Mentoring Men for the Master

WHY ARE OUR PRAYERS UNANSWERED?

Is unanswered prayer a problem to you?  A poll was taken some years ago by Gallop  concerning prayer, and a high percentage of the respondents stated that they used to pray but quit because their prayers were unanswered.  Do you fall into this category?  I fear there are some in MM who do.  Does God tell us why He does not at times answer our prayers?  “…as to the issue of answered prayer, God has not left us to wonder.  Prayer is not meant to be a game of hit or miss… Prayer is a child making a request of his Father, and His Father is abundantly willing to answer our prayers.”[1]  Jesus says, “If you being evil know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more will your Father in heaven keep giving good things to those who keep on asking Him” (Matthew 7:11).  And yet our prayers are often not answered even when we are absolutely clean before Him.”

Let’s look at some of the reasons God does not answer our prayers at times:

  1. Often our prayers are asking for certain things, when God wants us to seek His Person, that we might know Him better, experience His love and be filled with the Spirit.  Why?  That we might be “conformed to the image of Christ.” (Romans 8:29).  Much praying focuses on our immediate needs and desires and forgets what God is trying to do:  conform us to His image.  So He will withhold answers to prayer if He sees we need to refocus on Him.
  2. God wants us to trust Him with all our hearts, not just intellectually.  Proverbs 3:5-6.  Note the command is “trust in the Lord with all your heart.”  We tend to pray and all the time “lean on our own understanding.”  Illus.:  Doris and I prayed for a sick man in Bangkok  to be healed of cancer and was totally surprised he came to our home later healed when we assumed he had died.  What had we done?  We prayed  but then nullified it in our minds  “by leaning on our own understanding.”
  3. We often pray for things too early.  Example:  Teenage boy, 15, prayed for a girl to marry.  A 5 year old boy prayed for a high-powered rifle.  But God  did not answer for they were not prepared for the answer.  Much we pray for is in the will of God but the timing is off.
  4. God often waits to answer our prayers so He can give us something better.  Isaiah 30:18, “The Lord delayed because He was gracious to us.  Illus:  As pastor I prayed for a much-needed Fellowship Hall, but I could not raise the money to build it for several years.  But after waiting the Lord enabled us not only to build the Fellowship Hall but a magnificent  Children’s Building at the same time.  Illus:  Lazarus fell  sick, his sisters prayed that he be healed.  Jesus seemingly ignored their request.  But He later raised Lazarus from the dead.  Which is greater – having one healed or raised from the dead?  (John 11)Illus:  Publication of my first major book.
  5. God doesn’t answer some men’s prayer because they fail to meet the needs of their wives.  1 Peter 3:7.  Alas, how many men are in this boat.  Are you?
  6. God won’t answer if we are stingy.  Prov. 21:13, “13Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard.”  If we refuse to listen to someone in need, can we expect God to listen to our prayers and meet our needs?  Charles Stanley asks, “Can a person who refused to tithe and give to the poor or missions expect God to bless him financially?  To bless a man like this would be to encourage him to live in total opposition to what God requires.
  7. God won’t answer when one is indifferent to the Word of God.  Proverbs 28:9.  This is a major reason for unanswered prayer.  I wish Mr. Gallop would take a poll and ask the persons who did not get their prayers answered this question:  Do you internalize God’s Word by memorizing and meditation?
  8. God won’t answer if our motives are wrong.  James 4:3.  In other words we are more interested in our desires than we are in glorifying God.  Jesus said His work was to glorify the Father (John 17:4), and He promises us, “If we ask anything in My Name, I will answer that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” (John 14:13).
  9. God doesn’t answer if we have unconfessed sin.  Isaiah 59:1-2; Psalm  66:18; Prov. 28:13.  It’s not that God cannot; but He will not hear.  Charles Stanley, perhaps the greatest prayer warrior in America, said, “We can pray and pray, but the Father will not move an inch until we confess our sins.”[2]
  10. God does not answer if we are puffed up with pride – 1 Peter 5:5; James 4:6; Luke 18:9-14; Mark 10:40.
  11. God will not move an inch if we are self-righteous – Luke 18:9-14.
  12. God will not answer when we pray our intense desire  rather than first delighting ourselves in the Lord – Psalm 37:4.
  13. God does not answer the prayers of the wavering or double-minded – James 1:6-7.
  14. God does not answer if we fail to persist in prayer – Matthew 7:7; Gal. 6:9; Luke 18:1; Luke 23:34.
  15. God does not answer luke-warm prayers – James 5:16b, 17; Mk. 11:24.
  16. Finally, God does not answer some prayers for they are unanswerable:
    1. He does not answer prayer contrary to His will:  James and John asked to sit at the right hand of the Father and Jesus told them the Father had reserved this for others – Mark 10:40.
    2. He does not answer foolish and childish prayers.  Ex:  Prayer of little girl in Vermont.
    3. He will not answer discontinued prayers.  Jesus commands that we keep on asking, keep on seeking, and keep on knocking.  Multitudes pray only once, never think of their prayer again, when they should have continued to pray until God answered – Matthew 7:7; Luke 18:1; Gal. 6:9; Luke 23:34.

