You may remember the old telephone commercial where the guy is trying to call someone on his cell phone, but has difficulty being heard. He keeps moving from place to place and, with each change of location he asks, "Can you hear me now?"Prayer can seem like that too. You pray and you ask, but seem to get no answer and you wonder if you're even being heard. You fast and make promises, but nothing changes. I've heard it said that when you get no answer to your prayers, God may be saying "no" or "wait." This is true, but not always. The bible also tells us that God expects us to obey Him so our prayers can be heard. "The Lord is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous." (Proverbs 15:29). 1 Peter 4:7 says, "The end of all things is near. Therefore, be clear-minded and self-controlled so that you can pray." In James 3:16 we read, "Therefore, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." The bible has so much to say about being in right relationship with God so our prayers can be heard. Let me just give you one more example of hindered prayer. When husbands and wives do not live together in peace, this too can hinder prayers from being heard. Look at 1 Peter 3:1-7. Peter explains how a woman and man should treat each other, and ends verse 7 with "so that nothing will hinder your prayers."
When you refuse to live a life of obedience to God and you refuse to repent from your sins, you may actually be leaving your children and loved ones unprotected. According to the above verses, it sounds to me like God will not hear your prayers, so if you are praying for your family members while living in disobedience, you are actually not being heard. This thought alone should drive you to your knees.
Let's determine to confess our sins and live lives completely surrendered to God. Tell Him how weak you are, but that you want Him to change you. I promise you that He will hear you when you pray this kind of prayer. Imagine how wonderful this year will be if God will hear our prayers for our children and other family members, our unsaved loved ones, our church, our community, our government, and the world. Do not allow your prayers to be hindered any longer.
Tags: Women, Prayer, Devotional, Christianity
