From: Steve.Gross@lambada.oit.unc.edu (Steve Gross)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian
Subject: Unanswered Prayers, Why?
Date: 18 Nov 92 10:18:35 GMT
Organization: University of North Carolina Extended Bulletin Board Service

Hello Everyone,  It has been awhile since I have written to this group,
mainly because I have been awfully busy, but more because there is a lot
of bickering that I don't want to get involved in.  I thought that maybe
if I researched a topic and presented it to you, maybe I would get some
responsible comments on it.  I hope you all get something out of it.  I
thought it was a good topic.

There are 14 main reasons why a Christians prayers may not be answered in
my opinion.  They are listed below.

1)  DISOBEDIENCE   Deut 1:45, 1 Sam 14:37, 1 Sam 28:6
                   "And ye returned ans wept before the Lord; but the Lord
                    would not hearken to your voice, nor give ear unto you."

2)  SECRET SIN     Psalms 66:18
		   "If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not
		    hear me."

3)  INDIFFERENCE   Prov 1:28
		   "Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they
		    shall seek me early, but they shall not find me."

4)  NEGLECT OF MERCY   Prov 21:13  "Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the
		    		    poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall
				    not be heard."

5)  DISPISING THE LAW  Prov 28:9  "He that turneth away his ear from hearing
				   the law, even his prayer shall be 
				   abomination."

6)  BLOOD GUILTINESS  Isaiah 1:15  "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."

7)  INIQUITY  Isaiah 59:2  "But your iniquities have separated between you
			    and your God, and your sins have hid his face from
			    you, that he will not hear."
              Micah  3:4  "Then shall they cry unto the Lord, but he will not
			   hear them: he will even hide his face from them at
			   that time, as they have behaved themselves ill in
			   their doings."

8)  STUBBORNESS  Zech 7:12-13  "Yea, they made their hearts as an adament
			        stone, lest they should hear the law, and the
				words which the Lord of Hosts have sent in his
				spirit by the former prophets:  Therefor came
				a great wrath from the Lord of Hosts.  There-
				fore it came to pass that as he cried, and
				they would not hear; so they cried, and I 
				would not hear, sayeth the Lord of Hosts."

9)  INSTABILITY  James 1:6-7  "But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering...
			       for let not that man think that he shall 
			       receive anything of the Lord."

10)  SELF-INDULGENCE  Jam 4:3  "Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss,
			        that ye may consume it upon your lusts."

11)  WRONG RELATIONSHIPS OF WIVES TO HUSBANDS, AND VICE VERSA.
     1 Peter 7   "That your prayers be not hindered."
      		 (Speaking first of the sins of a rebellious wife, that hurts
	          her prayers... and then the scriptures speak of sins of 
		  a husband who does not take his proper, god-appointed place
		  in relation to his wife, and warns both wife and husband
		  that they are to obey God in this matter,  "THAT YOUR
		  PRAYERS BE NOT HINDERED."

12)  WRONGS UNRIGHTED, DEBTS UNPAID, OFFENDED BROTHERS UNRECONCILED.
     Matt 5:23-24   "If thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there remember
		     that thy brother have ought against thee;  leave there
		     thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be
		     reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer
		     thy gift."

13)  UNFORGIVENESS  Matt 6:14   "For if you forgive men their trespasses, 
				 your heavenly father will also forgive you;
				 but if ye forgive not men their trespasses,
				 neither will your father forgive your 
				 trespasses."
     (If christians will not forgive others, their prayer for forgiveness 
      will not be heard.  A grudge, root of bitterness.)

14)  NOT GIVING OFFERING AND TITHE  Malachi 3:9
				    "Will a man rob god?  Yet ye have robbed
				     me.  but ye say, wherein have we robbed
				     thee?  In tithes and offerings.  Ye are
				     cursed with a curse; for ye have robbed
				     me, even this whole nation."
   (They were under a curse... God withheld the rain... He had not heard their
    prayers.)


I have found some conditions of successful praying, but am out of time to
write it in this post.  i will hopefully write it in one coming soon.

God Bless you all,
Steve.Gross
--
   The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the University of
     North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the Campus Office for Information
        Technology, or the Experimental Bulletin Board Service.
           internet:  laUNChpad.unc.edu or 152.2.22.80