Why some prayers are not answered

Although we will never fully understand why certain prayers, prayed with sincerity in the name of the LORD JESUS, are not answered, the following points will help us to either correct such situations or accept GOD'S will in those instances.

1) The request is not according to GOD'S will.

 You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.
James 4:3

Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.
1 John 5:14-15

We have a carnal motive.

2) The prayer is answered, in His time. 

 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.
Ecclesiastes 3:11

His timing is different to ours because He is fulfilling an eternal purpose in all things that we can't see.

3) Leak in the bucket.

 Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.
Revelation 5:8

 When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets. Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel's hand. Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth. And there were noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake. So the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.
Revelation 8:1-6

Like a bucket that is leaky, the golden bowl of prayers that is leaky, will never overflow to reach Heaven. The prayers and intercession of faith and sincerity are nullified by carnal and negative words of doubt spoken by the same mouth to others!

4) Molding of the Intercessor.

GOD uses the weakness of others to mold us. He teaches us patience and changes us until the time the unruly child is changed!

After praying for and ministering for a long period to a trouble-creating brother or sister, we see no change in that individual, we shouldn't be discouraged. GOD does not expect us to change others, it is His business! We can be encouraged if we notice changes in our hearts!

 The Lord looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of men. From the place of His dwelling He looks On all the inhabitants of the earth; He fashions their hearts individually; He considers all their works.
Psalm 33:13-15

Even as I minister to another person, I am being ministered to by the LORD. His word is double-edged and works in me and through me in others. The more difficult the person, the greater the molding I receive. I become patience is stretched and I receive a characteristic of GOD which is 'L--o--n--g  Suffering! That is a manifestation of love which suffers long.

If the LORD does not put an evil person in my path, how would I learn how to turn the cheek, and overcome evil with good? How would I become Christ-like? And if only CHRIST can change such a person, the best way he could encounter CHRIST would be through me. Usually one difficult member of a family is used by the LORD to mold all others. Then, the long-awaited changes in that special individual will become evident because the selfless, unconditional love of CHRIST has been revealed to him by his family!

Therefore while we wait to see changes in others, let us observe our own actions, reactions and responses objectively. We will find great joy seeing the hand of our loving Creator molding us in the process of using us to mold others! He is the Potter and all of us are clay in His hands. The softer clay gets molded first! Diamond cuts diamond!

LUKE 16:1-13

 LUKE 16:1-13

This parable follows the parable of the lost coin, sheep and the lost son. JESUS spoke these to the Pharisees and scribes about the tax collectors and the sinners. This brings to light the value of souls and Kingdom perspectives.

 He also said to His disciples: 

This parable JESUS directs to His disciples who were following Him. Therefore it is relevant to those of us who have decided to follow the LORD. 

"There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and an accusation was brought to him that this man was wasting his goods. 

I need to put myself in the shoes of the steward, to be able to learn the lessons taught here. A steward is a servant who has a responsible position and on whom his master places reliability and from whom his master expects loyalty.

The rich man is: things depicting the world and its systems which is also referred to as mammon. If we are not materially profitable in this world, we would be considered by the people of the world as ‘wasting his goods.’

We are stewards of the LORD in His eternal Kingdom. GOD expects us to be profitable in His Kingdom by reaching others with the Gospel and building others in their faith. We must also use all our resources and possessions for Kingdom profit. We must give of our time, energy and skills and money to meet the needs of servants of GOD and ministry work. We should also give to the needs of the poor and needy.

So he called him and said to him, 'What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.' 

Stewardship - All of us have various responsibilities in this world to use our life - time, talent and resources responsibly to benefit ‘the world’. This could be through a secular job adding value to a company or through our knowledge and skills adding value to the world. “Give an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward” are the words the world will say to us when our lives become unprofitable to the world because of age or disability. One day the world will consider us more as a burden and as ‘wasting his goods’!

We have a responsibility to be profitable for the Kingdom as we live for the LORD and the LORD has promised to meet all our needs. Matt 6:33. It is not only ‘doing’ but being salt and light through our attitude and love that we serve the LORD. Therefore even in old age or through disability, we can still bring profit to the Kingdom of GOD.

