Here is Part 3 of Reasons for Unanswered Prayer:

 

(7) Lack of Consistency in Intercession and Relationship with Christ
*1 Corinthians 14:14-15 says, “14For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful. 15What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.”

 

*Romans 8:26-28 says, “26Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. 28And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

 

*James 5:16b says, “The effectual fervent (to be active/mighty in) prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”

 

*Intercession is when you stand in the gap for someone or a group of people who may not even be able to pray for themselves. It is making up the hedge, building a wall of protection so God will send His angels can keep charge over the person or people of whom you are praying.

 

*Christ is seat at the right hand of the Father, making intercession for us. We must take our seat of authority in heavenly places and allow our intercession to align with the intercession of heaven so that His will can be done on earth as it is in heaven. It is about not making our prayers selfish, but praying God’s purposes on the earth, which can only be known through the mind of the Holy Spirit.

 

*Don’t blame yourself if consistent prayer goes unanswered. The Holy Spirit will never enslave you to think if you would have just fasted another day or prayed an extra hour that the outcome would be different. That is the spirit of bondage to fear, not adoption.

 

*If you beat yourself up because you have convinced yourself that a prayer was not answered because you did not fast or pray enough, then you will only be enslaved to your beliefs, which is something of which God is not a part.

 

*St. Augustine said, “Pray as though it all depends upon God, and work as though it all depends on you.” You must be willing to offer your faithfulness to God instead of approaching His throne of grace to fulfill your greatest dreams. If you will delight yourself in Him, He will give you the desires of your heart, but when are in a delighted place, you will pray His will upon the earth!

 

(8) Bitterness
*Matthew 6:12-15 says, “12And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 13And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. 14For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: 15But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

 

*Matthew 11:6 says, “And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.”

 

*Bitterness, an unwillingness to forgive, will always hinder answered prayers. It will limit you into one dimension, never allowing you to go from glory to glory. You will remain stuck for the rest of your life spiritually. You have to be willing to forgive in the same way God has been willing to forgive you!

 

*If we are not careful, we can allow the pains and struggles of our life to make us bitter against God. We have to have the attitude of the three Hebrew children. I know God is able to deliver me from these flames, and I know He will, but if He doesn’t, I will go down knowing that He is able!

 

*Don’t ask God to take away your affliction (growth), struggle (change in identity) or persecution (blessings of the kingdom) *If you suffer with Him, you will be glorified with Him. Being seated in Christ does not eliminate you from trouble, but it changes your reaction to it.

 

*Brokenness leads to surrender or bitterness (2 Corinthians 12:9). You never know the strength of God without weakness.

 

*Time doesn’t heal all wounds. It just gives enough time to cover it up with dirt, but the real heart issue is still there. Give God access to heal and mend, and if you will let Him, He can give you the answers you need!

 

*Sometimes, God just has a better idea in mind or even a delayed yes. So, if a prayer goes unanswered, do not be bitter against the will of God. If you are praying for a job opportunity, or your job is being threatened, pray that God will show you what is His will and pray according to His will so you do not pray yourself into a job that will only make you miserable. Trust Him in the process. If you have a vision for ministry, but it seems like nothing is working, that is o.k. Maybe it is simply a delayed yes, just as with Paul and Silas, who were forbidden by the Holy Ghost to preach in Asia, Mysid or Bithynia (Acts 16:6-7). This sounds like a complete contradiction of Jesus instructed His disciples, “Go into all of the world and preach the gospel” (Mark 16:15) It was because another land at the time was more ripened for the gospel. Maybe God needs to pour more revelation and understanding in your heart before a certain desire of yours is fulfilled. Proverbs 13:12 says, “Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.” Don’t let hopelessness choke the life out of your visions, causing them to die. Let God revive them and allow them to become a source of life for countless others!

 

*Are you comforted, comfortless or comfortable? Comforted is when you allow the Holy Spirit to carry you in His inexplicable, supernatural peace in those challenging, difficult times. Comfortless is when you become bitter and let go of the comforting hands of Yahweh to figure things out in your own human reasoning. Comfortable is when you become complacent with where you are spiritually, just going through the routines of life with no vision, hunger or passion for the greater things of God. 
*Human reason doesn’t grasp faith, but if you will allow faith, it will position you to get the answers and closure you need from God. Trying to figure it all out on your own that much more will only drive you crazy and cause further grief and anguish. Give Him room, and He will comfort and strengthen you!

 

*Have you ever heard a parent say, “You can’t go,” and the child says, “But why”, their response is, “Because I said so.” Is it to deprive their children from fun, or is it because the parents see the bigger picture, and they are simply protecting their children from dangerous positions or making the same mistakes they made.

 

(9) Husband’s Dishonor and Wife’s Rebellion – Disorderly Marriage
*1 Peter 3:7 says, “Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.”

 

*A marriage at odds will hinder answered prayers.