First, let me make this one point. There is no such thing as unanswered prayer. What many people call unanswered prayer is when God doesn’t answer their prayers in the way they want him to. In response to our prayers, sometimes God says, “No.” Sometimes God says, “Wait.” Sometimes God says, “It depends.” Sometimes God says, “I didn’t hear you.” Sometimes God probably even says, “Are you joking me?” There are many different answers God might give to our prayers, but make no mistake about it—God answers them all in his own way. So why might God not hear your prayers, or answer your prayers in the way you want him to? Let’s explore that question. Here are a few answers to the question. SIN IN YOUR LIFE Sometimes our prayers are not heard or answered because we’re living in sin, and won’t repent. Isaiah 59:1-2 – Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. 2 But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you
Moral erosion continues all across America. I have a theory as to why, and my theory can be summed up using one word – CONVICTION! Too many people have too little conviction about right and wrong and absolute truth. In their book, The Day America Told the Truth, authors James Patterson and Peter Kim report that 74% of Americans will steal from those who “won’t miss it” and 64% will lie for convenience as long as “no one gets hurt.” They also state that 84% of Americans would break the rules of their religion and 81% have violated a law they felt to be “inappropriate.” Only 30% say they would be willing to die for their religious “convictions” or for God. Most Americans (93%) say they alone decide what is right or wrong on moral issues, basing their decisions on their own experiences or whims. The percentage of people who say they make moral judgments based on what God or Scripture tells them is only a mere 16%. I don’t know what these statistics say to you, but they tell me that the mi