 The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those who are planted in the house of the Lord Shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bear fruit in old age; They shall be fresh and flourishing,

Psalm 92:12-14

We must realize that when we are called home to be with the LORD we can no longer be steward and each one of us will be called to give an account of our stewardship before GOD.

Then the steward said within himself, 'What shall I do? For my master is taking the stewardship away from me. I cannot dig; I am ashamed to beg. I have resolved what to do, that when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.' 

Like the wise steward, we must say within ourselves that our stewardship in this world will come to an end one day. Whether it be at retirement from work or at death. We must give thought to our future and our eternal destination right here and now.

Our loyalty must shift from mammon to GOD like the steward.

So he called every one of his master's debtors to him, and said to the first, 'How much do you owe my master?' And he said, 'A hundred measures of oil.' So he said to him, 'Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.' Then he said to another, 'And how much do you owe?' So he said, 'A hundred measures of wheat.' And he said to him, 'Take your bill, and write eighty.' 

This steward spent his time and energy to earn a living by serving his master. He was probably a debt collector for the rich man who was his master. He was squandering his masters money by helping himself to it while also pressurising the debtors to pay their debts. He was secure in the favor of his master until he was found out. Then his loyalty shifted to the debtors and he decided to get their favor to secure his future at the expense of his master’s profit!

We may have been secure in this world while serving mammon and earning our living. When we realise this life will come to an end one day, and we will be called to give an account to GOD. to Whom we are indebted and owe Him our very life! He is our Master and whatever we may do, we must seek profit for His Kingdom. Therefore we must use our position, possessions, resources, skills, time and energy to see souls won for Him and discipled to follow and serve Him. Our loyalty must shift from mammon to GOD. Even in secular work, our purpose and motive should be Kingdom profit.

Are we praying and interceding for our work mates?

Are we a witness for the LORD through our attitude and behavior?

Do we take every opportunity to make JESUS known?

 No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon."

Luke 16:13

Debt and Debtors:

Like the steward, we are debt collectors for the Kingdom and proclaim the Good News of the Gospel, letting people know their debt towards the LORD and bringing them to salvation in CHRIST. We must let people know that one day each one of us ‘can no longer be steward’ when we die. On that day we will stand before GOD to give an account of our life on earth. JESUS CHRIST made a way for us to be forgiven and reconciled to GOD so that we may not perish in hell but have eternal life in Heaven with Him! 

 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

John 3:16

As JESUS gave His very life as a sacrifice on the cross for the forgiveness and salvation of our soul and rose again from the dead and ascended back to Heaven, we owe our very life to Him. This we fulfil by surrendering our life to Him and receiving the Holy Spirit to come into our life. We must allow the Holy Spirit to live through us.

 But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine.

Isaiah 43:1

 Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.

John 14:23

 Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?

1 Corinthians 3:16

 When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, "Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels."

Mark 8:34-38

We would be unjust and cheating, if we tell people anything less than the truth. The truth is that all of us owe our very lives to the LORD JESUS! We should be loyal first of all to the LORD and then to people. We cannot soft-pedal the Gospel for our benefit or to gain favor from people.

In one sense, we are like debt collectors for the LORD, the debt being souls! 

 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, And he who wins souls is wise.

Proverbs 11:30

In doing this, we are securing an eternal home for ourselves and for those souls won into the Kingdom of GOD.

 "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.

Matthew 10:16

So the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light. And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home. He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in what is another man's, who will give you what is your own?  No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon."

Luke 16:1-13

CROSSROAD

 CROSSROAD

Vaccination or No-Vaccination?

When you are at the crossroad, follow the cross.

Decisions are not easy most of the time.

Direction needs to be a clear sign.

The rationalization of the mind may be different to the way of the Spirit. Therefore after working things out with your mind, you have to yield to the Holy Spirit.

The cross is the way of the LORD JESUS. As His followers, we must follow the cross. That means denying my 'self' and laying down all that means 'life' to me.

This begins with my thinking. I have to be renewed in my mind.

My soul needs to be subject to the Spirit. Then I can willingly not only bow my head, knees and my body to the LORD in worship but also prostrate my body, yielding and surrendering my whole life towards unquestioning obedience to the LORD! This means speaking, working and walking in step with the Holy Spirit.

The LORD is interested in the motives of the mind and in the attitudes of the heart. He doesn't just see what we do, but why we do it and with what attitude we do it.

