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THE MAJOR REASON WHY SOME PRAYERS SEEM UNANSWERED
### A Teaching by Apostle Joshua Selman | Koinonia Global
PART ONE: THE ORIGINAL TEACHING
THE MAJOR REASON WHY SOME PRAYERS SEEM UNANSWERED
To the degree that your desires deviate from the will of God, you will fail to secure answers from heaven. And here’s a truth many overlook: God may not answer your prayers, yet answers can still arrive.
Not every answer comes from God. Human will, manipulation, corruption, and self-effort can produce outcomes. But there is a simple test: does it produce the glory of God? If an answer comes and God’s glory is absent, it did not carry His signature.
The degree to which the glory of God is birthed and revealed in the life of a Believer is the degree to which you come into divine alignment with His will for you.
Yes, you have a will. It is your life. But what you cannot do is live by your own blueprint and still demand the glory of God that follows obedience.
Glory is reserved for alignment.
God will send mercy, again and again, to redirect you. But if a person persistently chooses their own way, God will eventually respect that decision. From that moment, the dimension of glory that follows obedience ceases, even though life continues.
Many people are busy building projects and running lives, but not in sync with divine alignment. And this is one major reason prayers seem unanswered: a conflict between God’s will for us and our desires.
It is a dangerous thing when God leaves a person to themselves.
Watch the full sermon titled “Let Us Pray – Part Three (Gaining Mastery in Prayer)” on our YouTube channel at Koinonia Global.
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PART TWO: COMMENTARY ON THE TEACHING
Introduction: The Problem of Unanswered Prayer
One of the most perplexing challenges in the Christian life is the experience of unanswered prayer. We pray. We fast. We believe. We wait. And yet, heaven seems silent. Apostle Joshua Selman addresses this issue with characteristic depth, going beyond surface explanations to uncover a fundamental spiritual principle: alignment with God’s will.
The Core Principle: Desires and the Will of God
Selman states the principle with stark clarity: “To the degree that your desires deviate from the will of God, you will fail to secure answers from heaven.”
This is not a popular message in an age that celebrates self-actualization and personal ambition. We are taught to follow our hearts, pursue our dreams, and manifest our destinies. But Selman introduces a critical distinction: your desires and God’s will must align for your prayers to be answered.
This does not mean that God is opposed to your desires. It means that your desires must be shaped by His will. As Psalm 37:4 promises, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” When you delight in Him, He places desires in you that align with His purposes. Your wants become His wants. Your requests become His will.
The Shocking Truth: Answers Can Come Without God
Selman then drops a bombshell: “God may not answer your prayers, yet answers can still arrive.”
This is a profound and sobering revelation. Not every answer to prayer comes from God. Human effort, manipulation, corruption, and self-will can produce outcomes that look like answers but carry no divine signature.
Consider:
– A business deal secured through unethical means may prosper—but without God’s blessing.
– A relationship pursued outside God’s will may succeed—but without His presence.
– A promotion obtained through manipulation may come—but without His glory.
The question is not simply, “Did I get what I wanted?” The question is, “Does this carry the glory of God?”
The Test: Does It Produce God’s Glory?
Selman provides a simple but profound test: “If an answer comes and God’s glory is absent, it did not carry His signature.”
Glory is the manifest presence and weight of God. When God answers a prayer, His glory is revealed. There is a tangible sense of His involvement, His approval, His pleasure. When an answer comes through human manipulation, there may be results, but there is no glory. The outcome may be achieved, but God is not honoured.
This test separates mere results from genuine breakthroughs. It distinguishes between what we accomplish and what He does.
Glory Is Reserved for Alignment
Selman makes an unshakeable statement: “Glory is reserved for alignment.”
You cannot live by your own blueprint and demand the glory that follows obedience. You cannot walk in disobedience and expect the manifestations of covenant. God’s glory is not an entitlement; it is a reward for alignment.
This explains why two people can pray the same prayer and get different results. One is aligned with God’s will; the other is not. One is walking in obedience; the other is walking in self-will. One carries glory; the other carries only effort.
