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WHY CERTAIN PRAYERS OR REQUEST SEEMS NOT TO BE ANSWERED OR DELAYED.

By Isaiah-Phillips Akintola

It is an amazing truth I have discovered through the years that many have more faith in their prayer than in the God who will answer the prayer. The reason for this is due to the religious spirit and sentiment attached to praying. The fact is, for several Christians, it takes more faith to believe in God than just to pray. So, they’d rather pray and hope their needs will be met than to grow through the rigorous process of spiritual development that leads them to the place of knowing and accepting the will of God for them. Prayer has become like a veneer to cover spiritual indiscipline and justify other divine standards that allow us to please the Father.

There’s no better area where religious spirit is likely to hide than the place of prayer, because the enemy has invested a lot of lies, falsehood and deception around the matters of prayer. When you believe God has given you the tools of prayer to meet your needs, than to fulfill his intention, you have directly or indirectly bought a lie.

Often, the Lord will withhold or delay certain requests for a season or seasons until we are truly awakened to the true value of such things, and genuinely learn to appreciate the purpose and assignment of things or even individuals we claim to need.

How many times have we been given the privilege of owning things, only for us to grossly abuse and discard them for another thing, due to the influence of selfish desire and gratifications? We often claim we are in need, and after we are given what we asked for, we quickly reject or discard them because we think we’ve seen something much better.

The way we quickly lost interest in things, we once prayed and fasted over, like kids who visit their friend’s house only to see the latest version of a toy or game, then cry on the shoulders of the mother or father in manipulation to buy the same version of the game for them. In my personal opinion, I’ve come to the conclusion that most Christians today don’t know or understand what they need; hence, their prayer is soul-driven.

When our spiritual, emotional, or material needs are inspired and motivated by insecurity, pride, and other forms of immature tendencies, such needs even when they are met will not stand the test of time, like we today see in most modern relationships. These behavioral attitudes reflect the lack of a sound Bible-based spiritual footing and foundation, which is hindering the advancement of God’s kingdom agenda within the Body of Christ today.

God gives us what will complement his purpose and advance his interest. Both the people and things the Lord adds to our lives, and space, are deliberately placed there for his divine purpose, even when we seem not to fully understand or see such heavenly interest.

There are lots of brethren today desperately seeking for some forms of request to be answered by God, but seem they cannot get the attention of God because they’ve continued to take his gifts and provision for granted. The lack of discernment and gratitude towards past provisions is a major obstacle in the provision of our present or future needs.

Many brethren unfortunately continue to miss the blessings of the Father for them, because they only see things, people, and events from a physical, limited, and material perspective. For example, when a person believes certain individuals do not match their expectations based on their limited spiritual [sight] vision, they will be quick to kick out such a [gift] person ordained for them.

They are unaware that heaven never provides us with anything that comes from the tree of the knowledge of good or evil. Instead, God gives us what will produce and increase His ultimate prophetic intention, which often we see dimly.

The true reality is, Heaven’s gifts are always hidden in the earthen vessel. Vessels that would first require an upgrade and update of your entire spiritual template to see things the way heaven has ordained them, particularly in this third day of kingdom lifestyle.

If you cannot see beyond what meets the eyes, you will lose out from heaven’s interest and provision. For every good and perfect gift that God gives us, there is a deeper meaning and purpose behind such gifts that matches his divine investment in us.

There are no mistakes in God; all his provision, regardless of the package they come to us, is perfect, according to James 1:17. Our prayers and requests should always align with the prophetic program of heaven, so that we can live from a position of prosperity flowing within the economy of the kingdom of God. Meaning heaven’s interest must guide and overshadow our own request and desired needs, regardless of how challenges and needs are at hand.

If we don’t seem to understand what such investment or assignment is, there will be a delay in the response of heaven, even when we seem to ask desperately for certain things. Our desperate attitude in prayer requests must commensurate the quality of spiritual knowledge required regarding heaven’s timing and season to meet our need.

Exhibiting anxiety, especially in the place of request, does not help or speed up the response of heaven. According to prayer requests, the level of immaturity in display today pertaining to prayer requests is an issue we need to address seriously. When things are given to us and we don’t see the bigger picture of heaven’s intention, it sure hinders us from moving higher in the ladder of other authentic requests.

I believe Heaven responds to the needs of our lives based on the timing and seasons of our spiritual development. The more prudent and obedient we are to what God demanded of us yesterday, the easier it is to move up in the ladder of responding to His prophetic agenda, and the more He releases gifts and resources for the next prophetic intention for us. How we stewarded and managed yesterday’s gift tells a lot about how the Lord will respond to our today’s request.

The way today’s so-called followers of Christ [Christians] easily lose interest in things they’ve not even begin to understand and appreciate their correct use is alarming, and this speaks directly into the issues of childish thinking mentality increasing among those who claim to be spiritually mature. The point of this note is to awaken your perspective, as it releases to how you value things, people, or even circumstances.

Gifts or grace are not given to us just to prove a point to our protractors. Heaven doesn’t bless us for selfish reasons, like kids who are given toys to distract them from disturbing their parent, or so they can develop a false self-esteem image among their pairs. Please note, I will never suggest we should not buy gifts or toys for our children. Of cause, that will be irresponsible. My point is, the gift and treats we offer our children should align to their true esteem and assigned purpose for life.

Imagine you buying a toy gun for your kids to play with, and you wonder why the sudden violent attitude? Or you allow your girls to be exposed to certain foreign culture that excuses children to disrespect their parents and teachers in the name of free speech or some trendy teen TV program? Of cause, the privilege you think your kids have today, will one day become the root of their rejection and dysfunctionality in society if they don’t change.

