LIMITING BELIEFS – WHY YOU SOMETIMES DON’T GET WHAT YOU WANT

Not all prayers are answered. Everyone knows that. Skeptics see this as evidence that prayer does not work. What they overlook is that for prayer to work it must be used effectively, with a clear understanding of it’s scientific basis. 

What if you find your prayers are not answered as you would like? What then? You must understand the principal reasons for such failure. These are: lack of confidence and too much effort. Many people block answers to their prayers by failing to fully comprehend the workings of their subconscious mind. When you know how your mind functions, you gain a measure of confidence. 

Your failure to get results may be a consequence of mentally making negative statements such as: 

• Things are getting worse
• I will never get an answer
• I see no way out
• It is hopeless
• I don’t know what to do
• I am all mixed up and I’m not sure what to do 

When you use such statements, you get no response or co-operation from God (your subconscious mind). 

If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you. (Matthew 18:19) 

Who are these two who are spoken of? They stand for the harmonious union or agreement between your conscious and subconscious mind on any idea, desire, or mental image (thought). When there is no longer any quarrel between the different parts of your mind, your prayer will be answered. The two agreeing may also be represented as you and your desire, your thought and feeling, your idea and emotion, your desires and imagination. 

You must remember that whenever your subconscious mind accepts any idea or thought, it immediately begins to execute it. It uses all its mighty resources to that end. It mobilizes all the mental and spiritual laws of your deeper mind. This law is true for good thoughts, but it holds true for bad thoughts as well. Consequently, if you use your subconscious mind negatively, it brings trouble, failure and confusion. When you use it constructively, it brings guidance, freedom, and peace of mind. 

If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do. (James 1: 5-8)

Maybe you find yourself thinking; 

• I want to healing, why can’t I get it?
• I try so hard, why don’t I get results?
• I must force myself to pray harder.
• I must use all the will power I have. 

You must realize where your error lies. You are trying too hard! Never try to compel your subconscious mind to accept your idea by exercising willpower. Such attempts are doomed to failure. All too often you end up getting the opposite of what you prayed for.

Any time you try to force your subconscious mind to do something for you, you will fail. The results you want will become more distant instead of closer. Your subconscious mind does not respond to mental coercion. It responds to your faith or conscious mind acceptance. The thought “I will use my will power to overcome my failure” reinforces the thought of failure. Mental effort often leads to self defeat, creating the opposite of what is desired. To focus on the need to exert will power is to emphasize the condition of powerlessness. It is like deciding that you will do all you can not to think of a pink elephant. The decision makes the idea of a pink elephant dominate the mind, and the subconscious always responds to the more dominant idea. Your subconscious will accept the stronger of the two contradictory propositions.

When you diligently seek God, He promises that a reward is coming. He promises He will give you strength, wisdom, favor, good breaks, promotion, healing and restoration. When you seek Him with your whole heart, you will find Him, and you won’t be able to outrun His goodness and blessing!

Till the next time

Bruce

THE EFFORTLESS WAY

 

My Mother always talked about “the effortless way” to living your life and getting what you want. She would always say “when you put God in charge of your life you have no worries, no stress and everything becomes effortless. All you have to do is put everything in God’s hands and he will take care of it for you”. 

The effortless way that my mother always talked about meant that you put everything to God in prayer. Prayer is conversing and communicating with God. When we pray, we can talk to God aloud or within our thoughts. 

Prayer is an earnest desire that we take to God.  Prayer is the soul’s sincere desire, it is our heart’s desire. But even sincere desire is not enough by itself. There must be BELIEF, too. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours (Mark 11:24 NIV). You must realize God’s ability to give you every good thing in life. You must believe in his readiness to do it. Model your thoughts after the Psalmists of old. They first asked for that which they wanted, then eliminated all doubts and fears by affirming God’s power and his willingness to grant their prayers. For prayer to be effective Faith is required. Without faith, prayer accomplishes virtually nothing…but with faith, anything is possible! 

Try to make prayer your first response instead of your last resort when facing a new challenge or an old temptation.

And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for. (1 John 5: 14-15)

Even when we are praying for or about things other than our own spiritual needs and growth, conversing with God cannot fail to have a pervasive and spiritually strengthening effect on all aspects of our personality. That conversation makes an indelible impression on our minds, and our consciousness of him remains vivid as we go through our day.

Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.  You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.  (Matthew 7:7-11)

Is there something you are believing God for today? Does it seem like it’s taking a long time to come to pass? Be encouraged because the Bible says that …through faith and patience you will inherit His promises (Hebrews 6:12 NLT). If you’ll stay in faith, if you’ll keep on seeking Him, it won’t be long until you see that breakthrough!

The problem is that most people give up just before they get their prayers answered. They stop when things get hard or when they don’t get the answer they want the first time. But the verse encourages us to continually ask and continually seek. That doesn’t mean that we seek Him one time and then stop. No, we must seek Him until we have his promise!

Asking is the golden key to receiving! Asking is admitting that we have a lack or limitation. Ask not and you will receive not. Fear is a hindrance which the enemy uses to cripple us so that we refrain from asking. Fear tells you, 'It doesn't make sense to ask, there is a global recession going on, so why bother to ask?”

We have to make known our needs to God in prayer, ask His help, and then we have to BELIEVE he will give us what we need. Prayer alone is not enough. We may pray incessantly, yet, if we do not BELIEVE that God will give us what we need, we have no reason to expect that we shall receive what we have asked for. 

So why do so many fail to receive that for which they ask? Because they are not persistent enough. They do not convince the God in them that their prayer is something they MUST have. They ask and knock once or twice, and because the door is not immediately opened, they give up in despair. Remember “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, No, he is being patient for your sake…"(2 Peter 3:9, NLT) 

Successful prayer requires three basic steps: 

1. Acknowledge or admit the problem
2. Turn the problem over to God, who alone knows the most effective solution or way out.
3. Rest with a sense of deep conviction that God will grant what you ask for. 

Doubts and hesitations only weaken your prayer. Do not say to yourself, “I wish I could be healed” or “I hope this works.” Your feeling about the work to be done sets the tone. Believe and know that whatever you ask for is yours. 

Today, submit your prayers to the Lord and keep an attitude of faith and expectancy. Keep asking. Keep seeking. Keep knocking on the door, and it will be opened to you. Know that God is working behind the scenes. He is perfecting whatever concerns you. Don’t give up! Instead, start thanking Him for His faithfulness in your life. Thank Him for His promise that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek after Him!

Till the next time

Bruce