A great obstacle and hindrance to answered prayer is disobedience to the known will of God.

God has a will, plan and purpose for each and every life. That includes yours and mine. His will is revealed by His written Word, and by His Spirit bearing witness within our hearts, leading, guiding and directing us. If we are to fulfill Divine destiny, we will have to learn His leadership and walk in the light of it.

As it pertains to His Written Will, we must always remember that the Bible, while written by men, is inspired by God. In other words, it is God dictating to those whom He chose, what He wanted them to write, so that we could come to know Him, walk with Him and understand His will for mankind. And after all of these centuries, it is still the number one selling Book of all times. That ought to tell us that there is something to the Scriptures, something supernatural, something dynamic and beyond the natural mind of man.

It is vital therefore that we give heed to His Word and make it a daily part of our lives. It would be very good and beneficial to make some time and read a chapter from the Scriptures each day. You will find, as I have after reading the Bible for over thirty years that God is in the Word. The Bible is God speaking to us, and if you will but read it daily you will have no doubt about it.

The Scriptures cover every area of our lives and shows us what God has to say about our issues, about how we should live and deal with our fellow-man. It reveals how we are to handle our homes and provide for our families. It shows us how to walk in God’s provision and it also is explicit in revealing things which please God and things which do not. The Bible gives us wisdom for living effectively, knowledge for answers that may puzzle us, and understanding for our peace and stability.

And the Bible also gives us assurance of where we will spend eternity after we depart this life, if we live in accordance with the Will of God. Now while we may be discussing how much the Bible and reading it daily will benefit us, we wish to draw attention to the fact that it is important to not just read the Bible, but to apply its wisdom to our daily lives. God did not just give us His Word for us to read and say, “Well, I have read my Bible. Now let me do my own thing.” It does not work that way.

This is especially true when it comes to answers to prayer. You and I cannot walk in disobedience to what we know God expects of us, rebelling against His authority, refusing to do what He says, and still expect Him to answer us when we pray. While God is good and will do all He can for us, His greatest blessings and provision are with those who walk in accordance with His Will.

Did the Scriptures not say, “If you be willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land.” (Isaiah 1:19) God wants us to come into agreement with what He has revealed in His Will. And if you and I are to enjoy the experience and absolute bliss of answered prayer over and over again, we will have to line up with what God desires and asks of us.

Obedience to God’s will is not a bad thing. It is always for our benefit. So spend time reading your Bible daily. Get to know God in His Word. Apply what you learn. And when you call upon God, you will find Him right there more than willing to help, strengthen, uphold, provide, keep and bless you.

What about if you miss the mark and mess up? Will God condemn and throw you away. No. He loves you. He simply wants you to confess and admit that you went against His will and ask Him to forgive you. Then ask for His help to do those things which please Him. You will find Him giving you His wisdom and strength to do what is right in His sight.