Biblical Leadership: Why Your Prayer Is Not AnsweredSample

Why God Might Not Answer Your Prayer

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

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

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

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

With the many pressures in the workplace today, you may rationalize your extra time at work as important or even critical, and place consideration for your spouse to the side as you chase after your leadership goals and objectives. Of course, overwork may be needed occasionally, but if extra hours at the office become the norm, then how are you being considerate of your family?

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

6. You ignore the poor and needy.

Achieving the correct balance of family and leadership responsibilities, but ignoring others outside of those circles can 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 in your leadership 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 your calling also.

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 and application

1. How is your work/life balance? Do your best leadership traits help or harm your home life? 
2. Your marriage vows contains 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 call to leadership?