My prayers aren't being answered! What's the point of this life? I have tried my best to live right. But it's not happening. I feel so low and discouraged.. Why isn't God answering my prayers?Hold on! Don't be discouraged!!Quite often in our lives, some way or the other, we have thought in this way. Ofcourse, God does answer our prayers and sometimes His answer to our prayers is Grace. Other times, He does remain silent also. This could be for various reasons.He is our Heavenly Father and He loves us. Why won't He answer our prayers?If He's late in answering, it means He desires certain aspects of our lives to be changed. Through this post check your hearts and see where you've gone wrong.Here are 12 reasons as to why God does not answer our prayers:1. Deuteronomy 1:43, 45 - So I spake unto you; and ye would not hear, but rebelled against the commandment of the Lord, and went presumptuously up into the hill.And ye returned and wept before the Lord; but the Lord would not hearken to your voice, nor give ear unto you.These are Moses' words to the Israelites and it's quite clear why God would not hear their cry. In 1 Samuel 28:6 when Saul enquired of the Lord, the Lord did not answer him because he disobeyed God. If the spirit of disobedience works in us, God would not hear nor answer our prayers.Jesus was obedient to His earthly parents even though He knew the reason for which He came to earth. So should we be!2. In Luke 18:11,12,14, we find 2 men going up into the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee and the other, a Publican - The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.‭‭The Pharisee wasn't really praying. He was boasting about himself. He was making a self- justification - a prayer of pride. But, the Publican was justified by the Lord.Prayer should be done with humility and supplication! Look at the prayer of Daniel in Daniel 9:18 - O my God, incline thine ear, and hear; open thine eyes, and behold our desolations, and the city which is called by thy name: for we do not present our supplications before thee for our righteousnesses, but for thy great mercies. In Psalms 5:7, psalmist says I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy - not boasting in my works/self righteousness. We should not have the thought nor the understanding that God is answering our prayers because we are righteous. It's His Righteousness not ours.If the spirit of pride works in us, God will not give ear to our prayers.3. Psalms 66:18 - If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me: The Lord will not hear such a prayer. But what does Iniquity mean?Isaiah 59:13 gives us the definition of iniquity - In transgressing and lying against the Lord, and departing away from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood.In simple words, iniquity means a little deviation from the ways of the Lord. That is why God has put His love in our hearts so that we may not go astray. Therefore, David prays - Create in me a clean heart ,O Lord, and renew a right spirit within me.If bitterness, hatred, anger, dislike etc are found in our hearts, God won't answer our prayers.4. Proverbs 1:28,29 - Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me: For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord:Our desire for knowledge should be the same as St. Paul's. His desire in mentioned in Philippians 3:10 - That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;He also says, I know not anyone after the flesh - 2 Corinthians 5:16. When people try to know about each other and begin talking, they end up gossiping and speaking things that could be avoided. Thereby, they lose the fear of God and hate God's knowledge regarding that person. Therefore let our knowing be in the Lord.5. Proverbs 21:13 - Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard. The Lord wants us to be liberal to others - that is, to be able to give to the poor. When we neglect to show compassion to those in need, when we call upon God, He also will not hear us. This is mentioned in 1 John 3:17.Therefore, as the Lord has mercy on us similarly we also should have mercy on others. Then God will hear our prayers.6. Proverbs 28:9 - He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.We should have the desire to hear the counsel of God. That was Solomon's desire as well. Look at what he says in 1 Kings 3:9 - Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?Till he retained the understanding heart, the Lord heard and answered his prayer too by filling that place with His glory. God says, Mine eyes and Mine heart will be there perpetually.But later on, Solomon lost that heart because he gave room to strange love. And thereby heard strange voices, built strange altars and went far away from God.(.....to be continued)