By Michael Youssef, Ph.D.

Do you ever wonder why answers to prayer tarry? Is it that God is teaching us to wait? Are we not correctly hearing the voice of God? Is God trying to deal with something in our lives?Of this we can be certain: “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know he hears us – whatever we ask – we know that we have what we asked of him” (1 John 5:14-15). When we pray in alignment with the will of God, we know that He hears us and that His will cannot be thwarted.But what about when our prayers – even prayers for things that would bring God tremendous glory – seem to go unanswered? First, we have to remember that “no” is an answer. God will sometimes choose not to allow something that would bring Him glory in order that something else might bring Him greater glory.Still, what about those prayers that seem to receive no answer? Could there be something hindering our prayers? The Bible tells us there are several reasons why our prayers might not make it past the ceiling; for example, problems in your marriage, an unforgiving heart, habitual disobedience to God, or the need to confess and repent of a particular sin. But if we make ourselves aware of these potential problem areas or loose connections, we can find ways to keep the lines of communication open.Prayer: God, thank You that You hear me. Help me to examine my life and heart so that my prayers are not hindered but are aligned with Your will. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

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“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know he hears us – whatever we ask – we know that we have what we asked of him” (1 John 5:14-15).***This devotional comes from Dr. Michael Youssef's sermon entitled What Hinders Answers to Your Prayer.For more resources and information from Leading The Way, please visitLTW.org.