Unanswered Prayer

Forty Days Of Prayer
Pointers to Ponder on Prayer This Week

Prayer is like breathing, it is essential to the abundant life of the believer. We should be aware of the fact that God is not obligated to hear our prayers, so we should understand some thoughts from God's Word on why some prayers remain unanswered.

1. Not God’s will
We must always seek God’s will. It’s all about Him and the advancement of His kingdom not you.

1 John 5:14-15  And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. 15  And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him. 

Mathew 6:33  But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 


2. Wrong Motives and Ungodly Prayers.

James 4:3  Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. 

Proverbs 16:2  All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the spirit. 

Pro 21:2  Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the heart. 

3. Unconfessed Sin

Psalm 66:18  If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me: 

Isaiah 59:2  But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. 

4. Rebellion
Living a continuous life of sin.

Proverbs 28:9  If one turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination. 

John 9:31  We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him. 

Pro 15:29  The LORD is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous. 

1Peter 3:12  For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” 

5. Closing your ears to the needy
Proverbs 21:13  Whoever closes his ear to the cry of the poor will himself call out and not be answered. 

6. You are not having fellowship with the Lord
Your prayer life is non-existent and you never spend time in His Word.

John 15:7  If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 

7. Doubting
James 1:6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.

8. God didn’t answer so you can grow in humility.
James 4:10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

1 Peter 5:6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.

9. God didn’t answer because of your pride.
Pro 29:23  One's pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor. 

James 4:6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

10. Hypocritical prayer for attention
Mat 6:5-6  “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6  But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 

11. Giving up
Just when you give up that is when God answers. You must persevere.

1 Thessalonians 5:17-18  pray without ceasing, 18  give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 

Gal 6:9  And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. 

Luke 18:1  And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. 

12. Lack of faith
Heb 11:6  And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. 

13. You won’t forgive others
Mar 11:25  And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. 

14. God is making you rely and trust in Him more.
Proverbs 3:5-6  Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. 


15. Our awesome Lord is in control and God has something better for you.
Ephesians 3:20-21  Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21  to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. 

Romans 8:28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

16. You didn’t ask.
James 4:2  You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. 


17. Treating your spouse badly
1 Peter 3:7  Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered. 


18. Not yet: We must wait for God’s timing
Isaiah 55:8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD.

Ecc 3:1-11  For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: 2  a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; 3  a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; 
Ecc 3:4  a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; 5  a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; 6  a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; 7  a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; 8  a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace. 
The God-Given Task 9  What gain has the worker from his toil?  10  I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. 11  He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. 

Continue in your pursuit of God, by trusting the Lord completely, and patiently. Knowing the Lord through His Word and the aid of the Holy Spirit will equip you to pray more effectively

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