A PERSONAL LETTER OF CONCERN

My dear brothers and fellow strugglers:

I know that a good number of you are going through very tough times – for various reasons, financial, family, work-wise, etc, and I am concerned.  One member of our fellowship said to me, “Dr. Bennett, many of us do not know how to pray, and I would appreciate it if you just prayed in class for us to hear.”  I certainly considered doing so, but have rather  felt led to write this letter and share with you the principles I have followed in facing my own problems, which I call challenges but  all of them humanly insurmountable.  So here goes for what it may be worth to you:

  1. Don’t be surprised nor defeated by problems, because Jesus predicted but promised victory over them (John 16:33) and Paul did the same thing (Acts 14:22; Romans 8:35).
  2. Believe and affirm that you are Victor, never Victim of any problem (1 Cor. 15:57; 2 Cor. 2:14).
  3. Know that the battle is the Lord’s, not yours (1 Samuel 17:47; 2 Chron. 20:15).
  4. Understand that God fights the battle with you as you use the weapon of prayer on your knees alone with God (Ephes. 6:18; 2 Chron. 7:14).
  5. Begin each day alone with God in prayer and pray as much as possible throughout the day (Prov. 8:17; Mark 1:35).
  6. If possible, pray at home while others are sleeping so you can focus on God alone and avoid distractions (Mark 1:35; Prov. 8:17). I recommend sitting up in bed.
  7. Memorize and meditate on enough Scriptures to enable you to fill your prayers with Scriptural content by quoting Scripture relating thereto  (Psalm 119:92).
  8. When words won’t come in prayer, use the Lord’s prayer as a pattern, injecting specific meaning into every word or phrase in this model prayer (Matthew 6:9-13).
  9. Do not do all the talking. Be quiet at times and listen to your Father.  As Eccles. 5:1-2 instructs “…when thou goest to the house of God…be more ready to hear…Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thy heart be hasty to utter anything before God; for God is in heaven, and thou art upon the earth; therefore let thy WORDS  be few.”
  10. Problems will always be and will not decrease, but increase, as you grow older, but if you obey God and grow in prayer, you will become more and more powerful in prayer and be able to handle problems   If you do not grow in prayer power, you will live a sad and defeated life as the days go by.
  11. Always know and affirm in your heart that God allows all the problems you face for your good, though you may not understand it at all. “For we know that God causes ALL THINGS to work together for good to them who love God and are called according to His purposes” – Romans 8:28.  “No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of Jehovah, and their righteousness which is of me, saith Jehovah” – Isaiah 54:17.

Finally, take your list of the “16 Reasons God Does not Answer our Prayers”, and if one or more applies to you, follow the 11 principles above or variations thereof and leave the consequences to God.  I believe you’ll be glad you did.

Love you much,

Your fellow but victorious  struggler,

Bill Bennett

[1] Charles Stanley, Handle with Prayer, pp. 78-79.

[2] Ibid. p. 89