When God Doesn't Answer Anymore
It is a serious situation when we do not receive an answer from God for the requests we make to Him in prayer. It is even more disturbing for us to cease receiving answers after having seen God answer our prayers in the past. After having close fellowship with God, it hurts to lose touch with Him. That was what happened to king Saul.(I Samuel 28:15)
When God quit answering Saul's' prayers it led him to do desperate things. He asked the prophets to help him hear from God. He looked for dreams to come from God to reveal His will. However, he found no answers. Then, he sought to see a spiritual medium, a witch, to call for Samuel to communicate with him, so he could ask Samuel what to do. This was not only against God's laws, but it was against the laws Saul had laid down for Israel. In this one instance God did allow Samuel to go back and speak to him, but at other times demons communicate for the dead person, if there is anything that happens at all. Samuel told Saul that God quit responding, because of Saul's disobedience to God.
Saul should have known that without getting so desperate. He should have known that all he had to do was to turn away from his ways and firmly put his trust in God. Then, God would answer his prayers again. However, Saul did not want to repent and obey God. He just wanted God to do his will. God doesn't act in that way when we pray. He responds to faithful hearts. Saul ceased to be faithful to God, so God ceased answering him. The same will happen to any of us today. I pray that none of us will ever have to say that God doesn't answer us anymore, but if we do have to say that, we will know that the remedy is repentance and faith in Him.
Tomorrow, I intend to read I Samuel 30-31 and II Samuel 1.
When God quit answering Saul's' prayers it led him to do desperate things. He asked the prophets to help him hear from God. He looked for dreams to come from God to reveal His will. However, he found no answers. Then, he sought to see a spiritual medium, a witch, to call for Samuel to communicate with him, so he could ask Samuel what to do. This was not only against God's laws, but it was against the laws Saul had laid down for Israel. In this one instance God did allow Samuel to go back and speak to him, but at other times demons communicate for the dead person, if there is anything that happens at all. Samuel told Saul that God quit responding, because of Saul's disobedience to God.
Saul should have known that without getting so desperate. He should have known that all he had to do was to turn away from his ways and firmly put his trust in God. Then, God would answer his prayers again. However, Saul did not want to repent and obey God. He just wanted God to do his will. God doesn't act in that way when we pray. He responds to faithful hearts. Saul ceased to be faithful to God, so God ceased answering him. The same will happen to any of us today. I pray that none of us will ever have to say that God doesn't answer us anymore, but if we do have to say that, we will know that the remedy is repentance and faith in Him.
Tomorrow, I intend to read I Samuel 30-31 and II Samuel 1.