WHY DOES IT SOMETIMES SEEM THAT GOD DOESN'T ANSWER OUR PRAYERS ?
Last month, in the first part of the answer we saw that it sometimes seems
God doesn't answer, just because he gives an answer we aren't expecting - or
don't want. Sometimes his answer is "Wait," or "I have a better idea." Since
that's not what we want to hear, we think God hasn't answered.
The following verses will show a second answer to that question. Read the
verses and see if you can determine the answer:
Psalm 66:17-19
"I cried out to God with my mouth; his praise was on my tongue. If I had
cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened; but God has
surely listened to my prayer."
Isaiah 1:15-16
"When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you;
even if you offer many prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are full of
blood; wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight!
Stop doing wrong, but do right."
Isaiah 59:1-2
"Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull
to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins
have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.
1 Peter 3:12
"For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to
their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil."
James 5:16
"Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other... the prayer of a
righteous man is powerful and effective."
1 John 1:9
"If we confess our sin, He is faithful and just and will forgive our sins
and cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
Does God listen to every prayer sent up? These passages make it obvious that
he does not. What causes God to turn a deaf ear? Willful disobedience. Sin.
An unrepentant attitude.
As John pointed out, when we come to God in prayer we must come knowing that
we have sinned, confess, and have God take our sins away. God is holy. He
can't tolerate sin. We can't come to him expecting him to listen if we have
no desire for forgiveness - or no desire to quit committing particular sin.