The commandment is, "Love one another as I have loved you."

How did JESUS love us?

He gave up His life for us on the cross.

checklist

Am I doing this to justify myself?

Am I doing this to protect myself?

Am I not doing this to justify myself?

Am I not doing this to protect myself?

Am I making this decision because of my love for the LORD?

Will the LORD'S name be glorified through this decision?

Will others benefit and be blessed through this decision?

 Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, 

let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 

For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 

For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? 

Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 

For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, 

and then He will reward each according to his works.

Matthew 16:24-27

 Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things.

For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables.

Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, 

and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him. 

Who are you to judge another's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. 

Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand. 

One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. 

Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. 

He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; 

and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. 

He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; 

and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks. 

For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. 

For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. 

Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord's.

For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, 

that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living. 

But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? 

For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. 

For it is written: "As I live, says the Lord, Every knee shall bow to Me, 

And every tongue shall confess to God." 

So then each of us shall give account of himself to God. 

Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, 

not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother's way. 

I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself; 

but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. 

Yet if your brother is grieved because of your food, you are no longer walking in love. 

Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died. 

Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil; 

for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, 

but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 

For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men. 

Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace 

and the things by which one may edify another. 

Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. 

All things indeed are pure, but it is evil for the man who eats with offense. 

It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles 

or is offended or is made weak. 

Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God. 

Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. 

But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, 

because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.

Romans 14:1-23

 Stand fast therefore in the liberty 

by which Christ has made us free, 

and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. 

Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, 

Christ will profit you nothing. 

And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised 

that he is a debtor to keep the whole law. 

You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; 

you have fallen from grace. 

For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. 

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, 

but faith working through love. 

You ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? 

This persuasion does not come from Him who calls you. 

A little leaven leavens the whole lump. 

I have confidence in you, in the Lord, that you will have no other mind; 

but he who troubles you shall bear his judgment, whoever he is. 

And I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why do I still suffer persecution? Then the offense of the cross has ceased. 

I could wish that those who trouble you would even cut themselves off! 

For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; 

only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, 

but through love serve one another. 

For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: 

"You shall love your neighbor as yourself." 

But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!

Galatians 5:1-15

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, 

but a new creation.

Galatians 6:15

In the spiritual realm, the only division is:

those who have JESUS and those who don't have JESUS 

in their lives!

Virus or no virus

vaccination or no - vaccination

is not the issue in the Kingdom of GOD!

 He who has the Son has life; 

he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
1 John 5:12

 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, 

and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
John 17:3

 And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, 

and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand. 

And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, 

"Are You for us or for our adversaries?" 

So He said, "No, but as Commander of the army of the Lord I have now come." 

And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and said to Him, 

"What does my Lord say to His servant?" 

Then the Commander of the Lord's army said to Joshua, 

"Take your sandal off your foot, 

for the place where you stand is holy." And Joshua did so.

Joshua 5:13-15

 ISOLATE

Since covid began, this word has become very common. We constantly hear 'isolate', 'isolation' and 'self isolation'.

Although for most people it is not a pleasant situation, it can be a very treasured time if taken positively.

I

  Submit to authority

   Obey GOD

    Listen to GOD

     Ask GOD to reveal Himself to me

      Thank GOD

       Endure hardship

It is easy to connect with GOD without distractions.

Being alone in the presence of GOD is an unforgettable experience.

It is like a Wi-Fi connection that comes easy and quick with amazing download of Heavenly information that changes your mindset.

When you purposefully set time aside to seek GOD sincerely, you will find Him. He will begin to reveal Himself to you in ways that you will understand. When that happens, you will begin to change because you are connecting with your Creator! He makes and molds you in preparation for eternity with Him.

You wait on the LORD, opening your mind and heart to Him, not knowing how He is going to show up. You think He is late. Then when He shows up, you realize, He has been waiting for you all along! You say to yourself "I (am) so late! I had to come into isolation to set myself to meet my GOD!"

GOD is waiting to meet with you. Make time for Him. Self isolate yourself and seek Him. You will never be disappointed.

He will take you high above the chaos of the world to give you a different perception of the things happening here. This will give you great peace. Your heart will fill with His tender, precious love and you will experience a joy that can never be found in the things of the world.

Then when you come down from the mountain, you will be a different person! Your look will be different. Your attitude will be different. Your speech will be different.

