Hindered Prayers Part 4

“For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.” Romans 1:20

Did God answer my prayers when I lived as the world?  I must say, by His grace and mercy God did answer my prayers but why did he do so?  I mean my “god” was a salad version of the real God.  I now think back upon those answered prayers as if they were breadcrumbs or stones leading out of the desert of my misery to Him. 

I am reminded of this verse:

“This is good and pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.  For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,” 1 Timothy 2:4-5

By answered prayers God was helping me come to the knowledge of the truth BUT by no means was I receiving “empowerment” from God.  I was still hindered.  I had escaped the “troubles” of that moment BUT I was not free for long before I was suffering from some other trouble.  Yep “Futile”.

It wasn’t until AFTER I gave my life to Christ Jesus I discovered another aspect of prayer- empowering prayer.

“Unhindered prayer” is “empowered prayer”.  Empowered prayer is allowing the Holy Spirit (God’s Spirit) to empower us and often that includes the word of God.

Example: We feel the urge to worry.  The Holy Spirit reminds us of a verse like: “Don’t worry about anything instead, pray about everything.  Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done.  If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand.  His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

Before I came to Christ Jesus I couldn’t “receive” this verse.  It was far out of my reach.   It wasn’t until I came to Christ Jesus that I received such a peace.  The Holy Spirit pinpoints the verse we need to “hear” so we can comply and when we comply -He then can implement this verse in our life.

Ephesians says by the Holy Spirit, we become God’s own people and receive everything God has promised in His word.  (Note Ephesians 1:13-14).

Don’t be fooled.   How can we be empowered if we don’t learn God’s word?  What can the Spirit work with to “activate” in our life if we don’t have truth in us?  THE Spirit activates “living” words in our life not myths? 

“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Romans 10:17

Colossians 3:16 “Let the words of Christ, in all their richness, live in your hearts and make you wise.  Use his words to teach and counsel each other.  Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.” 

Don't Be A Hard Hearted Fool

“He is so cold hearted!”

“She is so closed minded!”

“Where do they get off having this self entitled mentality?”

Foot traffic and the elements of the hot sun and hard rains can compress the ground where nothing grows but weeds.  Our heart and mind can be hardened by the circumstances of the world if we are not careful.

We can allow the past, the present and even our perceptions of the future harden our heart and mind to a point where we can spiritually live in a thorny weedy patch.  We can become a living Eeyore. 

In fact that is precisely what one king became because he choose to ignore God.  He became so full of himself that bible says King Nebuchadnezzar was driven away from mankind and began eating grass like cattle, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair had grown like eagle’s feathers and his nails like birds’ claws. (Note: Daniel 4)

Sure we can go to church or listen or watch a sermon but what good is the sown word from God if the hard ground hasn’t been plowed?  What good is it? Might as well be given to the birds.  I remember going to church before I became a Christian. Did I receive anything…? No Not a thing because I had a hard heart.

When we don’t acknowledge God for WHO HE is we don’t have self-restraint.  We are seeing this now in people actions.  They are exhibiting doubt, anger, fear, depression, hate and no self-control because they don’t believe God is in control.  They are practicing what they preach- atheism. 

Their internal compass is broken and they can’t find what is true north.    

A heart and mind compressed by the cares and affairs of this life leaves them a slave to the circumstances in life.

Our soul wasn’t designed by our Creator to be to sustained by “weeds.”  It craves the food that our Creator gives… and is only sustained by Him.

Without God people will blindly eat whatever they are given without a second thought of who is feeding them these “weedy” thoughts.    

We are no different at times in our life.  At times in our life we can’t see the “who” either.  The difficult circumstances can be so great that we can’t see Satan wanting to drown us in the dark discouraging things of this life.  The man named “Job” in the bible is a good example of this.

We can’t be obligated to put our hopes and cares only in the things of life! The things of this life are temporary.  Our perspective must consist of MORE!  And this MORE, WHO IS GOD, allows us to see that LIFE consists and exists far beyond the things of this so-called life.

