I just finished writing this post, and was getting the boys’ breakfast ready. As I’m doing that, the boys had gathered around the table. Out of the blue I hear my oldest son’s curious voice ask me, “Mommy, does God have a phone number?”

That was a great question! I thought about it then asked him what a phone number was for. We figured out it was for talking to someone on the phone. Then I asked him how we talk to God. He looked at me and smiled, answering with, “We can pray!” That’s right! God doesn’t need a phone number, because we can talk to him any time we want through prayer! I was thinking, “Wow, that’s profound, I should write a post about that…wait a second! It goes very well with what I just finished writing! 😉

So to go along with that metaphor, let’s talk about why we may get an intercept message or busy signal when we call God.

Is there a time that God doesn’t answer our prayers? The answer is that there are some things that we do that may hinder our prayers. So when we feel like God doesn’t hear us, we should examine ourselves to see if there may be a reason this is true and not a lie from the devil. So what are they?

1. We doubt. James 1:57 says,”If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”We can pray one thing, but in our minds we tend to be unsure that God will really come through. However, we know that when we ask for things in God’s will, we can be confident that he will answer, for in Matthew 7:7-8 Jesus says:“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.” 
2. We’re holding unforgiveness in our hearts. God has called us to forgive because he has forgiven us. When we don’t, we’re putting a wedge between ourselves and God.
3. We have discord in our family. 1 Peter 3:7-12 says:
   

   Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.

   Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. For

   “Whoever desires to love life
   and see good days,
   let him keep his tongue from evil
   and his lips from speaking deceit;
   let him turn away from evil and do good;
   let him seek peace and pursue it.
   For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
   and his ears are open to their prayer.
   But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

   The husbands are the God appointed leader of the family, and as the leader of the home he is responsible for leading and guiding his wife in an understanding way. We’re heirs together of life, and the next verse calls all of us to stand as one in thoughts, to have sympathy, love, tenderness, and humility toward each other. When we seek to do good, God listens; when we’re seeking something that leads to sin, God is not in that.

4. We have sin in our lives that hasn’t been dealt with. Isaiah 59:2 says that our sins have separated us from God so that he doesn’t hear us. Psalm 66:18 says that if we hold a pet sin- cherish it in our hearts- God won’t listen to our cries. Proverbs 28:9 says that even our prayers can become an abomination to him when we choose not to listen to his word to us. When we cherish sin, make excuses for our sin, say something isn’t really a sin- we’re choosing to be disobedient and defy God, who has revealed to us the truth in his word.

There is hope if you find yourself caught in sin. Isaiah 1:15-18 says God doesn’t hear Israel because they are deep in sin, but displays Gods love toward them (and us) as he calls them (and us) to repent, to put away our sins in exchange for practicing righteousness. He promises that when we do that, we’ll be made white as snow.

 

 

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