This is probably one of the biggest concerns I say many Christians have with their walk with the Lord. I see and hear questions like “What if He doesn’t answer me?” ‘Why do I pray but don’t receive what I pray for?” ,”Will He even hear me?” and even “Why don’t my prayers work?.” First I want to say, God hears everything we say and He sees everything we do, so you don’t ever have to guess if He hears you. The Word is full of stories of people crying out to God and Him answering them. There are also stories of people who say things against God in their heart and He punishes them. Even still, there are stories of how the Lord waits long periods to fulfill promises and answer prayers but yet He still does it. I was watching a video last night talking about this a little. How in the waiting season we think God is doing nothing when all the while He is preparing us and refining us to be able to do the very thing we are asking for. When you think He is silent, He is working. For the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective (James 5:16) therefore we know it will not go unnoticed by Him. The problem is how many of us are praying unrighteously or living a life of disobedience yet we are expecting something from a Holy God.

I could sit here and only give you the happy stuff which is the promises, the goodness of who God is and tell you how faithful He is to those who trust in Him. But today I also want to ask you hard questions maybe you haven’t asked enough of yourself. On your end are you doing what God has told you to do? Are you still committing acts of sin? Have you been giving into temptations that have taken you off the course that God has set you on? Take a moment to take your eyes off the question of why you haven’t received what you asked for. Because let it be known, God will never ignore His children and He will answer in His perfect timing. But sometimes we are keeping ourselves from receiving what we are asking for by trying to make our prayers become a reality (manifesting) or jumping back into things we shouldn’t be in instead of being faithful in the waiting. I often think about Sarah and Abraham and how God gave them a promise and then they intervened by taking it into their own hands. Both Sarah and Abraham committed an act of sin because they lacked the patience and faith in their God. I wonder sometimes, would it have taken as long as it did for Isaac to come? Would Sara have been that old when he was born? Sara was barren, having Isaac in general would have been enough of a miracle within itself! Sometimes our answers are far off and need to be for a reason and sometimes well, it’s our fault it’s taken so long.

So what can we do to make sure it’s not the latter? First step to is to walk away from the sin that is binding you and cast down every temptation. Take back authority in your life, submit your flesh unto the Holy Spirit and then comes the waiting. In the waiting we must be faithful to the Lord in all that He has placed in our hands. What I mean by that is, whatever you are holding right now that is yours focus on that. If you have prayed for a new job, do the best of your abilities in the one you already have for God’s glory. If you don’t have a job and want one take care of your home, children and yourself and focus on your relationship with the Lord until your opportunity arrives. If your praying for healing of a sickness or disease, rest and have faith God heard you and is working on the solution to bring you full healing. Praise God everyday for the prayers already answered, for His provisions and protection, for His undying love and favor over your life.

Lastly, your faith alone will determine what you receive and don’t receive. The Lord has already told you, He withholds no good thing from those who love him (Psalm 84:11) and Jesus said simply just ask (John 14: 14) so all that is left to do is believe (Mark 5:36). Do you believe that what you are asking for God will give to you? Do you trust Him to deliver those very things you ask for in His timing? And do you believe His timing is perfect and never too late? Only believe and what you ask for you shall receive.

For The King!

Johnnatta