Lately, I have been hearing this discussed more and more.

Prayer is work, no doubt about it.

But prayer works, no doubt about that either!

Why, then, would any Christian in his right mind, neglect to go to the Lord in prayer?

Especially when we realize that our dear Lord has put absolutely no limitations on what we may pray for, why indeed?

The sky is the limit for us, folks, and so why, why, why don't we pray?

The very simple answer is that we simply do not believe that our prayers will be answered. That's it!

Of course, we are right in a lot of cases!

What, you say?

There are some reasons why the Lord will not even hear your prayer, much less answer it. So listen up . . . this is very liberating!

The very first reason why the Lord does not hear is because we are harboring unforgiveness, bitterness, or resentment in our hearts. As the Bible says, we must first leave the altar and be reconciled to your brother, and then come back to pray. Matthew 5:23-24.

Another reason is that you may be harboring sin in your heart. That is, you have a habit or an addiction in direct conflict with the Word of God. You must purify your heart!

And yet another reason why the Lord will not hear your prayer is because you are neglecting to do something that the Lord has directed you to do and that you know in your heart that you should do.

Still another reason is that you fail to approach the throne with boldness and exercise the dominion and authority which has been bestowed upon you as a child of God.

There may be other reasons also, but to keep this brief, you cannot go to the Lord and expect to get your prayers heard when you never have established a personal relationship with Him. He is not a vending machine to be used at will. No!

Since we have been created in His image, we know that He has feelings, just as we do. He wants us to show love for Him, just as He does for us. Ask yourself, isn't it a whole lot easier to expect to get a favor from a close friend than from a total stranger?

So first be sure that your prayer is really being heard. And then be sure that it is in accord with His will. And if you really know His Word, you already know His will. It is no great mystery.

Then, after all our ducks are lined up, we can be sure, beyond any shadow of doubt, that He will answer our prayer. He cannot deny us, or He would have to lie, and He cannot do that. He is total Truth, through and through.

The "trick," if you want to call it that, is being tenacious in our faith. After all, if we got instantaneous answers all the time (and sometimes that happens), where would faith come in? Faith is knowing and believing that the object of our prayer, as we stand praying and believing, is created in the spiritual dimension as soon as it escapes our lips.

It's just like planting seeds in the ground. We do not see the results immediately, but if we have planted them in good ground and if we feed and water and nurture them, the end plant will soon start to be visible. It was in there all the time, but hidden!

Prayer time should be alive with excitement and anticipation!