DAILY HOPE DEVOTIONAL: JULY 1 WHEN IT SEEMS GOD DOES NOT ANSWER PRAYERS (3) SCRIPTURE: James 1: 5 – 8; 4: 3; John 9: 31; Proverbs 28: 9
Yesterday’s devotional firmly stood on the facts that God answers prayers offered to Him. Some fail in noting this because of their impatient nature most often. We have millions of millions of people who prayed to God and had their prayers answered. We have more numbers of people who prayed for God’s interventions or provisions but never saw the result of the prayers. Reasons why some prayers offered to God are not answered is the thrust of today’s devotional. There are so many reasons prayers are not answered. Few will be highlighted here for sake of lack of space.
When prayers are offered to God in sins and from a hardened heart, answers don’t come up. Apostle John says “…God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does His will ” (John 9: 31 NIV). The book of Proverbs says “If one turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination” (Proverbs 28: 9). The heart that does not listen to God’s word or His laws is a hardened heart. When prayers to God are based on wrong motives they will not be answered. Apostle James pointed this out in his Epistle thus: “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your own pleasures.” (James 4: 3). When praying and doubting at same time, the answer will not come. This is put as double mindedness in James 1: 5 – 8. Prayer in double mindedness is equaled to watching oneself on a mirror and soon forgetting how one looks like. It is said to mean unstable mind and like the waves of the sea.
The question today is “How have you been praying? Are your prayers for selfishness, or out of the much sins at heart or flowing from unbelieving heart. Are you a Christian maintaining hardened mind towards God and humanities? If yes, you need adjustments for your prayers to God to be answered. Hardened mind towards humanities involves unforgiving spirit, uncharitable attitudes to the needy as well as selecting the words of God which appeals to your interests alone. But for your prayers to be answered by God, practice godliness, kind heartedness to people, placing greater trust in God and other virtues.
PRAYERS:
1. Pray that God removes hardened heart from your heart and turns it to God-Word receptive mind in Jesus name.
2. Pray that the Holy Spirit of God gives you the right motive to prayers in Jesus mighty name.
POSITIVE DECLARATION:
I have got my mind made up that every word of God is true, including His promises of answering all my prayers. Glory!!!
CONTACT US? You can contact us for prayer requests or discussion through ubasimon341@gmail.com
bishopubaudenyi@hopealivechurch