When what fails- fails us, God needs to remain the strength of our heart.

“May the Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all times and in every situation.” 2 Thessalonians 3:16

    

Hindered Prayers Part 3

“The evil spirit often makes him fall into the fire or the water, trying to kill him.  Have mercy on us and help us.  Do something if you can.”

What do you mean, “If I can?” Jesus asked.  “Anything is possible if a person believes.”

“Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, ‘I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” Mark 9:22-24

Have you ever said to God/Jesus Christ... “God touch this situation if you can?”

I have. And most likely in a difficult situation, like this one, you prayed in some kind of hope but not an expectant hope.

This word “unbelief” (in the text above) in the Greek is translated “apistia” (ap-is-tee’-ah).

Its definition is “a want of faith and trust”.

It is also means, “withholding belief in the divine power, or in the power and promises of God; in the divine mission of Jesus; in opposition of the gospel, with the added notion of obstinacy (stubbornness /inflexibility), and/or weakness of faith.”

Another way to define this idea is a “divided house” and/or a “divided mind”.

It’s being “double minded” which makes a person unstable in all their ways. James 1:8

Jesus made an interesting comment in Matthew 12:29

“How can anyone enter a strong man’s house and steal his possessions, unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can plunder the house.”

The weight of doubt can lead to things like fear, depression, emptiness, and unfaithfulness.  Doubt is a way the “thief” of our soul blindfolds and chains us up to plunder what belief we do have.  Jesus says, “The thief comes to kill, steal, and destroy.  I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” John 10:10

In doubt we can find ourselves in need of grace and mercy.  In doubt we can find ourselves in need and want of belief and trust in God.

And in part this is not bad.  For one of my favorite verses in God’s word is, “God blesses those who realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is given to them.” Matthew 5:3

But if doubt stops us from “receiving” the things God has to give us that is problem.

For how can anyone walk in the authority of God, the love of God, the grace of God, the hope of God, the promises of God, the truth of God and so on… if doubt stops and ultimately robs us?

How can we expect to actually “receive” if we are hindered by doubt?

Jesus said, “Wherever your treasure is, there your heart and thoughts will also be.” Matthew 6:21

When we are faced with doubt we must consider carefully and honestly what we are treasuring in our hearts.  Are we treasuring doubt?  Are we treasuring to be a victim? Treasuring what people have said over what God has said... Or are we treasuring life and life more abundantly regardless of circumstances? Difficult to swallow but is this not true?

I had a friend who was living with a rare cancer, she fought the good fight, ran the race well and instead of becoming a victim- she trusted in God and gained a deeper relationship with Him.  People would come to see her and there was not this victim mentality but a warm, confident, courage because of deep trust in God.

In times of doubt and pain we might only see one set of footprints in the sand and think we are alone, but what if those footprints in the sand aren’t really ours but Jesus carrying us?

 If we realized this we might be healed from our doubt and see life differently. 

The man asked what of Jesus?

“Help me overcome my unbelief.”

Let us not become a victim but place our unbelief in Jesus hands- that he may transform them into “life and life more abundantly” amongst the challenges and difficult circumstances that come. May His mercy and grace abound in our life and we know His love more deeply.

Amen.

Hindered Prayers Part 2

“If anyone turns a deaf ear to my instruction, even their prayers are detestable.” Proverbs 28:9

Have you ever wondered about those who ignore wise counsel and continue to live in their own destructive ways and then wonder why God isn’t listening to their prayers? 

Is God not gracious?  Is God not merciful?  Is God not kind? Is God not patient?  Is God not Love?

God is all those things and more but He is also a good father.  He knows when we just want a quick fix and then go back to living like those heading for hell.  All the way back with Adam and Eve in the Garden, God has told us there are consequences for our actions.  Consequences teach us something…

We can tell a child the stove top is hot repeatedly but some children are stubborn and ignore such warning and find out first hand that the stove top is indeed hot with a lingering reminder on their finger.

