Why Your Prayer Is Not Answered – What the Bible Saysনমুনা

Why God Might Not Answer Your Prayer - III

We’re building up a whole library of why God might not be answering your prayers:

• You don’t ask.
• You asked, but with the wrong motives.
• You don’t believe, or
• You are disobedient to God’s instruction.

Although that sounds like a pretty big list, we have two more reasons to add, and then some words of encouragement.

Reason #5: You are dishonoring your family.

The Bible makes it clear that every Christian has as a first priority to provide for their family, and that not doing so is not good:

Anyone who does not provide for their … own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. – 1 Timothy 5:8

God also looks unkindly on any man (or woman, by inference) that is unfaithful to their spouse:

You flood the Lord’s altar with tears. You weep and wail because he no longer looks with favor on your offerings or accepts them with pleasure from your hands. You ask, “Why?”

It is because the Lord is the witness between you and the wife of your youth. You have been unfaithful to her, though she is your partner, the wife of your marriage covenant. – Malachi 2:13-14

While these verses show that the lack of provision or unfaithfulness in marriage turns away the Lord’s favor, simply being inconsiderate is already enough to hinder your prayers. Although Peter is addressing the men of his day, the requirement for a considerate and caring relationship works both ways:

Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives… so that nothing will hinder your prayers. – 1 Peter 3:7

For example, consider your work. With the deadlines and responsibilities facing you, you may rationalize your extra time at work as “more important”, and place consideration for your spouse or family to the side as you strive to achieve your goals. Of course, overwork may be needed occasionally, but if extra hours at work become the norm, then how are you being considerate of your family?

Be warned! What sounds and looks good from the world’s perspective at work may be the very thing that is hindering God from answering your prayers.

Reason #6: You ignore the poor and needy.

Even if your work and family life is in balance, but then you ignore the needs of others; this may also result in unanswered prayer. Check what the Bible says:

“Whoever shuts his ears to the cry of the poor will also cry himself and not be heard.” – Proverbs 21:13

The Bible is full of verses telling us to share, to look after those less fortunate than us. This is especially true within our Christian community but also applies to the “foreigner within our gates” (see Zechariah 7:9-10).

God has blessed you for His glory so that you might help build His Kingdom and be a blessing to others, just as God has blessed you. Good deeds have even been prepared in advance for you to do (Ephesians 2:10), and serving the poor and needy – just as Jesus Christ Himself came to do – is also your calling.

We close with a passage from the prophet Isaiah, where he tells us again how God might not listen. Take special note of what Isaiah says you can do about that in the second part of this passage:

When you spread out your hands in prayer, I hide my eyes from you; even when you offer many prayers, I am not listening. Your hands are full of blood!

Wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight; stop doing wrong. Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow. – Isaiah 1:15-17

What might you do to help someone less fortunate today?

Reflection / Application

1. How is your work/life balance? Are you able to extend any care or concern to others beyond these?
2. Your marriage vows contain some lasting and sacred commitments. Are you honoring and encouraging your spouse as much now as you did when you made those vows? If not, how might you get back to where you should be on those?
3. The poor are all around us, even the beggars on the way to work. What is your calling to help the poor and needy? How does this fit with your role as a Jesus follower?