How long have you prayed for something you know is God’s will, but still have not received the answer yet?
First, how do we know if it is God’s will? God’s word is His will. So, when we pray His Word, His word does what He says it will do. (Isaiah 55:11)
However, there may be times in our lives that it seems we pray and decree the Word of God. We ask and ask. After all the Bible says, “Ask, and it will be given to you” (Matthew 7:7a).
But still no answer. Then we may begin to question our faith.
The Word says when we have faith in God, then we can move mountains and get whatever we say.
“So Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them” (Mark 11:22-24 NKJV).
All we need is just a little faith, as tiny as a mustard seed. (Matthew 17:20)
But still no answer or even a confirmation that the answer is on its way. Why is that?
Let’s read Mark 11:25-26, “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.”
When we pray, if we have an “anything against anyone” we are to “forgive him.”
The first hindrance we encounter to receiving answers to our prayers is harboring hurts, wounds, and offenses (these are anythings) against others.
The legal system lends itself to taking on offenses. We set expectations on others to behave in a certain manner and when what really happens does not line up with our expectations, we take on an offense.
People will not always meet our expectations. How many of you heard your defense attorney say something like, “Oh don’t worry, we’ll get a not guilty or very least probation”?
Then after the jury deliberation you hear, “Guilty.” Then they are sentenced to years prison—5, 10, 20, 30, 50, 75 or even life without parole.
But the attorney promised a different outcome. This was my scenario and you can read about it in this blog post called, Misplaced Hope.
I learned to forgive the defense attorney and others in the system. If we harbor hurts, wounds, and offenses “against anyone,” then our prayers are hindered.
Today I ask you to take some time, write down the names of those people that when you even think of their names you feel your muscles tense or stomach turn.
Then pray this prayer:
Father God, I come humbly before you today. I choose to forgive [person’s name] for [name the specific act(s) committed that caused the hurt]. Lord, I forgive myself for holding unforgiveness in my heart. Father, I acknowledge that I have hurts in my heart and I ask You to heal the hurt in my heart. Lord, I desire to receive Your healing and be released from the unforgiveness spin cycle. In Jesus name, Amen.
If you follow through with this action, then you will be released and you have removed a hindrance to getting your prayers answered.
“The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (James 5:16b).