Tag: Roadblocks

A Roadblock To Answered Prayer

On By Ed AlgreenIn A Lamp unto My Path, Adoration, Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Awesome God, Beyond Description, Blessing, Celebrate God, Needs, Praise, Praise-worthy, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED: Monday, July 22, 2024, and I was blessed to be at Advent Christian Village when God inspired me to prepare this devotional. My Footnote will tell you how to find, read or listen to any and all episodes that I have shared over the years.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE FROM THE Contemporary English Version IS FOUND IN Isaiah 59:1-2

THE BIBLE TEXT IS: The Lord hasn’t lost his powerful strength; He can still hear and answer prayers.
Your sins are the roadblock between you and your God. That’s why He doesn’t answer your prayers or let you see his face.

APPLICATION OF THE WORD: In a day when the people of Judah felt forsaken by God because of the challenging invasion of the Babylonians, I believe that we too can learn a lesson from what God explained to them through the prophet Isaiah. Many of us have heard such things as ‘it felt like my prayers were going no higher than the ceiling’, or ‘it feels like my prayers are hitting a brick wall’, or ‘is God really there for me?’ Throughout the Bible we are taught: that God will not tolerate sin; God will not be present where sin resides; There is no room in God’s presence for unconfessed sin; etc. But do we ever stop to consider these things when we are intimately and sincerely begging for God’s miraculous touch, and our prayers appear blocked? There are times that a child can merely look into the face of a parent and feel relieved by their love, or feel denounced by their correction or displeasure. Yet, God told His people, and us, that He hides His face from us when sin is blocking an open, sincere, honest and righteous presence with our Holy God. Although I am one of the millions who claim a personal relationship with our Lord, I still stop and often reflect on why a holy God would stop to listen to our cry for bodily healing, or safety for our children, or Godly direction in major decisions, or blessings to overcome life’s desperate challenges, when we are living in open sin – disregard for the teachings of our Lord and His written Word. Perhaps it would be good for us to have these focal verses on the inside of the door to our homes, so that it is the last thing we see before leaving to face the world each day. For, although it is easy to live like God in our ‘safe’ places, like home, or church, or Christian based events, but it becomes a whole lot more challenging to live like that in our workplaces or other worldly events without God’s miraculous intervention in our lives. Yes, we need more prayer and help from God in the latter circumstances, but we must learn to live, walk, talk and act like God in every aspect of life, if we are truly determined to follow in His ways every day. So friend, where do you turn to when your prayers seem unanswered or not reaching the throne of God? I am reminded that I am to look inward first and determine what sin is preventing God’s involvement. May I encourage you to do the same? If you don’t have a personal relationship with Jesus, my Savior, please know that it is a first step in your need for prayer. Asking dad for help with something, is altogether different to asking a stranger on the street for that same help. Yes, Jesus loves you, but He wants to know that you love Him, have accepted Him as Lord, and that you are serious about following His commands every day – both when things are going perfectly for you, and when you’re in need of His help.

PRAYER BECAUSE OF THE IMPACT OF TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: Lord Jesus, I thank You for a Savior to who I can turn to when I’m thankful for answered prayer, and also when life is overwhelming and I need a powerhouse to help me overcome. As a child of Yours, and knowing You personally and intimately, You are my Rock to whom I can turn. I wouldn’t dare say that I never get impatient and frustrated when my prayers are either not answered, or as instructed, but Lord I thank You for teaching me through Your Word today, how critical it is that my spiritual condition be in order. Please dear Lord, teach me to always look inward and clear up any sin that may prevent me from seeing Your face or hearing Your response to my prayers. I don’t believe that I am any different to many who will read this devotional today, so I ask that You please open their spiritual eyes today and help them to understand the truth of Your Word. Yes, this Scripture was directed to Judah, but I am convinced that You are the same, righteous and holy God today, and when we are not, we should never be surprised that You are separated because of our sin. Forgive us Lord when we try to bring our worldly lessons and practices into the mix of our times with You. We are to be holy, just as You are holy! AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There’s another page on my website, entitled ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading or listening to this devotional, please go to this page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin or continue your walk with Jesus. If you would like to read more of my devotionals, or subscribe for a daily email containing each new devotional, please go online to NuggetsFromGodsWord.org. For my podcast, go online to Apple Podcasts or, using the Apple Podcast app, simply search for Nuggets From God’s Word to hear more episodes, or click ‘Follow’ to be notified of Podcast updates. Friends, please allow me to encourage you to find a church home nearby your home and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!