I am only highlighting this point to make the case that there’s much more to how we look at life and even things we believe we need. As parents, we are expected to have the highest sight in raising our children, in becoming the best they’ve been designed for in life. Just as we want our children to grow into the keen knowledge of how to appreciate gifts, circumstances, and people in their lives.

I am sure is not everything your children ask you to throw at them just because you are comfortable and can afford it. That will be irresponsible if you jump at every request your kids presented. Of course, I am not naive to know that we have fathers and mothers who act like this, and that’s because they don’t understand what it means to be parents.

Parenting is not some presumptive culture passed down from generation to generation. Parenting is a powerful spiritual principle that must be learned. In parenting, there’s a place of degrees of discipline that builds correct attitude that forms the template of future behavior of your children.

Just as we expect our children to show value not just for the gift we give them, but also for the discipline offered, the Father also expects us as his children to pay attention to his dealings, especially in the place of receiving and appreciating the gifts he has offered us.

Every gift given to us is wired with a divine purpose to fulfill our assignment and mandate in life. We are expected to have keen insight and depth of understanding in appreciating what the Lord has given us. When we don’t display respect, value and appreciation for what was given yesterday, it shows we are still immature in the knowledge of not just gifts, but in the operations of life.

Every gift is an input of life given to enhance our advancement, especially if we are keen to fulfill a prophetic agenda. We must, in the same manner, handle the gifts, grace, and people give in or placed within our care to such a level that they literally appreciate, as gold appreciates as a rare earth commodity.

Things given to us are ordained to enhance our lives, and they are designed to appreciate, not depreciate. Heaven never gives us things to be discarded after a while. Even spiritual things or material can be repurposed for God, and that starts with changing how we view them.

Therefore, when our asking seems delayed, they seek to help us see and understand the true values of things, so that we can authentically appreciate the values of those things, even things that may seem like they are working against us. At all, they are also gifts to refine and prepare us for reigning like Queen Esther.

When we are finally given those things we seek, we will have developed the correct, spiritual sight, wisdom and approach to handle them with the highest level of honor and respect. When we know how to appreciate things are people, and of course, we know how to use them effectively for the glory of God, heaven will not delay in giving us what we request. Prayers are delayed not because God doesn’t want to give things to us, but because of our immaturity to handle those things or people.

This means we have come to the point of valuing things based on the value and worth they deserve. Meaning, we must have the correct prophetic sight and wisdom to see the way the Lord desires us to perceive. The big question is, how do we develop and maintain an appreciation of the value of things given to us?

We have to allow the Holy Spirit to daily inspire our hearts regarding the reason why people are placed across our paths. We deliberately expressed gratitude for the things we have, regardless of how small or insignificant they may seem to use.

Having a deep insight into the different types of people around our lives is a profound knowledge of spiritual maturity, particularly those graced to directly assist and empower us to advance our assigned destiny.

When we directly or indirectly start to take things or people for granted, it’s a display of ignorance that will directly impact our lives negatively in the immediate future. Have you had the saying that nothing is permanent except memories? When things reach their expiry date, we should have developed enough memory of Secondly, it’s a reflection that we lack the ability to authentically value spiritual inputs. Thirdly, it is a sign of the soul-life ruling us, rather than living a life impressed and expressed by the Spirit.

As we spiritually develop and appreciate things, we are given the opportunity and responsibility to become a kingdom steward. Stewardship requires the best of spiritual, mental and emotional intelligence, so that our commitment to managing gifts and resources of God’s kingdom is fulfilled.

As we learn to see the purpose of God in what has been given or what we are asking, we develop a keen spirit of gratitude, which leads to continual appreciation of things and people around us. This means that things, including individuals assigned to us, should never get to the point of depreciation to such a point that they are discarded, disrespected, and relegated to the place of rejection. Rejection is a two-way stream that needs to be clearly understood.

One form of rejection can lead to the building of character, while the other side can be the manifestation of disrespecting and breaking people down. The moment people start to feel they are no longer a gift or important, especially in the place they’ve been assigned, insecurity sets in, and it’s for the reason many relationships break apart.

Making people feel important and significant is a virtue of maturity that directly adds value to us, but also to the people around us. The way we see and understand people as a seed or gift speaks a great length to how we understand spiritual, kingdom realities.

When we ask the Lord to give or add things to our lives, we should be certain that we have truly comprehended the value of what we are asking for, so there’s no delay due to ignorance and immaturity. Lastly, showing gratitude rather than an immature attitude of entitlement before the Father tells him that we truly know and appreciate his Fatherhood even when he says no to us.

As you conclude this article, I need you to look around your life, reexamine the things you have, and ask yourself this question: what is the history behind those [gifts] things? History allows us to be grateful. Everything the Lord has given you, to what extent have you correctly utilized and maximized the use of those things to the glory of God? Now is the time to develop a new sense of appreciation for those gifts heaven has given you. How often do you verbally express appreciation to people around your life?

Telling people how much they are worth to you is a profound manifestation of the knowledge and understanding of the spirit of wisdom. When God places people in your life to do certain things, you cannot do or don’t have the time to do, it is a powerful gift that should be recognized and appreciated.

Not appreciating God for something given to you can hinder you from receiving God’s gift from another dimension of need. To see your life as one big life story of God’s dealing allows you not to take any aspect for granted. As we move towards the end of days, where we will need a lot of help and favor, we need to come of age in the way and manner we view life, especially those we meet daily.