1. If the asking is wrong, God says no. – The motivation to why you seek it is wrong.

2. But, if it is not yet the right moment or time, God tells us to wait. – Only God knows how our surrounding situations work, what will happen in the future, and when that prayer should be fulfilled.

3. Also, if I am not ready yet, God tells me to ‘grow’. – At times, God delays responses to build our character. Many spiritual benefits and growths are gained through pains, scars, conflicts, and disappointments.

4. And when the focus or direction of what we ask for is deviated, God sometimes gives us something of other than what we ask for.

(5. And very rarely, but every so often, God responds in an unresponsive way to our petitions. – As in the case of Job.)

6. However, if the request is rightful, the time is right, and the one praying is ready, God is pleased.

I am the biggest problem. The final reason for not being answered is myself. If we ourselves are building a barrier between our relationship with God, we will not receive an answer. We need to look at the obstacles within us that hinders our prayers.

The first is not praying. When we face problems, we seek for experts, gather relevant information, practice self-discipline, confide to a friend, and find our own ways for a solution… if we cannot find answers even after reading a book about prayer… then we pray. There are cases when we do everything else except praying.

James 4:2 “You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get 
what you want,so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God.”

What I cannot obtain is because I do not ask for it. So how much am I praying…

Second is because our prayer is contaminated with sin. Unconfessed sin cuts off our conversation with God.

Isaiah 59:2 “But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, 
and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.”

Now, unless we confess the sins we allow in our lives, our prayers will be like a square peg in a round hole. When we first receive the Lord’s forgiveness and pour out our hearts to the Lord, He begins to hear our prayers.

[Continued on the Next Article…]