Why Are My Prayers Unanswered?

Because you haven’t looked after the soil of your heart.

If you need breakthrough in your life in a specific area such as finances, health or relationships, you should consider the soil of your heart. Many people are not good receivers of what God wants to give them, and it has to do with the heart.

I want to share some kingdom secrets and mysteries which will help you discern what is happening in your life and allow you to walk in the fullness of what God has for you.

Matthew 13:3-11 NLT
³He told many stories in the form of parables, such as this one:
“Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seeds. ⁴As he scattered them across his field, some seeds fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate them. ⁵Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seeds sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. ⁶But the plants soon wilted under the hot sun, and since they didn’t have deep roots, they died. ⁷Other seeds fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants. ⁸Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted! ⁹Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”
¹⁰His disciples came and asked him, “Why do you use parables when you talk to the people?”
¹¹He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not.

There are a number of truths in the short passage. Firstly, Jesus was talking in parables so that the truth would be hidden from the crowds of people who would later crucify Him. He only shared the truth with His disciples, and in verse eleven He says that only they are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven. In other words, every parable contains secrets of the Kingdom, and these secrets are available to us through the Word of God. So it’s very important to always be meditating on a Bible verse throughout the day, quoting scriptures and memorizing them. As you are diligent with the Word of God, the Holy Spirit will reveal to you all the mysteries to where you won’t have any more questions.

1 Corinthians 2:9-10 AMPC
⁹But, on the contrary, as the Scripture says, What eye has not seen and ear has not heard and has not entered into the heart of man, [all that] God has prepared (made and keeps ready) for those who love Him [who hold Him in affectionate reverence, promptly obeying Him and gratefully recognizing the benefits He has bestowed].
¹⁰Yet to us God has unveiled and revealed them by and through His Spirit, for the [Holy] Spirit searches diligently, exploring and examining everything, even sounding the profound and bottomless things of God [the divine counsels and things hidden and beyond man’s scrutiny].

1 Corinthians 2:9 is quoted all the time, and I’ve heard it said that “God works in mysterious ways”, then people laugh. The problem with that is when you read verse ten. The Spirit of God searches even the profound and bottomless things of God – divine counsels and things hidden. He reveals all of these things to us, but we have to be in relationship with Him to receive that counsel. So as a believer, nothing should surprise you because the Holy Spirit is your mentor and counsellor, and He reveals the future.

In the parable of the sower, which should be called “The parable of the soils,” because the sower is mentioned once and the focus of the parable is on the soils, there are four types of soil: footpath, rocky soil, thorny soil and fertile soil. Only one soil produced a harvest, and three produced nothing. The exact same seed is sown on all soils, and the same sower is throwing the seed. Therefore there is nothing wrong with the seed or sower; The difference in result is all due to the soil.

Matthew 13:19-23 NLT
¹⁹The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don’t understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts. ²⁰The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. ²¹But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word. ²²The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced. ²³The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”

Luke 8:11-15 NLT
¹¹“This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is God’s word. ¹²The seeds that fell on the footpath represent those who hear the message, only to have the devil come and take it away from their hearts and prevent them from believing and being saved. ¹³The seeds on the rocky soil represent those who hear the message and receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they believe for a while, then they fall away when they face temptation. ¹⁴The seeds that fell among the thorns represent those who hear the message, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life. And so they never grow into maturity. ¹⁵And the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God’s word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest.

In Jesus’ explanation, it’s very important to note what made the soil infertile: either hard, rocky, or thorny. The first thing to deal with is not understanding the Word of God which is the seed. This is probably the biggest one which is why Jesus mentioned it first. If you think about the whole world population and how many people are believers in Jesus Christ, it’s a very small percentage currently. What I have seen over and over is people hear the word of God, they try to understand it in their mind, and when they can’t, they walk away. In essence, the devil just stole that Word from them. In this day and age with all the technology we have, it’s really impossible for someone to not hear the gospel at least once in their lifetime. What I’ve encountered is that most people who aren’t believers, people I’ve spoken to, have already heard the gospel many times but because of where their heart is, they don’t accept it.

To combat the lack of understanding, you can pray for wisdom and understanding. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal every truth in the Word to you, as it is written in 1 Corinthians 2:9-10. If you ever read something in the Bible and think it is too good to be true, or it isn’t relevant today, you have to remember that the word “Gospel” can be translated as “Too good to be true”, and Jesus is the centre of the Gospel. You have to accept that miracles are for today and are needed now more than ever. Prosperity is for today. Healing is available to you. Find the scriptures that you don’t believe in, and pray over them asking the Holy Spirit to reveal the truth of them to you. Don’t let the devil rob you of your miracle because you don’t understand the Word.

