Jesus is always encouraging us to go to the Father, to submit our will to Him, and to approach Him with reverence and awe. The ultimate example is the “Lord’s Prayer” or “Disciples’ Prayer” which begins with “Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:9-10, KJV).

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So he goes to his neighbor’s home and knocks on the door to ask for some bread, even though his neighbor is asleep. Jesus says that the man will receive the bread “because of his persistence” (verse 8). The second parable is in Luke 18:1-8. In this parable, a widow continues to come before a judge asking for justice from her adversary. The widow eventually receives justice because she is persistent in asking for it.

Jesus tells us “[We] always ought to pray and not lose heart” (Luke 18:1). By praying, we commit ourselves to God, and even though we don’t see what He is doing, we know He’s doing something. We don’t lose hope or become discouraged; we continue to pray. God is always answering our prayers, even when we don’t see the results or receive the answers immediately.

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Throughout Scripture we read about how God answered prayer. Here are some examples:

Prayer opened the Red Sea for the Israelites (Exodus 14).

Prayer made the sun stand still as God’s chosen people fought their enemies (Joshua 10:1-15).

Prayer brought fire from the sky on Elijah’s sacrifice (1 Kings 18:20-40).

Prayer healed the sick and raised the dead (Acts 9:36-43; 28:7-10).

And God continues to answer the prayers of His people—for provision, for protection, and for peace. God’s faithful answering of our prayers points to His infinite love—a love that is far beyond our human comprehension.

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As we develop a constant attitude of prayer, we begin “praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit” (Ephesians 6:18). The “all” in this verse covers everything, including when we are surrounded by people. We can silently pray for our unsaved friends as we interact with them. We can pray for our church family as we walk into church each week. While it is good to find quiet times to pray, we can also pray silently when the noise of life surrounds us.

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Proverbs 15:29 says, “The Lord is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous.” There are times as followers of Christ, our prayers go unanswered because we're harboring unconfessed sin in our lives.

Third, on occasion our prayers are not answered because of our unbelief. James 1:6-8 tells us to “ask in faith, with no doubting” because the one who doubts is “double-minded.” To be double-minded is not to let the request go, but to give the request to God and then take it back. Instead of trusting God, we try to work out the solution ourselves.

Fourth, our prayers may not be answered because of unrighteous motives. James 4:3 says, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.” God refuses to listen to men who eagerly pursue selfish pleasures. The key to understanding this verse is the word “spend,” which means praying for something just because you want it. It has nothing to do with the will of God or the purpose of God. It's just a selfish prayer.

Fifth, sometimes our prayers are not answered because of unresolved conflicts. Mark 11:25-26 says, “Whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.” If I have offended my brother, I must go to him and make that right, or my prayers will be hindered. If my brother has offended me, I must go to him and make it right, or my prayers will be hindered. The responsibility is mine in either case to make things right with my brother, and then come to the Lord with my prayers. If you are harboring resentment, an unforgiving spirit, or anger in your heart toward another brother or sister, it may not shut down your prayer life, but it will hinder it.

Sixth, our prayers might not be answered because we lack compassion. Proverbs 21:13 says, “Whoever shuts his ears to the cry of the poor will also cry himself and not be heard.” The Bible says that when you harbor an uncompassionate spirit, when you don't ask God to make you sensitive to people you can help, then it will be hard for you to have the relationship in prayer that you desire.

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