Our heavenly father Jehovah, is willing and pleased to hear our sincere prayers. But there are things that would stop him from answering our prayers. What are these things? The Bible tells us.

"When praying, do not say the same things over and over again"--Matthew 6:7

Jehovah does not want us to repeat memorized prayers. Instead, he wants us to speak from the heart. Imagine how frustrating it is to have a friend tell you the same words to you day in and day out! It is the same with us and God when praying.

"When you do ask, you do not receive because you are asking for a wrong purpose"---James 4:3

We should certainly not expect God to answer our prayers if we were to ask for things we know he does not want us to do. For example, Would Jehovah grant a gambler's request for good luck when he has clearly warned against greediness? (Luke 12:15a) We should make sure that our requests are in harmony with his will.

"The one refusing to listen to the law -- even his prayer is detestable"— Proverbs 28:9

In Bible times, God did not answer those who rejected his righteous laws.(Isaiah 1:15,16) If we want God to answer our prayers, we must do what we can to live in harmony with his laws.

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