Mentoring Men for the Master

FIND OUT WHY IF GOD IS NOT ANSWERING YOUR PRAYERS

A poll reveals that many who used to pray have quit praying because God did not answer their prayers.  Are you in this boat?  If so, do not blame God, but find out why because the Bible clearly tells us.

Illus:  Suppose you enter your house tonight, switch on the lights, but no lights come on.  You would not say Thomas Edison was a farce or that Progress Energy had closed down, would you?  No, you would know that something was hindering the flow of light into your house and seek to find out why.

Likewise if God is not answering your prayers find out what is wrong and correct it:

  1. YOU MAY BE WRONG PERSONALY:   1st ask “Do I have a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ?” If so, what “Prayer Busters” are hindering my prayers, such as: Unforgiveness, wrong motives, unbelief, hostility to God’s word?
  2. YOUR PRAYER MAY BE WRONG:  James says “You pray and do not receive because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend it on your pleasure.” (James 4:3).                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Most famous wrong prayer is, “O God, please change my wife” when you must first pray “Lord, change me.”                                                                                                                                                                          Your prayer may be childish: “O Lord, make Boston the capital of Vermont”.                                                    Or totally self-centered prayer, “O Lord bless me and my wife, John & His wife, us four and no more.”
  3. THE TIMING OF YOUR PRAYER MAY BE WRONG:
  • Abraham asked God for a son. God delayed 25 years when the time was right.
  • The Jews prayed hundreds of years for the coming of the Messiah, but God delayed “until the fullness of time” came on God’s calendar.” (Gal. 4:4)
  • Scores of couples I’ve pastored eagerly asked for a child, received no answer for years, and finally God answered.
  • Personal Ex: I tried to write my book on preaching, Thirty Minutes to Raise the Dead, in 1980, but God delayed it until 1991-when I knew enough to write it.
  • Why does God delay: to test our faith, or so we can modify our requests, or to develop our patience and character.
  • “The Lord waits that He may be gracious unto you” (Isa. 30:18)

So if our Prayers are not being answered, we should ask 3 questions:

  1. Am I right myself?
  2. Are my prayers right?
  3. Is my timing right?