The Mercy of Redirection
Selman acknowledges that we do not always get it right the first time. God is merciful. He sends repeated opportunities to redirect us. When we stray from His will, He sends warnings, promptings, circumstances, and even discomfort to bring us back.
But there is a limit. “If a person persistently chooses their own way, God will eventually respect that decision.”
This is the most terrifying statement in the teaching: “From that moment, the dimension of glory that follows obedience ceases, even though life continues.”
Life goes on. You can still build, achieve, and accumulate. But the glory is gone. The supernatural edge is lost. The divine dimension departs. You are left with your own strength, your own wisdom, and your own resources.
The Danger of Being Left Alone
Selman concludes with a warning: “It is a dangerous thing when God leaves a person to themselves.”
Romans 1 describes this as God “giving people over” to their desires. It is the ultimate judgment—not punishment, but permission. God steps back and allows you to experience the full consequences of your choices.
Many people are busy building, but not in sync with divine alignment. They are running, but not towards God’s purposes. They are achieving, but not glorifying God. And they wonder why their prayers seem unanswered.
The Full Sermon Context
This teaching is part of the series “Let Us Pray – Part Three (Gaining Mastery in Prayer).” The full sermon, available on the Koinonia Global YouTube channel, expands on these principles and provides practical instruction for developing effectiveness in prayer.
PART THREE: PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
1. Examine Your Desires
Before you pray, ask yourself: Where did this desire come from? Is it rooted in my flesh, my ambition, my fear? Or has it been planted by the Spirit? Does it align with Scripture? Does it glorify God?
2. Seek Alignment Before Answers
Don’t just pray for outcomes; pray for alignment. Ask God to shape your desires to match His will. Surrender your plans to His purposes. Let Him redirect you before you demand results.
3. Test Your Answers
When you receive an answer to prayer, test it. Does it carry God’s glory? Is His presence evident? Is He honoured? If the answer came but God seems absent, question its source.
4. Respond to Redirection
When God sends mercy to redirect you—through conviction, circumstances, or counsel—respond quickly. Do not harden your heart. Do not persist in your own way. The window of redirection does not stay open forever.
5. Fear the Silence of God
The greatest judgment is not God’s anger but His absence. If you sense that God has stepped back, repent immediately. Return to alignment. Seek His face before you seek His hand.
PART FOUR: DECLARATIONS BASED ON THIS TEACHING
- I DECLARE that my desires align with the will of God. I do not pray outside His purposes.
- I DECLARE that every answer I receive carries the glory of God. His signature is upon my breakthroughs.
- I DECLARE that I live in divine alignment. My life is in sync with heaven’s blueprint.
- I DECLARE that I respond quickly to God’s redirection. I do not harden my heart against His mercy.
- I DECLARE that I fear the silence of God and pursue His presence above all else.
- I DECLARE that I am not building my own kingdom but advancing His.
- I DECLARE that my prayers are answered because they arise from alignment with His will.
PART FIVE: PRAYER FOR ALIGNMENT
Father, I come before You acknowledging that my ways are not always Your ways. I confess that I have sometimes prayed according to my desires rather than Your will. Forgive me for pursuing answers without seeking alignment.
Lord, shape my desires. Let my wants match Your purposes. Let my plans align with Your blueprint. I surrender my will to Yours.
Send mercy to redirect me whenever I stray. Give me a sensitive heart that responds quickly to Your correction. Do not leave me to myself.
I choose alignment over achievement. I choose obedience over outcomes. I choose Your glory over my gain.
Let my prayers be answered because they arise from alignment with Your will. And let every answer carry Your glory.
In Jesus’ mighty name. Amen.
PART SIX: FINAL THOUGHTS
Apostle Joshua Selman’s teaching cuts through the confusion surrounding unanswered prayer. It is not always about the intensity of our praying or the length of our fasting. It is about the alignment of our desires with God’s will.
We can receive answers that do not come from God. We can achieve outcomes that carry no glory. But the goal of prayer is not merely to get what we want; it is to participate in what God is doing.
When we align with His will, our prayers become irresistible. Heaven backs what heaven authors. Glory follows obedience. And answers carry His signature.
May this teaching bring you into deeper alignment and greater effectiveness in prayer.
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