Bible has been teaching us the importance of our fervent prayer life.

Here too in Jeremiah 33:3, God says “call to me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.”

As we read in Jeremiah 32 :16, 21,22 Jeremiah the prophet of the most high God, pleads in prayer to God seeing the distress the people are facing due to their own prolonged disobedience to the word of God .

Addressing the great attributes of our good God; in Jeremiah 32:17, Jeremiah acknowledges nothing is impossible for God.   (Gen 18:14, Num 11:23, II chronicles 14:11, Isa 59:1, Mic 2:7, Luke 1:37)

Also, God replies according to the understanding that Jeremiah had about The God’s mighty power, saying in 32:27 ” Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh, Is there anything too hard for Me?”

Yes, God is so powerful to answer and do mighty things in our life. God answers our prayers.

But why is it that sometimes we are still in the same problem for so many years?

Why is God not answering?

Is God not able?

No, the reason is because we don’t call unto Him as much as we should in prayer.

Mt 14:23, Mark 1:35, Luke 6:12; Luke 22: 39-46 shows our Lord Jesus Christ when he was in flesh doing His ministry used to spend long hours in prayer.

Seeing the power of such prayers, the disciples asked HIM to teach them how to pray. (Luke 11 :1-13)

Even Jesus told many parables teaching the importance of prayer and encourages to pray. HE teaches us never to be discouraged and give up praying when the answer for our prayer is delayed. (Luke 18:1-8)

Because our God is one who gives attention to our prayers and replies.

Psalm 35:13, psalms 32:13 the psalmist says how discouraged he becomes when the reply from God seems delayed.

But do we know that we might be the reason for the delay?

Yes, many times we are quick to blame others, find other’s mistakes, but fail to understand or accept our own mistakes.

This is the reason for long-term failure in the life of God’s people. As stated in Deuteronomy 32:28- God’s own people lack understanding and God’s counsel.

In the life of David too he was very sensitive to sin before he became the king (1 Sam 24:5). but after becoming the king even the greatest sin of lust with Bathsheba he committed without any hesitation.

Later David had to be convicted by the prophet Nathan of his sin (2 Sam 11,12 ) it’s then he realized and repented and was restored by God.

Prayer doesn’t change God, but instead changes us, helps us realize our mistakes and repent and get closer to God.

In Jer 37:16;18;19, We see that king Zedekiah puts Jeremiah in the prison since he fails to recognize God’s word of warning through Jeremiah, instead trust the false prophets and their false prophecy.

And so, had to face many problems since the king himself was in bondage and couldn’t recognized God’s word.

But we as children of God, NT believers with the spirit of God in us, need to go into God’s presence, enquire our problems, be ready to realize our mistakes and turn back from it.

Then only we can get solutions and answers to our long-term problems.

John 16:8 Our Lord Jesus says when the Holy Spirit comes to us, HE convicts us of sin, righteousness, and judgement.

But we should give heed to the correction and conviction of the Holy Spirit.

Instead we don’t listen and dwell in our sin.

Jer 10:18 says that so God puts us into distress, so that we start seeking God’s counsel sincerely and understand our own transgression and repent.

Psalms 66:18;19 – because God doesn’t listen to prayer from a heart filled with iniquity.

2 Samuel 24:16 when king David understood his mistake and pleaded with repentance to God asking to stop the plague that had killed 70000 people, God immediately stopped the plague. Accept your mistake and confess it to God and He will deliver you out of trouble.

Prevailing prayer brings grate things and bring blessing to Churches and nations. (Example: Hoshea 12:4; Roman 15:29, Colossians 4:12).  So, we need to struggle in prayer like Jacob did which brought deliverance to his family and God’s blessings upon his descendants. (James 5:17-18) we see how Elijah prayed earnestly and God answered according to his prayer and brought clouds of blessing upon nation.

Today why we fail to pray?

True reason is that when we fail to keep God in the first position in our life, we fail to pray also.

We find time for entertainment, social media etc., but no time to pray.

If only we take decision to come back to God and call unto HIM in prayer and supplication, God will do mighty things in our life and our nation. We Christian pray and expect great things from God. HE will answer our prayer and bless us as he promised Jeremiah:

1. Health and cure, revel peach and truth (V6)
2. Liberation from captivity (V7)
3. Forgiveness of iniquity (V8)
4. Goodness (V9)
5. Fulfil all HIS words (v14)
6. Multiply/increase HIS ministers (V22)

Do we desire such blessed life?

Let’s submit to pray fervently every day.

Are we ready to strive in prayer?

Then God is ready to show us mighty things and bless HIS Church with all these foretold blessings in Jesus Name.

Amen.