 So when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him.
(Exodus 34:30)

The knowledge we put in enters our mind.

The things we meditate on, enter our hearts.

They govern the attitude of our heart and fill our heart with love and peace or hatred and sadness.

Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth will then speak, revealing what has been put in.

By observing our own attitude and words we can check and correct the kind and amount of input into our mind. What am I filling my mind with? Is it copious information and opinions of people? Is it with the truth of GOD'S word and His promises? Your output will depend on what you put in.

When the apostles of the LORD were warned not to preach the Gospel, their response was, "For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard." (Acts 4:20)

We cannot but see and hear the things of the world, but we can choose what we put into our mind and meditate on.

Once you have tasted the goodness of GOD you will desire to ISOLATE with Him often! He is waiting for you. Run to Him saying, "I so late!"

 

😒 CONTENTIONS 😠

Dictionary:  heated disagreements.

 A fool's lips enter into contention, And his mouth calls for blows.
Proverbs 18:6

Cast out the scoffer, and contention will leave; Yes, strife and reproach will cease.
Proverbs 22:10

Casting lots causes contentions to cease, And keeps the mighty apart.
Proverbs 18:18

Better to dwell in the wilderness, Than with a contentious and angry woman.
Proverbs 21:19

It is better to dwell in a corner of a housetop, Than in a house shared with a contentious woman.
Proverbs 25:24

 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 

For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; 

and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 

But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 

Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, 

lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, 

jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies,

Galatians 5:16-20

 Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, 

to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, 

to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men. 

For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, 

deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, 

living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. 

But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, 

not by works of righteousness which we have done, 

but according to His mercy He saved us, 

through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, 

whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 

that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs 

according to the hope of eternal life. 

This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, 

that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. 

These things are good and profitable to men. 

But avoid foolish disputes, genealogies, contentions, 

nd strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and useless. 

Reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition, 

knowing that such a person is warped and sinning, being self-condemned.

Titus 3:1-11

RESET

 RESET TO REST MODE!

 So God created man in His own image;

 in the image of God He created him; 

male and female He created them. 

Then God blessed them, and God said to them, 

"Be fruitful and multiply; 

fill the earth and subdue it; 

have dominion over the fish of the sea, 

over the birds of the air, 

and over every living thing that moves on the earth." 

And God said, "See, I have given you every herb 

that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, 

and every tree whose fruit yields seed; 

to you it shall be for food. 

Also, to every beast of the earth, 

to every bird of the air, 

and to everything that creeps on the earth, 

in which there is life, 

I have given every green herb for food"; 

and it was so. 

Then God saw everything that He had made, 

and indeed it was very good. 

So the evening and the morning were the sixth day. 

Thus the heavens and the earth, 

and all the host of them, were finished. 

And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, 

and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.

Genesis 1:27-2:2

 Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, 

let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it.

There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. 

For he who has entered His rest has himself 

also ceased from his works as God did from His.

Hebrews 4:1, 9-10

LORD, reset me as I return to You and to my first love for You.

Let me enter into Your rest and receive Your love.

Let me first BE whom You want me to BE.

Then I can do those things that You want me to do - 

 Things that would be profitable for Your Kingdom.

STOP!

CONNECT with the LORD.

START your work IN HIM.

CONTINUE IN HIM.

DON'T go BEYOND HIM.

WAIT to be FILLED with Him, Who IS LOVE.

Then, you will BE LOVE, as HE IS!

BEING is more important than DOING.

Let your DOING be through your BEING.

The whole world including the Church, have allowed themselves 

to be reset to a FAST MODE by the devil, so that the most important thing is lost.

LORD, renew and reset my mind this day, to REST mode 

so that I may be effective in my work. Amen

Intercession ..

 Intercession 

... is not the end. It is the means to the  end which is GOD'S love.

I should not live to intercede.

I should live to love.

Intercession makes it possible.

The LORD'S intercession on my behalf makes it possible for me to release that love to others.

Thank you, JESUS!

 Create in me a clean heart, O God, 

And renew a steadfast spirit within me. 

Do not cast me away from Your presence, 

And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. 

Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, 

And uphold me by Your generous Spirit. 

Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, 

And sinners shall be converted to You.

Psalm 51:10-13