Dear God, Where Is The Answer to My Prayer?

Many people are frustrated with prayer and with the things of God simply because they don't know the principles of how things work. God is a God of order. You can see that by His creation. The sun rises and sets consistently.The ocean waves are bound by the shoreline. The seasons change on time, man is born, lives and dies.

When a person sincerely cries out to God and it seems their request is unanswered or denied, he or she will do one of four things. (1). Vow to never pray again, (2) Take the presumed lack of an answer as the actual answer to their prayer, (3) give a trite religious sounding reason or (4) blame somebody else.

Rarely does a person ask themselves if they prayed correctly.

The simplest definition of prayer is defined as having a conversation with God. This takes away all of the form, pomp and circumstance that we like to wrap prayer in. "Help me, Lord!" is a much a valid prayer as reciting a long soliloquy full of "thees" and "thous".

Prayer is your heart to God's heart.

Sounds simple enough,and it is...but, situational prayer and strategic prayer are two different things. Situational prayer is the "Help me, Lord", "Tell me, Lord", kind of praying. Strategic prayer is the "Johnny is on drugs, Father, please deliver him", kind of praying.

The fundamental key to answered prayer is the "name of Jesus". In John 16 Jesustalked to the disciples about His resurrection. He told them that up until this point they'd asked nothing in His name, but when He was ascended to ask the Father in His name(Jesus) and, the Father would give them their request. He, (Jesus) essentially was opening a direct connection to the Father for them.

Up until this time, they had no way to access the Father personally. They had to rely on animal sacrifice and the ritual ceremonies to have God's intervention in their lives. Jesus death, burial and resurrection was the end of the required animal sacrifice and ceremonial rituals. He, (Jesus) is the direct connect from the believer to the Father.

My son is often out of the country and the phone service that we have has the direct connect feature...if I want to talk to him, all I need to do is push the button on the side of my phone and he receives an audible alert. He in turn pushes the button on his phone and we are immediately in walkie-talkie mode.

It's the same with the Lord, all you have to do is open your mouth and use the name of Jesus and you in direct connect with the Father.

It is impossible to get an answer to prayer if you don't believe that there is a God. Hebrews 11:6 says, "he that cometh to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him", In other words,if you don't expect "nothing" you won't get "something". You must believe there is a living God and if you don't diligently (not religiously-but diligently) seek Him if you expect to receive from Him.

Faith can be built through hearing the Word of God. The stronger your faith, the easier it is to receive from God. Faith is what returns your answer and, faith is what is attacked by the enemy. You ask god for something and immediately the devil comes and tells you that you aren't worthy to receive that. He will remind you of something that you did, or thought or should have done but didn't. His job is to make you feel unworthy to receive from God.

Once you feel like that, you will let go of your faith. Once you let go of your faith, you let go of your answer. If you want an answer to your prayer, you have to remain strong when the devil comes whispering in your ear. You have to believe God in spite of any circumstances and stay the course because God does answer prayer.

The Bible tells us that it is the little foxes that spoil the vine,_{(Song of Solomon 2:15).} Those little things that wheedle themselves into our faith and eat away at it. Little things that, left unchecked will erupt into large unmanageable things.

Things like "what", you may ask,...well, things like disobedience and deliberate sin. Little white lies, (someone please tell me the difference is between a white lie and just a plain old lie!), little thefts, little selfish acts of strife and malice. We have to realize that the answer to our prayers is connected to our obedience and submission to God.

Babes in Christ, new believers, and people who are developing a relationship with our Father may see merciful and different results. They may see answers quickly and dramatically. Why? Because they are being trained by the Father to believe that He is and that His Word is true. But, for those of us who declare from the mountain top that "Jesus is Lord!" and who preach to everyone of His goodness,grace and saving power... for us, we have to walk by faith. We have to walk in the Word, we have to discipline ourselves according to the Word of God.

We have to be examples of the lifestyle that is pleasing to the Lord, and in line with His Word. Paul told Timothy to endure hardness as a good soldier:

(3)Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.(4) No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. (5) And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully. _{(2 Timothy 3-5 - KJV)}

(3) Take your share of suffering as a good soldier of Jesus Christ, just as I do;( 4) and as Christ’s soldier, do not let yourself become tied up in worldly affairs, for then you cannot satisfy the one who has enlisted you in his army. (5) Follow the Lord’s rules for doing his work, just as an athlete either follows the rules or is disqualified and wins no prize._{(2 Timothy 3-5-Living Bible)}

Nothing is free... the gifts and promises of God are based upon our faith in Him and our responses to Him.

Scenario:

Believer in prayer:
"Father, I come to you in the name of Jesus. I believe that you are and, that you are a rewarder to them who diligently seek you. Father, you know that I need a new job that will enable me to take care of my family and, bring us out of debt.I ask based on Phil. 4:19 which tells me that you will supply all of my need. By faith, I believe that I receive my new job right now., Thank you Father in Jesus' Name, Amen."

The Father to the Believer:
"My child, go to your neighbors and cut their grass this Saturday".

Believer:
"Cut their grass???! I don't know these people! They might think I am crazy, or poor! I ain't doing that. This can't be God telling me to go and cut some strangers grass. Hummph!

Believer:
"Father, I am confessing my new job. I just thank you for it in advance. It has been 2 weeks and nothing has come to pass, not even an opportunity. But, I am standing on the Word and, I will not let go of my faith. I believe you God, In Jesus' Name I pray, Amen.

The Father:
"Son, (or Daughter), go to your uncle and forgive him his act of molestation against you."

Believer:
"I must be confused... I know the Lord wants us to forgive, and I have. I am free from the bondage of that molestation.I forgave my Uncle, but I just know that God is not telling me to go to him. I can't face him, I can't bring that past up... No, this must be a deceiving spirit telling me to go to my uncle. I am not doing that!"

Believer:
"Father, I am going under financially! I don't know what is happening!. I have prayed, I am standing on the Word. I pray and make my faith confessions about my new job every day. Why don't I have my new job? Lord, please answer me!"

When we pray and ask god for something.... (I am talking to Believers), when we pray and ask God for something, He often will ask us do something. The something He is asking us to do may not make sense and surely may not relate in any way that we can see to our prayer request.

His ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. We need not know the reason for His request of us.... we just need to obey.

One of the neighbors grass whom God asked the Believer to cut owns a company in the Believer's desired field of employment. Cutting their grass would have opened a door of discussion between the Believer and the company owner. This would have led to a new job for the Believer.

Going to the uncle who molested the Believer would have resulted in a freedom for the uncle and for the Believer which would have made the Believer more "hire-able" in his or her desired field of work.

Simple obedience to God may not feel good to us, but it is certainly good for us.

If you don't have a personal relationship with the Lord Jeus Christ and would like to have one, just pray this prayer and Jesus Christ will come into your heart...

Dear God,

I come to you recognizing that I am a sinner in need of salvation. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God, that He died for me and He rose from the dead. Jesus, come into my heart. I receive you as my Lord and my saviour. Fill me with the Holy Ghost and fire.

Thank you Father that based on my confession of faith, I am now saved. Amen