Living Word Labels
Member
I've written the following tract which will go on my website and I'm interested in getting feedback as I still have time to improve it. I am limited by space so cannot increase the number of words so it is at times necessarily brief. Many thanks.
Why is it our prayers are not always answered?
Jesus encourages us to ask God for help. ...Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name... Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete (John 16:23–24). He also tells us to expect God will indeed give us what we ask.[1]...whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours (Mark 11:24).
Yet sometimes our prayers are not answered in spite of our trusting Him, and sometimes they are very important prayers indeed.[2] Why is this? And how can we rely on God when our prayers are not always answered?
Do we please God?
We should not expect God to readily answer our prayers if we displease Him by the way we live (such as having immoral relationships).[3] The LORD is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous (Proverbs 15:29). Neither should we expect answers if we have not confessed all our sins to God and received forgiveness for them.[4] This includes failing to apologise to someone (or appropriately honour them),[5] not forgiving someone from our heart,[6] not properly renouncing our involvement with other gods or the occult,[7] and owning possessions which displease God.[8] We may need to deal with the sins of our ancestors too.[9] ...if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him (1John 3:21–22).
Do we pray good prayers?
We can pray all sort of prayers—good, bad, selfish, hard, imperfect, inappropriate, even sinful ones.[10] We can ask God for anything; however, God will not answer us if it is wrong for Him to do so.[11] When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures (James 4:3).
It is good to pray in agreement with others, as it will help avoid the temptation to control or manipulate situations.[12] Sometimes we pray when we should do something instead.
Do we pray effectively?
...The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. (James 5:16). For our prayers to be effective, they need to be heard by God and strong enough to overcome any resistance from the devil.[13] Satan will often resist our prayers (perhaps by trying to get us to doubt) and we need to maintain our trust in God even when things look bad. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt... (James 1:6).
We also need to be realistic and let God direct us into those battles we can win. A huge war is going on in heaven and earth between God and the devil, and we are only playing a small (but significant) role in it.[14]
Do we trust God no matter what?
Although God gives us many promises, His primary motive in doing so is that we can become like Him.[15] Our relationship with God should therefore take precedence over the things we pray for. All our prayers are made with a partial understanding and we need to pray in a way that reflects this—trusting God to answer our prayer, but trusting Him also if He does not.[16] ...Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you (Hebrews 13:5).
Bible references: [1] Matthew 7:7–11; John 14:13–14. [2] Psalm 13:1; 22:1–2; 77:7–9; Habakkuk 1:2. [3] John 9:31; Hebrews 13:4. [4] Isaiah 59:1–2. [5] Matthew 5:23–24; 1Peter 3:7. [6] Mark 11:25–26. [7] Leviticus 19:31; 20:6; Deuteronomy 18:9–13; Acts 19:19. [8] Deuteronomy 7:26. [9] Exodus 20:3–5. [10] Psalm 109:7; Luke 9:54–55. [11] 1John 5:14–15. [12] Matthew 18:19–20. [13] Hebrews 6:12; 11:33; James 4:7; Revelation 12:11. [14] Romans 12:3; Ephesians 6:10–12. [15] 2Peter 1:4. [16] Habakkuk 3:17–18; Lamentations 3:31; Hebrews 11:39–40. Bible quotations are taken from the New International Version. Further leaflets can be found on www.livingwordlabels.co.uk.
Why is it our prayers are not always answered?
Jesus encourages us to ask God for help. ...Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name... Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete (John 16:23–24). He also tells us to expect God will indeed give us what we ask.[1]...whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours (Mark 11:24).
Yet sometimes our prayers are not answered in spite of our trusting Him, and sometimes they are very important prayers indeed.[2] Why is this? And how can we rely on God when our prayers are not always answered?
Do we please God?
We should not expect God to readily answer our prayers if we displease Him by the way we live (such as having immoral relationships).[3] The LORD is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous (Proverbs 15:29). Neither should we expect answers if we have not confessed all our sins to God and received forgiveness for them.[4] This includes failing to apologise to someone (or appropriately honour them),[5] not forgiving someone from our heart,[6] not properly renouncing our involvement with other gods or the occult,[7] and owning possessions which displease God.[8] We may need to deal with the sins of our ancestors too.[9] ...if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him (1John 3:21–22).
Do we pray good prayers?
We can pray all sort of prayers—good, bad, selfish, hard, imperfect, inappropriate, even sinful ones.[10] We can ask God for anything; however, God will not answer us if it is wrong for Him to do so.[11] When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures (James 4:3).
It is good to pray in agreement with others, as it will help avoid the temptation to control or manipulate situations.[12] Sometimes we pray when we should do something instead.
Do we pray effectively?
...The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. (James 5:16). For our prayers to be effective, they need to be heard by God and strong enough to overcome any resistance from the devil.[13] Satan will often resist our prayers (perhaps by trying to get us to doubt) and we need to maintain our trust in God even when things look bad. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt... (James 1:6).
We also need to be realistic and let God direct us into those battles we can win. A huge war is going on in heaven and earth between God and the devil, and we are only playing a small (but significant) role in it.[14]
Do we trust God no matter what?
Although God gives us many promises, His primary motive in doing so is that we can become like Him.[15] Our relationship with God should therefore take precedence over the things we pray for. All our prayers are made with a partial understanding and we need to pray in a way that reflects this—trusting God to answer our prayer, but trusting Him also if He does not.[16] ...Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you (Hebrews 13:5).
Bible references: [1] Matthew 7:7–11; John 14:13–14. [2] Psalm 13:1; 22:1–2; 77:7–9; Habakkuk 1:2. [3] John 9:31; Hebrews 13:4. [4] Isaiah 59:1–2. [5] Matthew 5:23–24; 1Peter 3:7. [6] Mark 11:25–26. [7] Leviticus 19:31; 20:6; Deuteronomy 18:9–13; Acts 19:19. [8] Deuteronomy 7:26. [9] Exodus 20:3–5. [10] Psalm 109:7; Luke 9:54–55. [11] 1John 5:14–15. [12] Matthew 18:19–20. [13] Hebrews 6:12; 11:33; James 4:7; Revelation 12:11. [14] Romans 12:3; Ephesians 6:10–12. [15] 2Peter 1:4. [16] Habakkuk 3:17–18; Lamentations 3:31; Hebrews 11:39–40. Bible quotations are taken from the New International Version. Further leaflets can be found on www.livingwordlabels.co.uk.
