Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.
Isaiah 59:1-2
Why do some people seem to get their prayers answered and others don’t? We know that God is “no respecter of persons.” We also know from the Scripture above that God’s hand is not drawn back from mankind or that He can no longer hear. Could it be that there are some people who call themselves Christians but who have so disregarded God’s Word so much so that He has left them to their own devices? Could it be that some never go to God except in the time of crisis? Could it be that there is some sin in their lives that has been hidden away and not repented of?
The Word above says their iniquities had separated them from God and their continual sinning had caused God to hide His face from them so that He would not hear them. Jeremiah wrote:
“Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withheld good things from you.”
Jeremiah 5:25
However, there was a remedy for them and there is a remedy for this generation. This generation needs God remedy as much or more than the generation to which Isaiah wrote. The remedy remains the same: repent and return to God. Isaiah wrote in Isaiah 55:6-7,
“Seek the LORD while he may be found, call upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and let him come to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.”
God knows our heart therefore we might as well be honest with Him. If we have not received answers to our prayers, perhaps we need to take a close look at ourselves. We know that God still answers prayer—that is not debatable. We know that He still performs miracles and that is not debatable. We know that some people still get through all of the “stuff” of this life to get to God for the miracles that they need.
Are the prayers that we pray just so much fluff? Has the sin of unbelief taken root in our hearts? It is not for me to say. All I know is that I have to look at myself and ask the hard questions and then do what the Lord says that I must do. Then my prayers will be answered and I will receive the answers to my prayers. It is His promise to all of us. Amen, amen and amen.
