:2). 8. If people are not willing to obey Christ their prayers will not be answered. The man Jesus healed of blindness said, "We know that God heareth not sinners; but if any man be a worshipper of God and doeth his will, him he heareth." (John 9:31). In contrast with this I John 3:22 states, "And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight." 9. The prayers of self righteous people will not be heard. In Luke 18: 11-14 Jesus gave the illustration of the Pharisee praying to God about how good he was and how he wasn't like the publican. The publican simply asked God to be merciful to him a sinner. The publican was justified but not the Pharisee. 10. Prayers are hindered by lack of faith. "Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them." (Mark 11:24). 11. For prayers to be answered we must abide in Christ. "If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you." (John 15:7). 12. Pride will keep prayers from being answered. "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 will heal their land." (2 Chronicles 7:14). 13. Lack of earnestness keeps prayers from being answered. Elijah prayed earnestly that it might not rain and it rained not for three years and six months. (James 5: 17). Formal, habitual praying avails very little. 14. Double mindedness keeps prayers from being heard. James says if we lack wisdom ask of God and it will be given us. But we are to ask in faith nothing wavering because doubt and wavering people will not receive anything of the Lord. (James 1:5-8). 15. Not helping the poor keeps prayers from being heard. "Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard." (Proverbs 21: 13). 16. Not praying for God's will to be done keeps prayer from being answered. "And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us, And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desire of him." (I John 5:14,15). 17. Not asking the Father in the name of Jesus Christ will keep prayer from being answered. Jesus specifically said, "whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask anything in my name I will do it." (John 14: 13, 14). 18. Praying to be seen and heard of men will keep prayer from being answered. Jesus said, "And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the comers of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward." (Matthew 6:5). 19. Unless we let Christ's words abide in us our prayers are hindered. (John 15:7). If we want our prayers to be heard we must listen carefully to the gospel and let God's saving message into our hearts. Then we must act upon it in strong faith by repenting of our sins, confessing Christ and being baptized to be saved. Then letting the word of Christ dwell in us richly we will be able to pray effectually and fervently with our prayers availing much. 20. Calling on the Lord but not doing His Will would be of no avail. "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven: but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 7:21). In this context the Lord said that people who claim to do great things for God yet do not do His will shall be told to depart in the day of judgment. He emphasizes hearing and doing what Jesus says (Matthew 7:22-27). Learn from these points and make prayers effectual. CD
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