John 14:14
If
ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
I pray to you Father in the Precious Name of Jesus Christ. I ask that you would speak to my heart through the Words of God that are written down in this News Letter. Allow the Holy Spirit to change the hearts of those who read this, that we would come to a point in our lives that others would be able to see Christ working through us. Father, I also pray that the Church of Jesus Christ would start to fulfill the two great commandments.
Matthew 22:37-39
Jesus
said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and
with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. [38] This is the first and great
commandment. [39] And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour
as thyself.
I pray for the people who are lost without Christ in their hearts, that they would read this and come to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. For Christians who read this I pray that they would allow Jesus Christ to be the Lord in every part of their lives, A-Men:
John
14:15
If ye love me, keep my commandments.
Luke
9:23
And
he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself,
and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
While following Christ, I have found that if I need anything I must first stop and pray and then expect to receive. But there are times when the answers do not come as soon as I would like them to come. The Holy Spirit is revealing to us a small amount of possible (potential) reasons, for unanswered or delayed prayers. He is also reminding me that when he points out something to my heart that needs to be changed I should not try to make the changes all by myself, but I should allow him to do the changing through me. The Word of God teaches me that I can do nothing without Christ, and my efforts will amount nothing.
John
15:5
I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him,
the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
When I ask the Lord for something over and over again and I do not get what I ask for. That is when I should sit down with the Bible and start searching for the answer. I must ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to my heart what the problem could be.
1 Cor. 2:10
But God hath
revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things,
yea, the deep things of God.
The Holy Spirit will continue to reveal to my heart through the Word of God what the reasons could be for my delayed or unanswered prayer requests.
John 16:13
Howbeit when
he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for
he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall
he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
The Lord also speaks to me through that still small voice that comes from within my heart which is the Holy Spirit. He also talks to me through my Pastor and through other Christians, especially when I refuse to accept what I read in the Word of God concerning my unanswered prayers. He will also have others come along to say the same thing to help me to accept what I have read in the Bible. He will use two or three different (witnesses) ways to confirm to my heart what he wants me to do.
Matthew 18:16
But if he
will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth
of two or three witnesses every word may be established.
God may have already answered my prayer but not exactly the way that I expected him to. I know that God sometimes answers my prayers in a way that becomes hard for me to accept. I must always remember that the thoughts and ways of God are always higher then my thoughts or my ways. God knows what is best for me. He will only do those things that will allow me to do his will.
Isaiah 55:8-9
I must always remember
an not forget that God is in control even when I don’t understand.
He will work all things out for my good for His own propose and Glory.
So as I was meditating about these reasons for delayed or unanswered prayer
request. The Lord then revealed to me just a few of some of many examples
of problems that could be the cause for my delayed or unanswered
prayers.
Self-Indulgence–Is
when I yield to the desire of things or for the things that are against
the Word of God.
Luke 21:34
And take
heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting,
and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you
unawares.
When we pray for something we must first ask ourselves this question. Does this request line up with the Word of God? Do I really need this, or am I just answering the needs of my flesh?
James 4:3
Ye ask, and receive not,
because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
Wavering:
To Waver– Is when I fluctuate in opinion, allegiance, or direction.
James 1:6
But let him
ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of
the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
I have heard this saying many time, “Believe and Receive or Doubt and Do Without” . . . That is why when I pray for something I must show my faith in God, through my confession. When I confess by faith that I received something from God, I must not allow doubt to enter into my heart that causes me to not receive.
Hebrews 10:23
Let us hold
fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful
that promised;)
Stubbornness:
Stubborn– Is when I am unreasonably determined not to yield the control of myself to the Holy Spirit.
Acts 7:51
Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised
in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers
did, so do ye.
This is exactly what I do when I become stubborn, not letting the Holy Spirit control of all my actions. I show God and others that I hate the instructions of others and that I despise what the Word of God teaches. Being Stubborn is the same as, being Stiff-necked, not willing to change when I am instructed to do so. This could be another reason that I do not receive what I pray for. Because, sometime things must change before something good can happen to me or for me.
Proverbs 5:11-13
And thou
mourn at the last, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed, [12] And say,
How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof; [13] And have
not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to them that
instructed me!
Neglecting to show Mercy
James 4:17
Therefore
to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.
Neglect Mercy– Is when I disregard, the showing of pity, leniency, and hindering the giving of a divine blessing.
1 John 3:17
But whoso
hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up
his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?
When I have mercy on someone, I must not look on the outward appearance of that person. I must look upon that person as the Lord would look upon him and help him no matter what. To see a person in need of some help and I turn around and I think to myself that the Lord has some else that will help him. Or I say that I’m too busy or I just do not get involved at this time.
Matthew 25:40
And the King
shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have
done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto
me.
The then Lord reminds me that when I help others it is as if I were helping him. And if I do not help that person I it is as if I refuse to help the Lord by doing this I may not get help when I have need of it. I must always be open to the leading of the Holy Spirit so that I will know when to show mercy and be a blessing to that person who is in need.
Proverbs 21:13
Whoso stoppeth
his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not
be heard.
Indifference
Indifference– Is when I show no preference, showing neither interest nor dislike.
Proverbs 1:28
Then shall
they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but
they shall not find me:
Indifference is a term that sometimes does not seem to mean anything to me, but it does creep into the way I do things at times. What I mean is when I hear about someone that needs help and I just don’t think and go my way and forget. My indifference to the problem is my failing to act upon it, which is shown through my actions.
Matthew 22:5
But they
made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his
merchandise:
The Lord then reminds me that when I make light of a problem and go my own way without helping to correct it, that is when my testimony is worthless and it proves that my faith is weak. The proof of my faith is in my actions, when I hear about a problem what should I do? Do I help or not?
James 1:23
For if any
be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding
his natural face in a glass:
Disobedience
Disobedience– Is when I refuse to obey what I know the Word of God teaches.
Proverbs 15:32
He that refuseth
instruction despiseth his own soul: but he that heareth reproof getteth
understanding.
When I’m convicted by God to change something in my life, and refuse, that is when I should not expect my prayer to be answered. To avoid this, I must begin to allow the Holy Spirit of God to change what needs changing from the inside. I ask why? Because, I cannot do the changing by myself that is why I must submit myself to God and allow him to do the changing that he wants done.
Proverbs 28:9
He that turneth
away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.
Luke 22:42
Saying, Father,
if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will,
but thine, be done.
The only thing that you and I should be doing is to submit our will to his will, and allow him to make the necessary changes that he wants to make.
James 4:7,10
Submit yourselves
therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. [10] Humble
yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
He wants to remind you and me that we still have the free will to say no, to do what I want to do. But we must be ready to receive the answer to our prayer, and remember for what we sow, we will also reap.
Galatians 6:7-9
Be not deceived;
God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
[8] For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption;
but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
[9] And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap,
if we faint not.
1 Tim. 2:4
Who will
have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
And for those who are waiting for answers to their prayers, please, help them to say yes when they hear from you and then to submit to your will, that they would see the Holy Spirit working everything out for their good and for your own Glory. Please help me to stay faithful and to continue to write these News Letters to help others to walk as Christ walked upon this earth. I pray all these things in the Name of Jesus Christ my Lord and Saviour, A-Men:
Romans 10:13
For whosoever
shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.