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Answers to Prayer!
A believer needs to
be at the right place and at the right time to hear and receive from
God. The right place is that 'secret place' described
in Psalm 91:1. It is not a place in any city or state but that
place where the believer spends one-on-one time with God. The
right time is all the time -- being in constant prayer -- always
being mindful of the presence of God.
God's secret place is
a 'virtual place' that becomes home or a comfort zone to you because
He becomes a refuge and a fortress around you in that virtual place
(Psalm 91:2). This is why David urges that one dwells in this
place. In other words, make this your home. The
intention of the secret place in not as a shelter in times of
trouble but as a dwelling place.
God is constantly
speaking to us -- He spoke in the old days the very same
things that He is speaking to us today and all these we can find in
the Bible. Each and everyone of us have different needs in our
lives. Moreover, there are certain situations in our lives
that we cannot find answers to in the Bible. For example,
where we should live, what job to accept, when to buy, when to sell
. . . and the list goes on and on. We know that we can pray
and ask God but when we pray, things seem pretty quiet in
cyberspace. This is because there are hindrances to our
prayers.
Hindrances to
Prayer
1.
Insufficient Prayer
The number one hindrance to prayer is insufficient prayer.
Not praying enough. Not putting our 'shoulders to the wheel,'
not putting our knees to the floor,' and 'not bowing our heads in
prayer.' We've become too busy with the things of this world;
things of no eternal value.
2. Disbelief
(Mark 9:24)
Nothing can hinder answer to prayer as quickly as doubt or
unbelief. James warns us about not being like the wave upon
the sand. Believing one minute that we will receive and the
very next moment doubting that we will receive. We doubt our
ability to hear from God. We have the knowledge that it is
possible to hear from God. We can and we should hear from Him
but our subconscious makes us believe that others such as the
Kenneth Copelands, the Joyce Meyers, the Katherine Kuhlmans, the
Joshuas and Moses of our world but no, not us. Believe so that
you will see the Glory of God (John 11:40).
3.
Disobedient (John 10:4-5)
Many of us love the Lord so much and we pray and expect to hear
from Him. Yet when He does indeed speak, we do not obey. The
Bible tells us that "obedience is better than
sacrifice." We must obey at all cost. I always
marvel at Joseph's obedience. Twice the Bible tells us that
the angel of the Lord woke Joseph up and told him to get up and take
his wife here then there. Today we question whether it is
truly God's voice we hear and rightfully so. But if we would
go back to No. 1 and make a conscious effort to 'dwell in the secret
place of the Most High," we will indeed know when we hear
Him. The Bible has already made a statement about this . . .
we hear the Shepherd's voice, we follow because we know His
voice.
4. Cleansing
Is cleansing a thing of the past? Are we as believers
exempt from asking God's forgiveness because we are born-again, no
longer under the curse? Far from it. It is ever so
necessary to keep ourselves cleansed from the defilements of the
day. In our world today, even when we are not seeking for
trouble, it is thrust upon us by the things we see on billboards,
television, and just everywhere around us. The things we see,
hear and speak do defile us and we must daily cleanse our hearts and
mind by coming to Christ and allowing His blood to cleanse us.
5. The
Confession of Our Mouths (James 5:8-10; James 3:2)
The Bible really knows us. We pray one way but speak in
another manner. Our confessions should line up with God's Word
and our prayers. How come so many pray, "I shall live and
not die and tell of the works of the Lord," and with the same
breath confess, "this project would be the death of
me?" We pray one thing but say the exact opposite of our
desires. Confess what you believe because the tongue is a
powerful instrument for the direction of the health of our body and
the direction of our destiny. Let God's Word come out of your
mouth daily (Psalm 39:1). Confess daily that you hear God and
you are in a position to hear Him speak and when God speaks you will
answer and obey.
When someone asks you
where you live, you should be quick to say, "Psalm 91:1"
or "the secret place." When asked how you're doing,
don't dwell on the negative, let them know you're soaring with the
eagles, your youth is being restored like the eagles, because that
is exactly what God's Word says about you.
Christiana
Meka
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