How long have you prayed for something you know is God’s will, but still have not received the answer yet?

First, how do we know if it is God’s will? God’s word is His will. So, when we pray His Word, His word does what He says it will do. (Isaiah 55:11)

However, there may be times in our lives that it seems we pray and decree the Word of God. We ask and ask. After all the Bible says, “Ask, and it will be given to you” (Matthew 7:7a).

But still no answer to our prayer. Then we may begin to question our faith.

The Word says when we have faith in God, then we can move mountains and get whatever we say.

“So Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them” (Mark 11:22-24 NKJV).

All we need is just a little faith, as tiny as a mustard seed. (Matthew 17:20) Most likely, our faith is not the issue.

But we still have no answer to our prayer or even a confirmation that the answer is on its way. Why is that? We find one major reason in the next two verses of our Mark 11 text.

Let’s read Mark 11:25-26, “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.”

When we pray, if we have an “anything against anyone” we are to “forgive him.”

The most common hindrance that we encounter to receiving answers to our prayers is harboring hurts, wounds, and offenses (these are anythings) against others.

The legal system lends itself to taking on offenses. We set expectations on others to behave in a certain manner and when what really happens does not line up with our expectations, it is easy to take on an offense.

If we set up expectations that the judicial system will be fair, then we set ourselves up to take on offenses. Then if we harbor hurts, wounds, and offenses “against anyone,” then our prayers are hindered.

People will not always meet our expectations. How many of you heard your defense attorney say something like, “Oh don’t worry, we’ll get a not guilty or very least probation”? Or “We’ll get a good plea deal and he’ll be home before you know it?”

Then after the jury deliberation you hear, “Guilty.” Then they are sentenced to years prison—5, 10, 20, 30, 50, 75 or even life without parole.

But the attorney promised a different outcome. This was my scenario and you can read about it in a blog post called, Misplaced Hope.

Today I ask you to take some time, write down the names of those people that when you even think of their names you feel your muscles tense or stomach turn.

Then pray this prayer:

Father God, in the name of Jesus, I come humbly before you today. I confess I have unforgiveness in me regarding [name the situation, event, person(s)] for [name unmet expectations, trespasses, violations, etc.]. Today I choose to forgive [person’s name] for [name the specific act(s) committed that caused the hurt]. Lord, I forgive myself for holding unforgiveness in my heart. Father, I acknowledge that I have hurts in my heart and I ask You to heal the hurt in my heart. Lord, I desire that my heart be transformed. I ask for the Holy Spirit to help me, guide me, direct me, and minister to me that I may have complete, total forgiveness ingrained into my heart, mind, soul, body, memory, and emotions. Thank You, Lord, for forgiving me and that ll is forgotten as far as the east is from the west. I ask You to fill all the vacated places with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Thank You for Jesus who made a way for this healing and liberating process. In Jesus name, Amen.

If you follow through with this action, then you will be released and you will have removed the most common hindrance to getting your prayers answered.

“The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (James 5:16b).