“The LORD is far from the wicked: but he hears the prayer of the righteous.” Proverbs 15:29

We cannot think our prayers will be heard … if we are continuing to choose to live in sin. 

We have heard this verse a lot in regards to our country but what about in our personal life?

“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:13-17

I find when we boil the meat of wickedness which is sexual sin, greed, foul language, hate, envy, murder, fighting, deception, malicious behavior, gossip, backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, boastful, disobedience, and unforgiving you find the bone that holds such things… this bone is refusing to acknowledge, reverence, obey and trust God. 

What does a person have when they don’t uphold God as their source of their “well” being?

Who does the mind think it’s accountable to then?  Who then decides your moral compass if there is no acknowledgement to God?

Romans 14:12 says, “So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.”

True answered prayer is “life” giving wisdom that comes from God.  It’s living wisdom not wisdom that just in your head but wisdom that lives in your heart.  It is hope when there seems to be no reason for hope. It is peace when there is no reason for peace.  It’s assurance when there is not reason for assurance.  

Proverbs says, Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.  Seek his will in all you do, and he will direct your paths.  Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom.  Instead fear the LORD and turn your back on evil.  Then you will gain renewed health and vitality.

Don’t let your own wisdom and understanding make an “impression” on you… where you think of yourself so highly or you are so self-absorbed in self-pity that you can’t even see what God is doing around you at “this” moment.

Truth is not “just” what we see… which can fool us but truth is found in trusting in the truths of God.

Jesus said, “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

If you hold on to the past or your own stumbling understanding - you are truly not acknowledging the living God.  You are either in a prison or on a hamster wheel going no where… I have been there.

Jesus said, “If the Son of God has set you free then you indeed are set free.”

God has opened the door to that prison but you chose to stay there or not.  Acknowledge God… turn your back on evil… Turn from the evil that has either happened to you or you have done or is manipulating you now.  Apologize to God for your wrongs and accept God’s love and truth in your heart over anything else…

And watch God answer.    

Hindered Prayers Part 1

Recently I was asked, “Jeff, why aren’t my prayers being answered?”

Why aren’t people’s prayers “seemingly” not answered? 

I am not going to pretend to know the answer but let’s look to the word of our God that stands forever, for some answers.
 

First I am reminded. You are not the only one who has ever felt that God is not hearing your prayers.

In the book of Daniel, Daniel is told his request has been heard but not answered because for twenty-one days the prince (demon) of the kingdom of Persia blocked the messenger until the archangel Michael helped him. Daniel 10:12-13

In the midst of the difficult circumstances bombarding him by the Devil, Job- thinking it was God said, “He has cast me into the mire, and I have become like dust and ashes. I cry out to You for help, but You do not answer me; I stand up, and You turn Your attention against me. You have become cruel to me; with the might of Your hand You persecute me…” Job 30:19-21

David wrote, “Hear my prayer, O LORD! Listen to my cries for help! Don’t ignore my tears.  For I am your guest- a traveler passing through, as my ancestors were before me.  Spare me so I can smile again before I am gone and exist no more.” Psalm 39:12-13

David's very next Psalm reads, “I waited patiently for the LORD to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry.  He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire.  He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along.” Psalm 40:1-2

Besides them I have heard of other present day mature Christians speak of difficult times where it seemed God was silent to their prayers but as they reminded themselves and God of His promises- God showed that He did hear their prayers and made the provision they needed.  I too have cried out the LORD in hard times and God has come and rescued me in ways I didn’t expect that I hold dear to this day.
 

He will do the same for you as you turn to Him and continue to trust Him.  Don’t continue to grind your teeth on the sour but lean heavily upon him.  We are sometimes broken in order that we no longer wander away.  And in brokenness he carries us to show us His love and just how faithful He is.    

My sister bought me this sign with a lion on it that sits near by bed. It says, “Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged for the LORD your GOD is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

He is with us wherever we go…

“Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.” Psalm 23:4

“The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those who are crushed in spirit.” Psalm 34:18

 
Hope this encourages anyone who needs to it.