John 1: 12 clearly tell us who are the children of Jesus Christ. There are numerous verses which remind us of this fact. On the authority of word we claim ourselves as children of God. If we are children, we are His legal heirs too. If we are the legal heirs, then our prayers need not be a petition or plead but a simple asking or intimation. Jesus Himself taught us to simply ask, “I am your father, ask me”. He says, “Ask, it shall be given unto you”. Do not compromise on your requirements for something that is readily available, rather seek for a better one because everything that Jesus owns is yours. Then the father said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and everything that belongs to me is yours’ (Luke 15: 31). “Seek and you will find”. Further He says, knock, it is your house, your treasury, no one is going to ask who are you? It will open. ”Knock and the door will be open unto you”.

In spite of this truth, we often feel unworthy to obtain anything from God. A person who is suffering for a long period always says that even after praying persistently, there is no answer. When our prayers are not answered, we get stuck. Confusion surmounts our life. We start complaining that God is not listening. Unknowingly, we are denying our belief on Jesus and start believing on our own deeds such as our prayers, offerings, attending services, etc. We fail to realize that we have lost our authority as sons and daughters. When our prayers are not answered, the first thing we should realize is, our relationship with God has broken somewhere. When Adam and Eve sinned against God, they lost their authority and were afraid to speak to Him. If we are His children, our prayers are simple talks.

At what point, do we lose our authority? We may think it is because of our sins, but that is not the reason for the unanswered prayers. Samson repeatedly committed sins but his prayers were answered every time. David sinned, but was testified by God as a man near to His heart. God always looks forward to forgive our sins, if we repent truly. The mistake we commit is that, we start handling the crisis without giving a chance to Jesus to handle it. Yet we say that we are praying. James in his book, gave us a reason for the unanswered prayers.

“You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions” James 4:3.

Jesus Himself explained this to us through a parable that is commonly known as “The Parable of the Prodigal Son”. “And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them” Luke 15:12. If we mediate on this verse, we will get the answer for our unanswered prayers. The younger one, did not want to abide with his father and his household but wanted to avail everything to spend it on his passions. When we face problems in our lives, one after the other, we start worrying. What does worry convey? It conveys that we have started handling the problems with our own strength and ideas.  

“And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?” Mathew 5:27.

Here we see how Jesus overruled our worries or anxieties. In other words, worry or anxiety is an outcome of our desire to obtain God’s provisions to spend it on our passions, without abiding with Him. The provisions of God ought to be dealt with God’s will.

The younger son tried his best to avail God’s provisions to his own will and met with hunger. Hunger indicates lack of provisions. It drives a man to sell everything. Esau sold his birth right because of hunger (Genesis 25: 29-34). We too are selling out our birth (re-birth) right because of hunger. Hunger for power, wealth, lust, etc. The younger son realized that and said, “How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger!” (Luke 15:17)

At last, he realized that he is not a person who would want anything, but a person who would provide to the others.

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want” Psalm 23:1.

Jesus empowered His children, who believe in abiding with Him and with the following signs:-

“And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.” Mark 16:17-18

When worries and anxieties tormented us and brought us far away from our Lord Jesus Christ, let us recall the privileges and repent. Let us go back to Him leaving all our personal efforts. He will accept us and once again help us inherit the Kingdom of God. We are called to live, live eternally and make others also live eternally. We are the `heritage’ of God’s Kingdom in this earth.

Behold, I and the children whom the Lord has given me are signs and portents in Israel from the Lord of hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion. Isaiah 8:18

And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate. Luke 15: 21-24