Why Am I Not Getting Answers to Prayer?

By Dennis Edwards --

Are you having trouble getting answers to prayer? God has promised to supply all your needs, so what is hindering you from getting the answers you so desperately need? Why does it seem like God is not attentive? Let us take a look in the Bible and see if we can find the answer, or a possible solution. We will be reading from the Book of Isaiah.

Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show my people their transgressions, and the house of Jacob their sins.[1]

A trumpet is often used in times of war to stir up the soldiers to get ready for battle, or as a warning of attack, or an awakening sound to prepare for duty. God wants us to wake up and be attentive to what he is about to tell us. We, the Christians, are today’s “house of Jacob,” because we are the descendants of Abraham by faith.[2] God is going to be pointing out to us where we are failing!

Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinances of their God. They ask of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God.[3]

In other words, the people, the religious people, act as if they are good people. They even seek God daily and may even listen to his word. But, they feel good in themselves. They take pleasure in “approaching to God,” whether by masses, prayer meetings, synagogue and temple attendance or New Age exercises like yoga or meditation.

Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? Wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours.[4]

The people have even fasted or denied their flesh some physical pleasure, like the Catholics do during lent, or some Protestants engage in for “purification,” and they are feeling good about their sacrifice. The Jews, Moslems and Hindus have similar “fasting” activities.

Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high.[5]

Fasting to show others how righteous you are is not the way to have your prayers heard. It is religious hypocrisy and often leads to spiritual pride.

Is it such a fast that I have chosen? A day for a man to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the Lord?[6]

The Lord says that your fast, of denying yourself food and making a big show, is not his fast. Samuel the prophet had said something similar when he corrected Saul for his disobedience.

Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.[7]

God wants to be in relation with us so that he can use us to help and encourage others. He wants to use us as vessels of his love, to pour his love on others through us. It is not a matter of sacrificing and fasting, but on being living instruments of his love to the needy world. In Isaiah the Lord explains what a true fast is. It has nothing to do with afflicting oneself by denying oneself food.

Is not this the fast that I have chosen? To loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?[8]

Are the bands of wickedness that need to be loosed the chains of financial slavery which the rich use to oppress and to afflict the poor? And in the church system, is it the yoke of self-righteous religious rule keeping and commandments that needs to be broken?

Apostle Peter made the same point when he said,

Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus we shall be saved, even as they.[9]

The religious Jews who had accepted Christ wanted to continue to try and keep the old commandments which never saved them in the first place and which they were unable to keep. They were arguing that the Gentile Christians needed to keep the laws of Moses. Peter and Paul both rejected this rule keeping “yoke.”

Paul went on to say,

Wherefore, my brethren, ye are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.[10]

Those who managed to make a better show of keeping the law were so self-righteous in their rule keeping that they had rejected the living God who had walked among them. Paul was telling the disciples that following the law was not the right path. We need to be married to Christ. In other words, we need to be in love with and in communion with Christ and following his leadings to be able to bring forth fruit in our lives. In an earlier place in Isaiah we read:

To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? Saith the Lord: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beats; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of goats.Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and Sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting.

Your new moons and your appointed feats my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them.

And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.

Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.[11]

Again we see the same principle. God does not want us playing religion. He wants us living lives of love; to help the oppressed, the poor and downtrodden, those who have no voice in today’s world. Is the blood on our hands the blood from the unjustified wars we have waged against other nations? Or is it the blood of the fatherless, the aborted children, like Jeremiah seems to indicate:

Also in thy skirts is found the blood of the poor innocents: I have not found it by secret search, but upon all these.[12]

Let us return to our original study. The Lord is speaking about what the true fast requires.

Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? When thou seest the naked that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?[13]

It looks like the Lord is interested in our taking care of the poor, even the poor within our own family, however unworthy of our help we may feel they are.

Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall be thy rereward.[14]

Again we see the rewards for taking care of the poor, for fighting oppression, for even being loving and helpful to those of our own family. We will have happiness and clarity of purpose. We will find health. We will feel good about ourselves, and finally, we will have God’s presence in our lives which may even make our faces to shine.

Then shall thou call, and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity:[15]

If we make the right kind of fast which involves considering the poor, God will be attentive to our cry. God does not want the yoke of rule keeping, nor for us to look down self-righteously on others. He does not want vain speech. He wants our loving actions.

And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity and thy darkness be as the noon day:[16]

That “if-then” phrase is the formula for blessing. You do this and then I will bless you. If you do this, then I will hear your prayer or be attentive to your affliction. You want me to be attentive to you? Be attentive to those who need your help.

And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.[17]

The secret of wealth and health is here: Consider the Poor! God promises you his blessing. Do you want God’s blessing and his protection? Do you want him to answer your prayers and prosper your ways? Then Consider the Poor! It’s the key to your relationship with God.

The Lord wants to be in relationship with us. He does not want our false religiosity. He wants us to delight in loving him and hearing his words and following their admonitions. If we do so he says,

Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.[18]

In other words, God's promises to Abraham and Jacob of blessing and supply shall be ours.

Let’s finish with the stirring words of Jesus himself.

Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee? Or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 

And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.[19]

It behooves us, therefore, to Consider the Poor. Do it today. Tomorrow may be too late!

Footnotes:

[1] Isaiah 58:1
[2] Galatians 3:29
[3] Isaiah 58:2
[4] Isaiah 58:3
[5] Isaiah 58:4
[6] Isaiah 58:5
[7] I Samuel 15:22
[8] Isaiah 58:6
[9] Acts 15:10
[10] Romans 7:4
[11] Isaiah 1: 11,13-17
[12] Jeremiah 2:34
[13] Isaiah 58:7
[14] Isaiah 58:8
[15] Isaiah 58:9
[16] Isaiah 58:10
[17] Isaiah 58:11
[18] Isaiah 58:14
[19]Matthew 25:34-40