We
all pray. When Jesus lived on earth He taught us The Lord’s Prayer, the Our
Father, as a model of how to pray. When teaching it He did not say “If you pray”;
He said when you pray. This, as well
as many other passages in the New Testament tells us it is God’s Will that we
pray.
You may have learned that when we pray God’s answer
is either “Yes”, “No”, or “Not right now”. That is true, but there are also
some things that can block our prayers from being answered. I would like to
mention a few.
You husbands, too,
must show consideration for those who share your lives. Treat women with
respect.... If you do so, nothing will keep your prayers from being answered.” 1 Peter 3:7
This
passage tells us that if you do not live considerately with your spouse and
honor him, your prayers may not be answered. (Even though the Scripture passage
is addressed to husbands, I’m sure it applies to wives as well.)
If any of you is
without wisdom, let him ask it from the God who gives generously and
ungrudgingly to all, and it will be given him. Yet he must ask in faith, never
doubting, for the doubter is like the surf tossed and driven by the wind. A man
of this sort, devious and erratic in all that he does, must not expect to
receive anything from the Lord. James 1:5-7
If
you have doubt that God can or will answer your prayers it can interfere with God
answering them. This is especially true when praying for healing. There are
many other passages in the New Testament where Jesus speaks of the need for
faith before He is able to act.
You ask and you do
not receive because you ask wrongly, with a view to squandering what you
receive on your pleasures. James 4:3
God
may not answer your prayer if you have selfish motives.
Were I to cherish
wickedness in my heart, the Lord would not hear…
Psalm
66:18
If
you harbor evil in your heart, it will block your prayers.
These
are by no means an exhaustive list, just some areas to examine before you pray
or if your prayers don’t seem to be answered.
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