Christian Living

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WHY IS MY MOUNTAIN STILL STANDING?

Do you have a mountain you want removed? Do you want to see results when you pray? What are you doing to achieve the results you desire? Are you doing it God’s way?

“Whoever says to that mountain be removed and be cast into the sea and does not doubt, he will have whatever he says.” (Mark 11:23).

If that’s the case, then why is my mountain still standing? I believe in God and I do not doubt him. I’m almost certain that my request is in conformity with his will but seriously, why is my mountain still standing?

Have you fasted and prayed and yet your mountain is still standing? Rebuking, binding and commanding the forces of darkness to cease their activities, and yet nothing is happening? Has it been a while now and still no answer and it appears like God is just not listening or has somehow forgotten? As a result, you are now asking yourself; where is God? Does he still answer prayer? Are you also wondering if something or someone is blocking your prayers or why is this mountain so stubborn?

Apart from it not being God’s will to answer that particular prayer at the moment or at all, perhaps, the only antagonism you sense is yourself. Before you can develop the nerve to get angry and frustrated because God is not jumping to your demands, you must first perform a thorough self-examination; ask yourself, is there any sin in my life? Am I really meeting God’s needs first? Remember Jesus said, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and its righteousness and all of these things will be added unto thee”. These are not just meaningless words. Jesus meant every word he said.

Furthermore, I don’t think that the mountain you are attempting to move is stubborn at all. In fact, you are the stubborn one. You know God’s rules. Play by his rules. Don’t pretend that his rules do not apply to you.

In order to have an effective prayer life, you must strive for righteousness in whatever you do; the bible declares that “the prayers of a righteous man availeth much”.

The same Jesus who said “ask and ye shall receive”, also said that in bringing our offerings, needs, etc before him we should search ourselves; “whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive” (Mark 11:25)”. Unforgiveness is just one of the many hindrances to our prayers. There are many others that we simply disregard or we are just ignorant of the fact that it is a hindrance. Here are some common sins and excuses that we often overlook:

1) Unforgiveness: malice, grudge, withholding your speech from someone, severing dealings with someone.

2) Bigotry: prejudice, racial intolerance, belittlement.

3) Lying – Black lie or White lie; it is a sin. As well as bearing false witness. Oh, lest I forget, one minute sin which we (ladies) always overlook and joke about. Please don’t laugh; lying about your age. Beware this “microscopic” sin could hinder you seriously. It’s no joke! No matter how you look it, it is categorized as a sin.

4) Homosexuality – it is an abomination to God. “What’s wrong with two people loving and marrying each other”? I’ll tell you what’s wrong; YOU ARE OF THE SAME SEX and you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure that out.

5) Fornication – yes it is equally
a sin as homosexuality is and it is sickening in God’s eyes too. “We are just living together to cut down on expenses but we will be getting married next year anyway.” Hey wake up, no reason justifies the act, stop living in denial, it is a sin.

6) Gossip - backbiting, slandering, loquaciousness, spreading rumors, “I’m not the one to gossip; so you didn’t hear it from me…..” Oh, be quiet, you are as guilty as the originator of the gossip.

7) Adultery – it is also as sickening as homosexuality is. What God has joined together, let no man put asunder. “Oh, I’m not a home wrecker. He said that their marriage was on the rocks anyway.” (Oh yeah, who put it there?)

No excuse is acceptable. If you think you are fooling anyone, it is yourself that you are fooling. Whether you realize this or not, these are really hindrances regardless of what the perceived “norm of society” is, God hates sin PERIOD.

Forget about your needs for a moment and just face yourself and think. What about God’s needs? God has feelings too, you know. Even though he is God, he hurts too. Have you ever thought about that?

Remember when God woke you up to see another day and you did not stop to pray or pause to say thank you God for another day, but treated him with contempt and hurried off to work or school; guess who hurt? God!

When you still doubted God despite his constant faithfulness to you, who hurt again, God!

When you crucified his son over and over by backsliding, guess who hurt, God of course.

When you failed to bear witness for him, guess who hurt, God.

I think that it is always God who hurts the most. Why? Just look at what he did for us, “for God so loved the world that he give his only begotten son” (John 3:16). What an ultimate sacrifice?!! It is quite painful for God to see the beneficiaries of such an unparalleled gift treat it with utter contempt. Wouldn’t you agree?

So search yourself, and then think about God and his demands. Are you really being good to God? Are you really meeting God’s demands? Jesus meant every word when he said, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and its righteousness and all of these things will be added unto you”. He also said, “If you abide in me and I in you, you shall ask anything in my name and it will be given you.”

Folks, that’s the answer, seek his kingdom and its righteousness first and then you will be able to move your mountain. Plain & Simple!


Arway Sayeh-Swepson - 2005

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