Nothing is more discouraging to our faith than not getting what we pray or hope for. The first two reasons why God may not give what you ask for are: 1) God may not be your Father and 2) what you are asking for may not be good. Read Reasons One and Two Why Prayer Is Not Answered.
Now, if you know for certain that God is your Father, and you believe what you are asking for is good in the sight of God, then do you only pray when you are desperate or need something? Humans were created for relationships, and because we are made in the image of God, He wants a relationship with us. A healthy relationship requires spending time and talking with those we love. So, the third reason why you may not be getting results from your prayers is not being in a healthy relationship with God.
For example, if a lamp is not plugged into a power source the lamp will not produce light. By faith, you plug in a lamp to an outlet and expect the light to come on. For the light to work, it needs to stay connected to the power source. Staying connected to God is to remain in Him. Are you always plugged into God and the Bible?
John 15:7 states, “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”
- Are you abiding in God and are His words abiding in you?
Abide means to remain in something. We abide in God in the same way we rest in a place of shelter. When we abide in God, we trust He will protect us and provide for us. We remain in the shelter of God by faith through continual prayer with thanksgiving, praise, and pondering Scriptural truths.
Psalm 91:1 states, “He who dwells in the shelter (secret place) of the Most High will abide (rest) in the shadow of the Almighty.” Read my post called Psalm 91:1–How to Dwell in Heaven Now to learn more about how to abide in heaven with God.
When we pray with thanksgiving, praising God, and ponder Scripture, then our spirit draws near to Him, and He promises to draw near to us (see James 4:8). Do you only pray to Him and read your Bible in church on Sunday morning and maybe Wednesday night service? Do you say a nightly prayer after spending the day worrying or doing and thinking about worldly things? If your answer is yes, then you are not abiding in God.
Do you abide in God’s Word by reading it every day and memorizing it? If not, resolve to begin today. The mornings are the best time to read the Bible so you can meditate on what you read throughout the day. Writing out a key verse and reviewing it throughout the day will help you stay connected to God. 2 John 1:9 states, “Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ does not have God (in their hearts). Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.”
How do I know if I am abiding in God?
1John 3:18-24 explains how you know if you are abiding in God.
18) Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.
19) By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him;
20) for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything.
21) Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God;
22) and whatever we ask we receive from him because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.
23) And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us.
24) Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this, we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.
Do you love your brothers and sisters in Christ? Do you want to know if you have resentment towards anyone, then read How to Recognize and Eliminate Emotional Cancer.
If you have a hard time loving people, then read Love From a Pure Heart to become free to love others well. 1Corinthians 13:13 states, “So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” 1John 3:17 explains, “But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees a brother (Christian brother or sister) in need, yet closes his heart against them, how does God’s love abide in him?”
Conclusion
Prayer is our connection to the living, almighty God, and is the channel through which we receive power, wisdom, direction, and healing. Prayer is not only asking for things. You must remain in connection with God through continual prayer with thanksgiving by faith, reading His Word, and loving your brothers and sisters in Christ. If your heart does not condemn you then you have the confidence to be connected to God. Ephesians 3:11and 12 states, “This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him.”
RELATED POSTS:
How We Know God Will Never Forsake Us?
HOW TO PRAY USING THE LORD’S PRAYER AS A MODEL
If you find my posts and website helpful, then please share the links with your friends and family, hopeforcompletehealing.com. The information is copyright protected and no part of the posts or my book may be reproduced without proper citation to Joyce Hanscom.
Contact me at hopeforcompletehealing@gmail.com, and ask for a PDF of Eight Prayers from the Bible. The prayers are for the Spirit of wisdom, renewal, spiritual strength, knowledge of His will, virtues of God, non-believers, 23rd Psalm, and victory. Please leave your name so I know you are a real person making the request.
P.S.: Experiencing a lasting change in your life depends on having a right relationship with God the Father through believing in His Son Jesus Christ and obeying His command to love (1 John 3).
