Unaswered Prayers-By sister Beatrice Nkamere

29 April 2012

What is prayer?

 It’s talking to GOD our FATHER, who loves us with an everlasting love. His desire is for us to have the best things in life. He has promised, ‘No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly’ (Ps 84:11).  All that GOD is, and all that GOD has, is available to the person who learns the secret of prayer.

 

Jesus did not teach HIS disciple how to preach, but He did teach them how to pray. A prayer less Christian is a weak Christian. A prayer less nation is a defeated nation. A prayer less family is a divided family.

 

Prayer should be our first choice, not our last choice. Prayer is getting us prepared to do GOD’s will. God never forces us to do His will, but HE often places us in extreme adversity that drives us to our knees and prepares us to do HIS will (see the story of PAUL in ACTS 9).

 

God does answer prayers, when we pray in the name of JESUS and according to HIS will. We want to see reasons why some prayers are not answered. If your prayers are not being answered use these reasons as a check-list.

 

There is a right and there is the wrong way to pray. There is not a Baptist way or a Pentecostal way and a Methodist way. The disciple came to JESUS and said, “Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1). This very statement means there is a right way and a wrong way.

 

REASONS ARE:

 

1)      WE DO NOT ASK.

JESUS clearly said “Ask and you shall receive” (Matt 21:22). Ask- do not attempt to solve your problem without GOD’S guidance- do not visualize the answer. Visualizing the answer in your mind is mind control. ASK- do not stare into the crystal ball. That’s idolatry. Speak your request and believe that GOD will answer. JESUS said, “Assuredly, i say to you, whosoever…. do not doubt in his heart, but believes…” (Mk 11:22)

 

2)      WE DO NOT PRAY IN JESUS NAME.

JOHN 14:14 says “If you ask anything in MY name, I will do it” you do not receive answer to your prayer if you pray in Mary’s name or Buddha’s or in Allah’s name. You receive an audience in heaven by using the name above every other name, that name is JESUS CHRIST.

 

3)      WE DO NOT ASK ACCORDING TO GOD’S WILL.

1 JOHN 4:14 says “Now this is the confidence that we have in HIM, that if we ask anything according to HIS will, HE hears us.” Some people think God’s will is mysterious. It’s not! Prophet Isaiah said, “The way of the LORD is so simple a fool cannot err therein.” (Isa 35:8). God’s will is clearly stated in the Bible, and His will is consistent with His word.

 

4)      WE DO NOT PRAY IN FAITH.

Matthew 21:21 states, “If you have faith and do not doubt…. if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done.” Without faith it is impossible to please GOD (Hebs 11:6). Faith does not demand miracles. Faith creates an environment where miracles are the only possible result. The Bible commands us to “Have faith in GOD (Mk 11:22).

 

5)      WE MUST BE SPECIFIC.

Be specific with you prayer request so that when your request is answered, you will know God sent it. The Lord’s Prayer gives us illustration of this specificity “Give us these day our daily bread” (Matt 6:11).

 

6)      WE DO NOT REMOVE UNCONFESSED SIN.

King David wrote in Psalm 66:18, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the LORD will not hear.” A holy God cannot associate with sin He’s made it possible for sin to be removed from our lives with a simple prayer. There is no limit at what HE can do for us in prayer.

 

7)      WE DO NOT FORGIVE OTHER PEOPLE.

The word of GOD says, “And forgives us our debts, as we forgive our debtors” (Matt 6:12). God gets excited when we get down on our knees. He says, “Look angels, here he (she) comes. We are finally going to talk. Get ready to carry back MY answer to earth. Listen to his (her) request and fulfil it according to his (her faith”.

 

GOD SURELY ANSWERS PRAYER IF ONLY WE WILL BOW OUR KNEES AND TALK TO HIM.

 

JESUS IS LORD (PHIL 2:11).

 

BE CAREFUL FOR NOTHING: BUT IN EVERY THING BY PRAYER AND SUPPLICATION WITH THANKSGIVING

LET YOUR REQUEST BE MADE KNOWN UNTO GOD (PHIL 4:6).

 

HAVE A GLORIOUS WEEK.

 

JESUS IS COMING SOON; BE PREPARED!

 

Sister Beatrice Nkamere is pastor of RCCG in Lagos, Nigeria