Unanswered Prayers
Psalm 66:18
Have you ever had something on your mind, you pray and pray over it and nothing ever comes from it? That can get frustrating…
We say we pray and sometimes we even pray in earnest but for the life of us we can’t understand why God id NOT answering our prayers. I would say that the most popular question I have asked of me is “Why does God not answer my prayers?”
There can be any number of reasons why he doesn’t answer your prayer, some of which I will attempt to bring out by looking at different heroes of the faith. But before we begin looking at them let me tell you that the underlying reason is sin.
Sin in the heart of God’s child keeps God from answering many of your prayers. If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear. (Psalms 66:18)
Now, before we look at what the psalmist did say first look at what he did NOT say: He didn’t say that if I sin or have sinned that He will not answer me. For we are all sinners, sinners saved by the grace of God but still sinners.
The key to what he said was in the first part of this psalm. “If I regard iniquity in my heart…” I am a sinner saved by the grace of God BUT if I hold sin in my heart God will not hear my prayers.
• If I love sin,
• cherish sin,
• make an alibi for sin,
• give excuses for sin,
• cover sin up,
• so that it becomes a controversy between me and God,
THEN – God will not answer me when I call myself praying.
I will try to illustrate with some of God’s saints in the Bible. Men and women, who loved God, were people after His own heart but their prayers were not answered until they removed the sin which separated them from God. Because, if we let it, that sin will become a barrier.
I. Moses
A. Moses was a great man.
1. Look at his qualifications:
a) Leader,
b) Priest,
c) Prophet,
d) Law Giver.
2. Moses was a man prepared of God to do the task laid before him.
a) Moses prayed a prayer to be able to enter the Promised Land.
(1) God denied Moses’ request.
3. The reason was disobedience. (Numbers 20)
a) Moses disobeyed a direct command from God.
(1) God had commanded Moses to speak to the rock.
(a) Instead, Moses struck the rock with his staff.
(2) Then Moses took the credit for bringing forth the water.
(a) Notice how in verse 10 Moses said, "must we (referring to Moses and Aaron) bring you water out of this rock."
(b) Moses took credit for the miracle himself, instead of attributing it to God.
(3) But Moses did this in front of all the Israelites.
(a) Such a public example of direct disobedience could not go unpunished.
(b) Moses’ punishment was that he would not be allowed to enter the Promised Land.
B. Many are in the same boat this morning.
1. God has failed to answer our prayers because we have this same spirit of self-will, rebellion and disobedience.
2. I always found that if I obeyed my parents they would be more apt to hear me and reply in a positive manner.
a) But I first had to line my will up to theirs.
b) I had to surrender my will to theirs.
3. Parents today are so easy to do what their children want and we are spoiling them.
a) But without thinking we are hurting them spiritually.
b) They begin to think that God should give them because they ask.
c) They never understand that they must line up with God.
II. Abraham and Sarah.
A. Impatience will hinder your prayers.
1. Sarah and Abraham had prayed for a child.
a) God heard their prayer and promised Abraham that He would have a son.
(1) God didn’t move fast enough for them so they thought they would help Him out.
(2) Sara urged Abraham to have a child with her servant.
b) Heb 11:6 lets us know that, “… [God] is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”
2. God will not give us an answer until we learn to wait upon the Him.
a) God finally gave them a son in their old age.
b) Impatience in their hearts led to a delay in their prayers being answered.
B. Jesus Tells the story of a judge who finally granted to a widow her request because of her “pestering”.
1. Then he said, “Will not God grant justice to His elect who cry out to Him day and night? Will He delay [to help] them?” (Luke 18:7 - HCSB)
2. There is a formula for answered prayers:
a) 1st ASK:
(1) Then wait patiently.
b) 2nd SEEK:
(1) Put feet to your prayers.
c) 3rd KNOCK:
(1) The door of Heaven will be opened.
3. Just don’t become impatient.
a) Many of our prayers don’t get answered because we try to jump the gun.
b) Be patient and PRAY WITHOUT CESEING.
III. Hannah.
A. Hannah was selfish.
1. Selfishness is one of the greatest hindrances to answered prayers.
a) You don’t have to take my word for it, look at what James said.
(1) “You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.” (James 4:3)
b) God WILL NOT give His glory to another.
2. Hannah was one of two wives to a man named Elkanah.
a) Elkanah loved Hannah more than the other wife.
(1) Hannah had no children.
(2) Peninah had given Elkanah children and would provoke Hannah because she couldn’t have any.
b) Hannah prayed for a son…
(1) God didn’t answer until, with contrition, she dedicated it to Him first.
(2) She finally came to God without an I want what I want NOW attitude.
(3) God heard and granted her a son.
(a) Samuel means “heard by God”.
B. Selfishness is a powerful temptation.
1. But God will not answer selfish prayers.
a) Someone has said, “If you want to be happy make others happy”
b) I tell you, according to scripture, if you want your prayers answered – pray for what God wants.
IV. Paul
A. Paul had a prayer that was never answered.
1. Paul had a “Thorn in the flesh”.
a) In 2 Corinthians Paul writes, “Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. 9 And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Cor 12:8-10)
2. Paul also wanted to preach in Jerusalem.
a) He was never afforded the opportunity, except in a limited role as a Roman prisoner.
3. It was not God’s will.
B. “…THY WILL BE DONE…”
1. The first condition for answered prayers is that they be in accordance with the will of the Father.
a) This is something we learn as babies in the nursery when we are taught the Lord’s Prayer.
b) Even Jesus, God in flesh, when facing the most difficult challenge of His life – the cross – said in His prayer, “Not my will but Thy will be done.”
2. This is the hardest thing that most will ever learn to do.
a) We are so self-willed.
b) We are so selfish.
c) We are so self absorbed that it is hard for us to subordinate our praying to God’s will.
(1) How many things do you pray over and ask for God’s will to be done?
(2) How many times do you really mean it?
3. Listen:
a) “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.” (1 John 5:14-15)
4. We must pray for things – not as we need them – but as God sees them.
a) He knows what is best.
b) He knows what we need.
