However, there are times when God will not hear our cries, nor answer our petitions that come before Him.
The following are three such times:
1) When we are repeatedly disobedient — In the Old Testament, God spoke to king Saul in dreams and by prophets. However, when Saul repeatedly disobeyed God, "the Lord answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets" (1 Samuel 28:6).
2) When we are rebellious — Israel was a rebellious nation (Ezekiel 2:3). Because of their rebellious attitude, God said through His prophet Jeremiah, "Pray not for this people for their good. When they fast, I will not hear their cry; and when they offer burnt offering and an oblation, I will not accept them" (Jeremiah 14:11-12).
3) When we refuse to hear God — God speaks through the Proverb writer, "Because I have called, and ye refused: I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; But ye have set at naught all my counsel, and would none of my reproof; I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh .... Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me: For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord: They would none of my counsel: they despised all of my reproof. Therefore, shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices" (Proverbs 1:24-26,28-31; cf. Isaiah 66:4; Jeremiah 7:13; Zechariah 7:11).
Dear reader, when we as God's people sin, it's imperative for us to immediately heed the request of Isaiah, "Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon" (Isaiah 55:6-7 KJV; cf. Psalm 130:7; Jeremiah 3:12).
—Mike Riley, Gospel Snippets
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