I'm a strong believer who’s been
asking God for something for a very long time now to no avail. Why isn't he
giving me an answer? Why is He ignoring me?
SCRIPTURE:
Proverbs 3:5-6 - Trust in the lord with all heart, and do not lean on your own
understanding.
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.
Sometimes
God’s answers to our prayers may be delayed, but it doesn’t always mean they’ve
been denied. The fervent prayer of the righteous avails much. Your continuous
fervent and steadfast prayer will avail, so don’t give up just yet, or even at
all. Keep praying, keep seeking his face, and he’ll speak to you in His own way.
Patience
Answers
to prayers could be delayed because God has something better and greater in
store for you than what you’d initially asked for, so patience is all we need to
exemplify. Sometimes answers to our prayers are delayed, not because God is
toying with us, but because as Christian soldiers, God wants us to undergo
training and put into practice the spirit of patience and long suffering, so
that we can come out of situations stronger, more resilient, and less susceptible
to the wiles and temptations of the enemy. No one said being a Christian was
going to be easy; in fact as Christians, we’re prone to even more temptation,
trials and tribulations than our secular counterparts. But we go through all
this that we may come out stronger, braver, wiser and duly rewarded.
Warfare
Some
situations in our lives call for more than simple prayer and patience.
Sometimes we have to take our blessings by force from the clasp of the enemy.
How can we do this? Through fasting and warfare prayer.
Ephesians
6:12 says We fight not against flesh and blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen
world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in
the heavenly places. Daniel prayed and fasted for 21 days, and finally when
Angel Gabriel appeared to him, what did he tell Daniel?
“Don’t be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day you
began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your
request has been heard in heaven. I have come in answer to your prayer. 13 But for twenty-one days the spirit prince of
the kingdom of Persia blocked my way. Then Michael, one of the archangels, came
to help me, and I left him there with the spirit prince of the kingdom of
Persia. 14 Now I am here to explain what will happen to
your people in the future, for this vision concerns a time yet to come.” Daniel
10:12-14
God
was ready to answer Daniel’s prayer the very first day Daniel began praying,
but the prince of darkness blocked Angel Gabriel and they fought for 21 days,
the period that Daniel had been fasting. This scenario still happens today,
every single day. Satan doesn’t want you to be blessed or prosperous. Why would
he, he’s the devil afterall. So as Christians, part of our mission is to always
be prepared for spiritual battle, and not be afraid to go to war when we have
to. When things are not going as they should in our lives, it’s time to put on our
armor and go to war.
Esther
dry-fasted for 3 whole days because she knew what she wanted and she was ready
to fight tooth and nail for it (Esther 4:16). She fervently cried out to God to
save her people and their future, and He did. Pray without ceasing. Pray with
all your heart. Let God see your heart, let everything within you turn to God,
and wait on Him. Wait patiently on the Lord. Be brave and courageous. (Psalm
27:14)
His ways are perfect
On
the other hand, sometimes we do everything mentioned above, yet we still get no
results. God’s answer may be a simple no, and we may never get to fully
understand why. We don’t know why things happen the way they do sometimes, we
can only trust that God’s ways are perfect – He’s too big for error, and too
wise for mistakes. He may not always give us what we want, but he’ll always
give us what we need, which may not be what we asked for. We have to understand
that our lives are in his hands, we have given him control of our lives, so
trust that he has our best interests at heart.
Before
seeking the face of God for something, ensure you've sincerely answered these:
- Am I fervently praying, reading his word and seeking his face?
- Have I confessed all my sins to God and asked for mercy?
- Have I put God above everything else in my life?
- Am I asking this for the right reasons?
Remember
that His plans for you will never fail. Trust that no matter what you’re going through,
He’s there with you, and will rightfully give you what you need at His right
time.
Selah