Things That Might Prevent Answers To Your Prayers

On By Ed AlgreenIn Forgiveness, Prayer, Respect, Unconditional loveLeave a comment

May I encourage you to get your spiritual ‘Nuggets’ to start your day off right? Pretty amazing that our awesome God would consider feeding even us with His Word! May I encourage you to read the whole devotional, and look for a blessing, friend!………

Today’s Bible Reference: 1 Peter 3:7
Today’s Bible Text: 7 You husbands must be careful of your wives, being thoughtful of their needs and honoring them as the weaker sex. Remember that you and your wife are partners in receiving God’s blessings, and if you don’t treat her as you should, your prayers will not get ready answers.
The Bible Translation: The Living Bible (TLB)

My Take Away: In this instant, press-of-a-button type world that we live in today, there is little tolerance for the man praying to God without receiving a quick response. However, have you ever stopped to think why God would not be tuned in and ready to answer your prayers? Peter reminds us that God has placed husband and wife together as loving partners who are not just blessed to receive the love and care of each other, but they are also subject to receiving the blessings of God that will impact their lives in such a way that they would be a blessing to others. In fact, Peter emphasizes that this union is so important, that when they are no longer abiding by His instruction through His Word, and that a divide in spirit is obvious, that He may very well not answer their prayers that He intended to bless them both with. Let me suggest that you think of it this way: imagine that a relative sold some land and always intended to bless you and your spouse with a portion of the sale proceeds. However, before the funds are disbursed the relative learns that you and your spouse are separated because of circumstances that you can’t seem to work through. Do you suppose that the relative will reissue two checks – one to each of you, or that they will postpone the disbursement until you work through your differences? I dare say that I believe it is the latter that will probably occur. So friends, I believe that the idea that Peter is trying to teach us here, is that our ‘house’ should be in order before we go before a holy and righteous God asking Him to ignore our ‘mess’ and bless us because of His love for us. Remember, God gave of His very best for us. He sacrificed His very best for us, so that we might one day be united with Him in glory. How dare us think that we can come before Him in our filth – hatred, disunity, division, negative attitudes, and other sin. Holiness requires holiness, or at least a request for help to overcome our unrighteousness and to become holy, as He is holy. If you know Jesus as Lord, may I encourage you to clean up your act of disunity and disrespect for your spouse, before you go before God asking Him to bless anything you are doing, or to give you something from the riches of His awesome hand? If you have never accepted Jesus as Lord, may I encourage you to seek His hand of forgiveness and accept Him as Lord, Savior and Master of your life, before you ever attempt to ask Him for anything?

Prayer: Dear God, please forgive us for our littleness in thinking that You would overlook our pettiness, our sin, our unforgiveness, our deliberate disunity with our spouse and yet turn a blind eye and bless us anyway. Thank You for having Your servant Peter remind us of the importance of being holy when we approach Your holy throne of grace. It is so obvious that we need You in every aspect of our lives. It is so obvious that we need to stay so perfectly aligned with Your will, and obedient to Your commands, that You would welcome our petitions when we approach Your throne. Please forgive us for ever thinking otherwise. Please forgive our disrespect for Your holiness. Please give us boldness to seek Your help in our relationships, particularly the most important relationship you have ever blessed us with – our spouse. Thank You for demonstrating pure, unadulterated love to us. May we seek Your face as we endeavor to return that love to You and as we love our spouse. I ask these things in the precious and all-loving name of Jesus, AMEN!

Footnote: If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to www.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

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