The second thing to be wary of is rocky soil which is where the Word doesn’t go deep enough in your heart. You take the Word at surface level and accept it mentally, but you haven’t meditated on it and memorized it and quoted it. When you face persecution, you give up on the Word because the circumstances don’t reflect the promise you have. I have seen people who believe in healing go back on their beliefs, because they got sick. However, just because sickness came doesn’t mean God’s word isn’t true.

You need to be ready to face the attacks of the devil when you get a Word from God, because He will come as a thief to steal everything away, using the methods Jesus explains here. When God gives you a Word for healing, you may feel sicker for the first day, week, or month. But that is the devil working overtime to get you to doubt. If He can’t get you to forget the Word of God, he will work on getting you into fear and doubt and unbelief. That is his mode, and Jesus is spilling the beans on all of this. This is why Jesus said it was a Kingdom secret. I get excited just thinking about that.

The third fruitless seed is the thorny soil. The Word is crowded out by worries of this life and the lure of wealth. Some translations say ‘the deceitfulness of riches’. This one is a big one for most Christians. When you have the Word of God, and you believe it but don’t live in it, it gets drowned out by everything else that is going on in your life. There are so many ‘cares of life’ that want your attention, the biggest one getting a flat-out mention – money. I think a lot of people who are poor think about how to get rich and what they would do with all that money if they got it. The problem with that is that your focus has shifted away from the Father.

If your focus gets shifted, it’s only a matter of time until the direction that you’re walking in also changes to where you’re looking. Jesus said to seek first the kingdom and His righteousness, then all these other things will be added to you. It’s a matter of priority. What is your priority if you only can choose to do one or two things. Does the Bible always get read every day by you? Do you always pray, even if you don’t have time to do anything else?

It’s important to not get into works over this, which is working really hard but not flowing in the fruit of the Spirit. If you write a list of things you want to do but keep failing to do them, don’t push harder to do it in your own strength. Let go of it and lean on the Lord to help you. Ask Him to help you. Remember that you are to seek first the Kingdom of God, and the Kingdom is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. That means that when you’re in the Spirit and walking with the Lord, you will have peace and joy. Righteousness is also translated as “justice”, meaning anything wrong is made right again. If something is out of alignment in your life, it must come back to the correct intent that God has.

The good soil is hearing and understanding God’s word, and then producing a harvest. In other words, you have taken what you received and put it into action which produced a harvest. You didn’t fall for any of the devils attacks and distractions that cause soil to be unfruitful. You are faithful, patient and fruitful. It’s obvious that God is at work in your life because you have a harvest that is many times the seed that was sown.

When you put all of this together, what it means is that for any problem you are facing in your life, be it lack of provision, lack of health, bad relationships, depression, or whatever it is, what you need to do is go to the Bible and find at least two verses that are promises for what you are needing. Then you take those verses and use them as a sword in the Spirit, waging warfare by declaring them, meditating on them, and praying them into your life. When you do that you are intentionally taking seed and planting it in your heart for it to grow. It takes time for it to grow though, so remember to be patient and stay in there. God will bring a mighty victory to you and you will have a testimony for the rest of your life on what He has done.

One thing that God showed me was praying before going to sleep. He wanted me to do that as part of my routine, however after a week or so I started to skip nights. I thought about this parable of the sower, and the Word of God came to me. He said “Remember that the only soil that produced fruit was the one that never gave up”. His words convicted me and helped me to keep going. So when you wage warfare, it’s a good idea to also have this parable at the forefront of your mind, to remind yourself that you will receive your harvest if you are patient and endure.

Receiving Permanent Breakthrough

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When the world started fearing Covid-19, my work quickly transitioned from an office to being at home. The move was forced by company policy change, so there was no say otherwise. I immediately struggled with work motivation and tired quickly from working in my bedroom. It was as if I was fighting myself to do even a normal day’s work. This continued for three years. It was so bad that at times I put down that I worked hours I hadn’t because I was falling behind and needed to keep up the image of staying on top of everything. I wanted to work and do it well, but I seriously struggled. Over three years, there were some times of higher productivity and motivation, but mostly times of very poor work. It was like a fight to do what was expected of a normal employee, in a normal job.

I started praying about this motivation problem right from the start of working from home because I knew it was an issue and my conscience needed to be kept pure. I got to a point where I made the decision to never put down time I hadn’t worked, even if the intention was to work it later. (The only exception was when forced to by the company). However, this didn’t solve the problem of having to fight to work more than three or four hours per day.

As I prayed more and more, I would get a breakthrough for a single day, or sometimes even a week at a time. The Holy Spirit would come upon me in a strong way and I could push through whatever was hindering me. However, I never got a permanent breakthrough, and I was always praying for another breakthrough after the last one. It was a never-ending cycle that felt very discouraging and hopeless.

