“Now we see things imperfectly….but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete” (1 Corinthians 13:12, NLT).[1]
Chances are, what we pray has something to do with wrong desires or motives. All-knowing God knows all the facts, motives and all the consequences and we can’t. If our prayers are in accordance with God’s will, God will answer. (ESV, 1 John 5:14). If our prayers remain unanswered, we have to check whether we embrace “with wrong motives” (James 4:3). Study God’s words from the Bible. So, we know how to live our lives. When your requests align with God’s will, God will grant your prayers.
According to the Bible, “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective” (James 5:16). “Do not be conformed to this world [….] discern what is the will of God” (Romans 12:2).
“The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results” (James 5:16b, NLT). How to be the righteous person in God’s eyes? Practice the 7 heavenly virtues and avoid the 7 deadly sins every single day. God’s “mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20, NLT).
When we are surrounded by blessings, we might get numb to it and we take everything granted. People get depressed because they always desire more or focus on the unfulfilled desires or some irreversible facts. Or, we might trap ourselves because of something insignificant or unalterable. By doing so, we fail to comprehend God’s mercy and grace and we fail to fulfill our duties to God.
[1] “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:9)