“Pastor, what do I do when my prayers isn’t changing the situations around my life?” 

When your prayers isn’t changing your situation, it’s either you didn’t pray correctly or your corresponding actions after the prayer were from a standpoint of doubt and fear, not faith.

Each time I read 1 Peter 5:8-9, I remember what happened to Job. He suffered affliction, not because he didn’t know how to pray, but because his actions didn’t have faith in them. Let’s see what that scripture says;

1 Peter 5:

8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.

9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

Just look at that, Satan was going about looking for who to devour when he found a laxity in Job. He decided to use that against him in court, and since Job didn’t appear in court for a hearing, the case was ruled in Satan’s favour.

There are two things that happen when a case his presented against you in court, you’d either receive a restraining order until you appear for a hearing, or the case is ruled against you until you can provide evidences that proves otherwise. So the lack of progress in your life might either be because a restraining order has been issued or The Judge has ruled in favour of Satan.

Let me guess, you’re about to ask me if that is right? Well, just because a case was manipulated doesn’t mean it can’t get a ruling. We’ve seen many manipulated cases gain favour in court, even in this world that we live in. So the wisdom will be to produce your cause intelligently and bring forth your strong reason, just as Isaiah 41:21 says.

Unlike Job who didn’t have an advocate who could defend him, we have an eternal Advocate, whom ofcourse is Jesus. And this means we’d always stand a chance of willing both an ongoing case or re-open a case that has been ruled against us.

While His blood qualifies us for mercy, His word becomes an evidence for our freedom. Mercy grants us a second hearing, His word becomes our reason for an acquittal order.

Unfortunately, many believers don’t know how to balance prayers and faith based actions. God may decide to hear your case when you pray, but then your Advocate may not find enough faith in you to defend your case. Let’s see how scriptures put it:

Luke 18:

7 And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?

8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

Did you see that? God may have giving a ruling in favour of Satan’s accusation, but because of your continuous prayers to Him, He’d grant you mercy. However, when His Son whom is also your Advocate comes, will He find faith in you?

Your faith based prayer must be backed up with faith based actions if you want an acquittal order from the court of heaven. After you’ve declared God’s word concerning why you must prosper, you must also begin to act in faith towards those things you declared. Some people still live and take decisions in fear despite their heavy prayer of faith.

For instance, the bible says, “he that gives to the poor shall not lack”, this means that if you want to deal with lack, then you must stop behaving like a poor person, rather, give to the poor. The poor man consumes all he has because he believes he’s too poor to give. That’s why they never come out of poverty.

Don’t go about complaining after you’ve engaged a prayer of faith, the bible says “rejoice always, again I say rejoice”. Don’t feel sorrow over a loss, the bible says we shouldn’t set our affections on earthly things, rather we should set our affections on things above. If the only thing you have in your house after presenting your financial prosperity case is garri, drink it with joy, not regret.

This was Job’s greatest problem. He took decisions and made sacrifices in fear, and the things he feared came upon him. His suffering continued until his action carried faith; we were told that despite his predicament, he still prayed for his friends. That’s how he finally won the case, and even enjoyed double restoration.

As long as we live in this world, Satan will remain an accuser of God’s people, God will remain the Judge who listens to cases whether from us or Satan, and Jesus will remain our advocate.

If God tells you to build a house and you emit a little trace of fear, Satan can raise a case against you with that little fear, just as he did against Job. He may tell God that you don’t believe in His ability to supply the resources that will build the house. And since God is a righteous Judge, He’d grant you an opportunity to prove yourself. And if you don’t, you may never build that house. This is actually why we have many abandoned projects around.

Some people are presently suffering problems that are results of a ruling in court. They did something wrong, and instead of pleading the blood of Jesus and walking in the light of His word for their freedom, they decided to ignore it. The truth is, God can also ignore it, but the only danger in ignoring wrongs is if Satan presents that wrong as a case before God.

I hope this has brought enlightenment to someone.

Remain ever blessed, in. Jesus precious name!

#EmekaAnslem