Dear FaithLine Partner,

Glory to God!! The events of the world tell us that our Dear Lord is coming very soon. Isn’t it wonderful to be alive at this time?

God is moving in this ministry in a wonderful way. Our projects are growing, and you will soon be able to read about them on our web page. Also, Praise God! — The Program will soon be available on the worldwide web 24/7!! God is so very good.

Each week I receive letters and phone calls asking me to pray. Each day I pray for those that have requested my prayer.

Many of those that ask me to pray for them want to know why God won’t answer their own personal prayers. I would like to speak to that problem here in this letter.

I will not be able to cover the entire subject, but (I pray) that I can give you an idea of where to begin your study on unanswered prayer.

Before I begin, please read James 4:1-12.

James is my favorite book of the bible. Often, my bibles are discarded, because I have worn out the Book of James.

James gets right down to it, and tells us the truth. He gives us (in these 12 verses) 12 reasons for unanswered prayer. Further on in his wonderful book, he gives us 6 secrets of answered prayer.

I strongly suggest that you end each of your daily bible studies with a study of the Book of James. Search every word. Each word is inspired by the Holy Spirit, and is there to instruct us in God’s Will for our lives.

Today, let us look first at the first 3 verses of Chapter 4:

James 4:1-3 4:1 From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? 2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. 3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. KJV

“But, I don’t understand, Brother Jacob. I am not lusting.”

“Lust refers to “Desire” for what is forbidden; an obsessive sexual craving, and the desire for things that are contrary to the will of God. (1 Cor 10:6). You see, Dear One, it is not only speaking about a sexual lust.

In the previous chapter, James speaks of envy as a source of strife. He is now talking about the war between the carnal and the Holy Spirit that is going on within us all. He is not talking about wars like the one in Iraq. The Holy Spirit is speaking of the war between the flesh and the Spirit.

Within the carnal nature of man is a desire to be the center of all things. Since the fall in the Garden, man has wanted to be God —– not to serve God. For this reason man interprets the world in terms of himself.

This is the work of our pride. Our pride wants to be “right”. Our pride wants to be loved and adored. Our pride wants “what it wants, when it wants it.”

These desires for self are the “lusts” spoken of here in James. He tells us that our problems (and unanswered prayer) do not come from other sources. They are the direct result of our lusts.

These “I wants” cause the strife between us. These “I am rights” cause the problems even between churches within the Body of Christ.

What I have said up to now may not be easy for you to understand. Read it over several times asking the Holy Spirit to make it clear to you.

If these things can keep us from receiving blessings from God, let us have a close look at them.

The most obvious desire (lust) that gets in the way of our prayers is the focus on our worldly think we need. God promises to provide us with what we need. God also promises to answer the prayer of faith, and to give us what we want. Is it faith to ask Him again and again for what He knows we need?

Then, Dear One, there is the desire (lust) to have what others have. We become caught up in the things of the world, and envy those that seem to have more than we ourselves possess.

In the world today the media is focused on helping Satan to cause you to envy. If you do not “have it all”, it does all in its power to cause you to desire (lust), and not be satisfied with what God has given you.

Are you with me?

“I want to be a singer, elder, leader, or ______ in my church.”

Today, many pastors have fallen to the desire (lust) to have a mega-church. They have compromised the gospel of Christ to obtain their worldly goal of fame. Then they wonder where the Holy Spirit went, and why God does not honor their prayers.

They preach about rewards instead of love. They preach about Satan more than Jesus. They speak of numbers instead of saving souls. They preach income and buildings instead of loving service to the Lord.

This message is difficult to hear. I pray that you are with me. Remember, Brother James said these things. I am only the messenger. I am only trying to explain why — sometimes — our prayers go unanswered.

Some Christians will stay in a church until the Pastor speaks something that they disagree with. Then, their desire (lust) to be right causes them to pull up their roots, and move on. Some never find total agreement, the Devil wins, and they produce no fruit, because they have no roots.

This desire (lust) for agreement causes so many problems between married couples. As I counsel them, I wonder sometimes if they would not rather be single than to be wrong once in awhile.

Usually, both the husband and the wife want me to pray for their partner. “Soften his/her heart, and cause him/her to agree with me. I want him/her back.” They tell me.

It never seems to dawn on them that the only person they can change is themselves. Sometimes, I can not convince them that they must be within the Will of God, in Christ, and following the Spirit — not the flesh —– to have their prayers answered.

Some blame their problems and unanswered prayer on Satan. In the big picture, of course they are right. But, each of us causes our own problems by, and through, our desires (lusts) in this world.

You and I have watched churches split, or ruined, over the desires of a few. Instead of coming together in love. Instead of praying over the problems together. Many have walked down the path of destruction through strife.

Isn’t it sad? Here we are dead to sin in the eyes of God. Here we are born again in Christ. Resurrected into a new person headed for eternal glory. Yet, we fall to the temptation of our worldly desires (lusts).

Dear One, there is a war going on. Satan is the enemy of God and man. The Devil does not want you to get answer to your prayers. He is the author of all that teases and tempts you into those worldly desires (lusts).

When we become caught up in our pride and the world (We have all been there.) God does not honor our prayers. So we pray even harder. We ask others to pray for us.

What we need to do —– what we must do —— is get back to the basics.

We have all had these worldly desires. When we were in the world, we ate the fruit of the world. It did not help us in any way.

Every generation —— everybody dies. All of the stuff, pride, and worldly praise that we receive can not help us.

Only Jesus can help you!! Only Jesus can keep you safe. Only Jesus can save you from sin. Only Jesus can get you up out of that grave.

We need to focus. We need to focus on who we are. We are children of the Living God. We are cells in the Body of Christ. Others judge our Lord by how we live our lives. We need to return to the basics.

What are the basics? Here are a few of them:

Praise and lust are like angel food cake. It tastes good, but in just a little while you want more.

Jesus and Jesus alone can fill you to the brim. He loves you so very much that He died for you. Jesus wants your prayers to be answered! But, he wants you out of the world.

Jesus wants your full focus on God. He wants you following the Holy Spirit each minute of every day.

The world and your own desires can only cause you to be disappointed —– again.

Follow the Spirit! God knows what you need to be happy, and He wants you to have those things. God wants us to love Him above ALL ELSE, and to love one another.

I pray that I have not confused you. James is a wonderful study that I soon hope to put on tape. Then, I will have more time to elaborate for you.

Remember: God loves you, and so do we!!

In His Blessed Service,