After three years of going around in circles, there was a time when I was laying in bed listening to the audiobook of the Passion Translation of the Bible. It was playing from Proverbs 10.

The wisdom of Solomon: When wisdom comes to a son, joy comes to a father. When a son turns from wisdom, a mother grieves. Gaining wealth through dishonesty is no gain at all. But honesty brings you a lasting happiness. The Lord satisfies the longings of all his lovers, but he withholds from the wicked what their souls crave. Slackers will know what it means to be poor, while the hard worker becomes wealthy. Know the importance of the season you’re in and a wise son you will be. But what a waste when an incompetent son sleeps through his day of opportunity!
Proverbs 10:1-5 TPT

When the words were spoken in verse five: “What a waste when an incompetent son sleeps through his day of opportunity!” an explosion went off inside of my spirit! I was immediately quickened and a purpose and drive entered me that I had never had before. These verses played around in my mind and refused to leave. I couldn’t stop thinking that a slack son brings shame and grieving while a hard-working son brings honour and joy.

I realised very quickly that I had just had a supernatural event. I had been given an impartation from heaven that changed me on the inside and reshaped who I was. This may be hard to believe, but it’s important that you get this. I already knew I was changed before I even got off my bed to start the day.

Being over a month later, I can tell you that I have not been the same since this event happened. I have been given the ability to work hard and consistently. There are days that are battles, but it has completely flipped. I used to have days that I had a breakthrough, but now it’s the other way around – I have only some days that are a battle, and I’ve stepped into overthrow. Overthrow happens when you walk supernaturally. It cannot be done through works or effort. It is a gift from heaven that comes through meditating on the word of God.

Holy Spirit spoke to me about listening to the Bible and worship music as I sleep. When I received my impartation, I had heard those verses many many times before. However, there came a point where a supernatural transaction happened, and it only came through diligence and perseverance.

Many people need an impartation from heaven because it would resolve the troubles they are going through. If you are struggling in any area, you need an impartation. It’s that simple. Romans 12 speaks of impartation as a transformation of our mind.

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Romans 12:2 ESV

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
Romans 12:2 NLT

Before I had an impartation, I could quote these verses by memory. However, I didn’t understand the power behind this verse until I had the impartation for myself. I could also immediately see and discern that most people around me hadn’t had an impartation.

The thing about impartation is that it not only brings correction to your own life, but it also brings discernment. Discernment is also an amazing gift from Holy Spirit, which only comes supernaturally. You cannot receive an impartation or receive discernment apart from Holy Spirit and apart from heaven.

You need to submit yourself to the word of God. You need to yield to what the words are saying because they are directly from God, and they will change you. You need to keep in mind that God spoke the world into being. His words are so powerful that their sound created who we are and everything around us.

God is supernatural, and you will never enter into His will by your own effort or strength. The key here is to meditate on and yield to what the Spirit of God is saying to you. It needs to not be a one-time event after reading this, but it needs to be your lifestyle. When you change your lifestyle, you change who you are. In other words, who you are right now is not going to take you where you need to go. You must submit to the correction of Father God and let Him be your wisdom. You cannot rely on your own understanding or your own way of thinking, it must be transformed.

An important note here is that I prayed many many times, at least several hundred, if not over a thousand times about the motivation and work problem I was having. However, I could have saved myself a lot of time if I had simply yielded to the Spirit of God and listened to what He was teaching me. The answer was in the Word all along, but God hides mysteries in the pages which are only revealed to those who search them out.

I love you and I pray for you. I pray for everyone who reads this. Please make the Bible a part of your lifestyle and meditate on it continually. Keep it before you. Print out verses and put them at your work desk. Write post-it notes with verses on them. Put verses by your bedside, and fill yourself with the Bible. Keep the Word in your ears and eyes so that you are positioned to receive your impartation.

Every spiritual blessing has already been given to us through Christ Jesus, so there is no need to suffer any longer! You are losing time every moment that you don’t walk in overthrow, because you are called to your workplace to be a light. However, you cannot be a light if you are not shining. So, shine!

Your light will be very quickly shining when you get your impartation. Many people around me have noticed a dramatic change, and it has not been very long at all since the event happened. I have worked with these people for nearly eight years, and have not heard them say the things they are saying now so frequently.

You must listen to the word, especially the topics and areas where you need breakthrough the most. You will experience overthrow through the power of Holy Spirit at work in you as you yield. Continue in it, and persevere.

Just Do It!

This morning I was peacefully sleeping until my alarm rudely awoke me. I thought ‘Do I have to do my devotions this morning? Surely missing one morning won’t matter.’ I started to fall asleep again.

Can you relate to this kind of morning? Have you ever felt so tired that a previously important commitment loses its appeal? The problem with thinking this way is that one morning off turns into one week off, which then turns into a month off, and so on.

