Have you ever prayed for months and months without receiving an answer? If so, you know that prayer is tough. It’s not for the faint of heart.
When our prayers go unanswered, we often ask, “Why, God? What am I doing wrong? Are my prayers not good enough?”
To be honest, our prayers are not enough. But our prayers don’t depend on us. They depend on Him.
Here are 3 reasons why our prayers are not enough (and why we should pray anyway.)
Not Enough Faith
We know it’s not easy to pray when all hope seems lost. We get it.
But sometimes Christians give up too easily. What if Hannah had given up praying for a son? What if the children of Israel had stopped asking God to deliver them from Egyptian slavery? What if Zacharias and Elisabeth decided that they should just stop praying for a baby? History would have marched on, but perhaps their names wouldn’t have been included in the Book.
Hebrews 11:6 reminds us, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”
The stories of Hannah, Zacharias, and Elisabeth remind us that God answers big prayers. Perhaps you feel that your faith is too small to keep praying. Don’t give up! Instead, choose to believe God and pray, “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.” (Mark 9:24)
Not Enough Wisdom
Have you ever been very glad that God didn’t answer, “Yes,” to one of your prayers? As humans, we are naturally shortsighted. Often, we have enough experience to make us feel smart but not enough to make us wise.
This naturally carries over into our prayer life. For example, we might ask Him to remove a certain person from our lives. From our point of view, that would “fix” everything. But that person might turn out to be a blessing in disguise.
If you want to know how to pray wisely, ask God to give you wisdom.
“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” (James 1:5)
In addition, ask God to ignore any of your prayers that are shortsighted or unwise. Tell Him, “Your will be done, not mine.”
Not Enough Patience
If God answered your prayers today, would you be prepared for it? God doesn’t always answer our prayers right away because He is still working on us. He’s developing our trust, our endurance, and, yes, our patience. He’s building character into our lives. At the local church’s prison ministries, we are thankful that God is still working to make us more like Christ.
But, too often, we are like the five-year-old boy who wants to drive his daddy’s truck. “Let me drive! I’m big enough,” he says insistently. Little does he know that first he’ll need to learn to ride a bicycle, wait eleven years, write a test, get his eyes examined, and take driver’s education BEFORE he can actually drive Daddy’s F150.
If you’re struggling because God seems to be taking a long time to answer, remember that His timing is perfect. Keep waiting on Him and praying boldly! Someday, you will be able to share David’s testimony, “I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.” (Psalm 40:1)
Keep praying patiently, and you will be delighted when God answers your prayer!
But He’s Praying for You
One of the most incredible truths of the Christian life is this.
Jesus Christ is praying for you and me.
He didn’t just appoint a section of angels to supervise the Earth-dwellers. He didn’t just pray a special blessing over newborn believers. The Bible says something far different….and far better.
“Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.” (Romans 8:34)
Filled with all the wisdom of the Godhead, Jesus asks His Father to act on our behalf. And, with His boundless wisdom and resources, the Father says yes!
–Yes to light for our path.
–Yes to hard things that draw us to Him.
–Yes to daily strength to obey.
–Yes to answering our heart’s desire.
–Yes to our prayers in bigger and better ways than we could ever dream.
Though our own prayers are not enough, Jesus’ prayers are abundantly enough! His grace is more than sufficient.
Today’s takeaway is this…don’t give up! Come boldly to the throne of grace and keep praying! Join us at the local church’s prison ministries to learn more about prayer.
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Are you searching? Jesus has the answers for addictions and stubborn habits. For more information, send the Crossmans a private message here on Facebook or come to a church service at Prince Albert Baptist Church. Take the first step in a walk of freedom!
For more information, call (306) 940-9554 or email anchorofhopeheb@gmail.com
