Friday Night Message: Prayer, Part - XVIII

Jan. 19, 2024

Good evening brethren,

During the past few months we have addressed various questions regarding prayer:

WHAT IS PRAYER?

 WHO SHOULD PRAY?

  WHY SHOULD WE PRAY?

         HOW SHOULD WE PRAY?

         WHAT SHOULD WE PRAY ABOUT?

Tonight, and for a couple more Friday evenings, we will consider HOW DOES GOD ANSWER PRAYER?  I will begin a discussion of that final question that we will be addressing, and thus finally finish all of the aspects of prayer that we have considered …

DOES GOD ALWAYS ANSWER OUR PRAYERS?

·    Obstacles to having prayers answered.

There are a number of things that may “get in the way” of having a more effective and meaningful prayer life, in other words… obstacles to prayer being answered.  Let’s look briefly at four such hindrance’s tonight, and then we will finalize this series on prayer by mentioning how God may answer.

1.   Sin

Isa. 59:2 – Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear.  But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you.

Sin cuts us off from God, and can damage our relationship with our Heavenly Father.  And here is a verse which explains the connection between obedience and answered prayer.

I John 3:22 – And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.

Commandment keepers have their prayers answered.

2.   Asking for the wrong things

 Jam. 4:3 – You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.

I John 5:14 – we must ask according to God’s will

In 1937, Gerald Heard wrote this in his book, The Third Morality – “Prayer is not just asking for things, even the best of things – it is going to where they are.”

3.         Lack of faith

 We need to have faith when we approach God, confident that He will consider our requests and answer appropriately.

Heb. 11:6 – But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. 

Think about it …during His earthly ministry, how often in the NT did Jesus say “According to your faith, let it be so.”?

Jam. 1:6 – But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driving and tossed by the wind. 

Luke 18:1 – Then Jesus spoke a parable to them that men always ought to pray and not lose heart. Verses 2 through 6 tell the parable of the importune man (teaching persistence in prayer).  Verse 8 reads … Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?

But there is also a balance to strive for...  We need to achieve a balance between repeatedly asking God for something that you think is appropriate, while at the same time, learning to accept God’s answer as being final on a matter.  I have no rules or specific guidelines for you on this matter … that’s between you and God to figure out.  Notice this example from Paul’s second epistle to the church at Corinth, regarding a “thorn in the flesh?

II Cor. 12:7-9 – And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure.  Concerning this thing I pleased with the Lord three times, that it might depart from me.  And He said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made in perfect in weakness.

Paul accepts God’s NO as a final answer 

4.    Pride

 Jam. 4:6 – For He gives more grace.  Therefore He says:  God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

Pro. 16:18-19 – Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.  Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, thant to divide the spoil with the proud.

So then, if we have removed all the barriers (if we are not continually or habitually sinning, if we have genuine faith, if we are not asking for the wrong things, if we are humbly approaching God … then, will God not answer all of our prayers?

Quite simply – YES, God always does answer our prayers.  However, when many of us hear the question “Does God always answer prayer?”, in our minds we are often really asking a different question altogether – “Does God always answer our prayers with the answer that we want or expect?”

God does answer our prayers, but He doesn’t always respond with a quick and automatic YES to our every petition.  He answers us according to His will and what He knows to be best for us in the long run.

Have a profitable Sabbath,

Fred