Sometimes when we pray for something, even something that may be righteous and in line with God’s instruction, we do not hear back from God a “yes” or a “no” or even “later”. We hear silence. Our first reaction is often that God does not hear or does not care. The scriptures tell us differently.
Henry and Richard Blackaby cover this subject well in Hearing God’s Voice. There are several areas for personal reflection when we feel we are hearing nothing back from God in regards to our prayers.
If we allow sin to remain in our lives, God will not respond to our prayers. If we hear silence returned for prayers we may consider what sin we may have in our lives.
- If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. [Psalm 66:18]
- Listen! The Lord’s arm is not too weak to save you, nor is his ear too deaf to hear you call. It’s your sins that have cut you off from God. Because of your sins, he has turned away and will not listen anymore. [Isaiah 59:1-2]
Though all sin creates separation between ourselves and our holy God, the Bible highlights a few specific examples of sin that can impede our prayer life:
- Broken relationships (Matthew 5:23-24, 1 Peter 3:7)
- Forgiving others (Matthew 6:14-15)
We must also consider whether or not we have faith for God to answer our prayer.
- Jesus often commended those who had faith (Matthew 8:13, Matthew 9:22, Matthew 9:29, Luke 7:50) saying “As you have believed, let it be done for you”.
- On the other hand, he did not tolerate unbelief among his disciples (Matthew 14:31, Mark 4:40, Luke 9:41)
Ultimately we must learn to trust Jesus whether He answers our prayers with a “yes”, “no”, or “later”. We submit and declare “Your will be done, not mine.” If we hear only silence, we should spend time reflecting on any areas of sin in our life that may be separating us from God. We should repent, come before God humbly and ask forgiveness. God hears and cares always.
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