So, I had to get over myself and get up. I forced my eyes back open and sat up. I got out of bed and started reading the Bible. The power in those words began to hit me. The impact grew over time. I became aware of God’s presence.

1 Corinthians 15:58 says ‘So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.‘ God takes notice of what you do. Are you pursuing God? On the harder days, are you remaining consistent?

Passion For God

Acts 21:1-4, 7-8 tells the story of Paul travelling through various places and encouraging Christians as he went. Just focusing on the travel, it says ‘After saying farewell to the Ephesian elders, we sailed straight to the island of Cos. The next day we reached Rhodes and then went to Patara. There we boarded a ship sailing for Phoenicia. We …landed at the harbour of Tyre, in Syria, where the ship was to unload its cargo. We went ashore, found the local believers, and stayed with them a week…‘ (Skip verses 5 and 6) ‘The next stop after leaving Tyre was Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and sisters and stayed for one day. The next day we went on to Caesarea and stayed at the home of Philip the Evangelist, one of the seven men who had been chosen to distribute food.‘

This story illustrates the passion Paul had for God and the Church. He travelled the world teaching and encouraging believers wherever he went.

The passion Paul had for God and the Church inspires me. However, when it comes to my life, I can so effortlessly get busy with unimportant tasks. I never intend to put God below other things, but it is so easy to find fun and exciting things to fill my day.

Does your life reflect the passion Paul had? Travelling the world is obviously not required to pursue God passionately. Loving God looks different for everyone, but is there an opportunity to bring your passion to a higher level? Do you find yourself ‘too busy’ to spend a meaningful time alone with God each day?

Going All In

I was thinking about my life in the context of eternity. I am alive for a short time (120 years if I’m blessed), yet there are many times I don’t live like it. In my studies, I don’t always give 100% of my effort, and in my job, I don’t always go the extra mile. Most importantly, I realised I was not going all in with my relationship with God.

Can you relate to this? In many situations there is room for improvement, but how far should you go? Your time is limited, so how should you prioritise it?

Colossians 3:23-24 says ‘Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.‘

Matthew 22:37-38 says ‘Jesus declared, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.’

Therefore, do the best work you can, knowing you are serving God, not your boss/lecturer/teacher/pastor and prioritise your relationship with God above all else.

Relying on God’s Consistency

Some days I feel as though I could climb Mt. Everest, conquering the day without effort, while other days I want to stay in bed watching movies all day. I think we’ve all been there, unmotivated and undisciplined, but at what point does this turn from a bad day to a bad week, to a bad habit?

Thankfully, God is with us at every turn. He has our back, keeping us refreshed when we go to Him. Isaiah 40:31 says ‘But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.‘

I am so thankful for God’s grace for me. He always gives me strength when I pray.

Run to Win!

Tonight after a successful night of bible study I was highly motivated. I went to the gym and started thinking. As I lifted weight after weight, I realised at that moment that no single event in my life determines my future. I have to decide every day if I want to run or not. I choose whether to win or lose.

I cannot put my trust in myself, nor can I sit back and do nothing – faith without action is dead. Every day brings new opportunity, and each successful day builds onto the previous ones.

If you are discouraged by what life has dealt you, move past it by kneeling by your bed and praying! Next time life is too much, go back again and pray. Tomorrow may be even harder than today, but again, pray.

1 Corinthians 9:24-25 says ‘Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.‘

Don’t give up.

Surrender

When I was in school, I liked to follow the path of least resistance. This path is simply choosing the most comfortable option for every decision. When I should have studied, I chose to read a book, or play outside, or talk to family, or do anything but study. The problem is, this behaviour made me undisciplined. Later in life, I would have to face this problem.

It is always convenient, but not beneficial to pick the path of least resistance. Why do you think fast food exists? The most comfortable choice always looks very appealing. The life God has for me does not have much in common with the path of least resistance. This life, one filled with love, is not easy to follow. Every day I choose to surrender myself to God. I accept what His plan is for this day.

Galatians 2:20 says ‘I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.‘ Surrendering each day may not be easy, but it is worth it.

I now live by faith in Jesus!

Choosing the Narrow Path

When I was a boy, I found many ways to test my parent’s patience. I examined the boundaries while trying to find a new way to be entertained. One day I thought it would be fun to ‘prank call’ the police. Afterwards, I thought nothing of it until an officer came and visited the residence to find out what happened! As it turned out nothing was wrong, he left.

Now I am older I know not to create false alarms just for fun, but sometimes I find myself looking for the next fun thing. I know I don’t live for pleasure, but the way of this world is to live this way. As a Christian, I need to choose the narrow path of discipline, love, compassion and following God.

Matthew 7:13-14 says “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.“