He inquired of the Lord, but the Lord did not answer him by dreams or Urim or prophets. Saul then said to his attendants, ‘Find me a woman who is a medium, so I may go and inquire of her.” 1 Samuel 28:6-7
Poor Saul. He had fallen out of favor with God and could not understand His silence. But the fact that he turned to a medium speaks volumes, doesn’t it? It shows just how far away from the Truth he had wandered.
Have you ever felt as if you prayers were hitting the ceiling and not reaching the ears of God? We all have. They say patience is a virtue- but it is more than that- it is an exercise in faith. Faith that God does hear and always answers- He just answers in the best time possible for our good. He also answers with a “no” that we may not want to hear, or with silence to help us examine our hearts.
If you feel God is not answering your prayers, consider He is either teaching you and preparing you for the answer you will receive, or that there is some unconfessed thing that is blocking His response. Maybe you need to pray for understanding of why the answer is not forthcoming. The Lord wants to give us the desires of our heart, as long as those desires are the best thing for us and are in line with His will for our lives. Jesus promised that if we ask in His name, we will receive it. To ask in His name is to step into His shoes, to be like Him. It is not to use His name as a free pass into getting what we want when we want it.
Dear Lord, seek out my heart as I pray my request to you. If there is any bitterness or hurt or anger or anxiety in it that blocks me from hearing your response, help me see it and remove it. Give me the patience to wait upon you and the faith to stand firm. May I always praise you for past prayers fulfilled and never forget your goodness and mercy. Amen.
“Delight yourselves in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him . . . Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret – it only leads to evil.” Psalm 37: 4,7,8
