Having our Prayers Heard

We all desire to have our prayers heard by our Heavenly Father; and our great God desires to hear our prayers. However, there are some things that hinder our prayers from reaching the ears of our God. When we look at Scripture we see a few things that encourage us to make sure we are in tune with God and have our prayers heard.

Sensitive to the Word
Proverbs 28:9 “He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.”

It is of the utmost importance to value and be serious about the Word of God. If we take God’s Word seriously, He will take our prayer seriously. If we would love to seek God through prayer, and have them heard, then we must love to seek and heed God’s Word.

Spurgeon once said “Philip was a searcher after Christ in the place where Christ loves to be—in the pages of Scripture—and you must be the same if you desire to find Jesus!”

Standing Upright
Psalm 84:11 “…no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.”

Unconfessed sin in our lives will stop us from walking uprightly and in return will hinder our relationship and communication with God. The psalmist mentions that “no good thing” will God withhold from those that walk in integrity and truth. God also states that their prayers will have strength and prevail; in others words their prayers will be heard by God like God answered Elijah’s prayer.

James 5:16 “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”

Standing with Forgiveness
Mark 11:25-26 “And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. Vs 26 But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.”

A heart that harbors resentment toward others will defiantly hinder our prayers to God.

Sensitive to our Wives
1 Peter 3:7 “Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.”

The Bible mentions that when the husband has an insensitive spirit towards the needs of his wife, his prayers will be hindered.

Standing with Faith
1 Timothy 2:8 “I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.”

Matthew 21:22 “And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.”

A life that is lived by faith will cause us to pray in faith.

George Muller once said "“I believe God has heard my prayers. He will make it manifest in His own good time that He has heard me. I have recorded my petitions that when God has answered them, His name will be glorified.”

Hebrews 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”