Introduction
Exciting to see people getting interested in prayer.
Many things to get excited about- our relationship w/God should be at the top of the list.
This morning- continue with our series on prayer- Pt 3.
Have you ever prayed a prayer sincerely-someone very sick (they died),marriage in trouble (ended in divorce),someone’s salvation (not saved), and you honestly believed God would answer your prayers, and He did not.
What is it that actually matters to God that would cause Him to answer our prayers?
God is not a genie in a bottle that we can rub or say the right thing and He will do what we ask Him to do.
Look at several things- matter to God when we pray.
1. Your relationships matter
The way you treat other people matters to God.
Can you release offenses and forgive others?
Mk 11:24-25
When we pray our relationships with others matter.
We cannot carry bitterness and unforgiveness in our hearts and expect God to respond to our prayers.
1 Jn 4:20 If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. NASU
We must be gut level honest concerning our attitudes.
Ill: As a parent- bothered me to see my children fight. The way my children treated each other mattered to me. I was more likely to grant their requests when they treated each other properly.
If- prayers- not being answered, we need to consider the condition of our relationships w/others.
1 Pet 3:7 You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with someone weaker, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.
This is another example of how relationships matter.
2. Your motives matter
Ja 4:3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures. NASU
NT- you see- Pharisees praying with wrong motives.
They wanted their prayers to be seen/heard by people.
Selfish motives will hinder/interfere with our prayers.
Ill: Guy- sees a cute girl at school/work- not a believer. He prays, God help her to get saved so I can date her.
May be a good prayer- but- motives- not exactly pure.
His concern is not for her salvation, but for his desires.
Ill: God help me get that promotion, instead of my co-worker, they do not deserve it.
How about praying for your favorite football team?
Our motives matter to God.
Pro 16:2 All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight, But the Lord weighs the motives.
3. The way you live matters
The way you live your life matters to God.
Our prayers may sound spiritual, but-
what goes on in our life secretly and
the way we live our life matters to God.
Ja 5:16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. NASU
First, God wants us to honest about the way we live.
Second, it does not say the prayer of- an unrighteous person,
a casual/worldly Christian … is effective.
It says the prayer of the righteous man is effective.
Ill: Who would you give money to?
1. The guy who is healthy, turned down several jobs because they are beneath him, and the last time you gave him money he spent it foolishly.
2. The guy busting his tail, working two jobs, falling behind in his bills, but if you give him money you know he will buy food for his family.
In the natural, the way people live affects how we respond to them- the same is true in the spiritual.
Pro 15:29 The Lord is far from the wicked,
But He hears the prayer of the righteous.
Not saying- if you try really hard and you are better than others, that God has to do what you ask Him.
Not saying- if you are bad and have really blown it that God is not going to answer your prayers.
I am saying- at some level the way we live our lives matters to God.
4. Your faith matters
Your faith matters to God when you pray.
Ja 1:5-7
God appears to respond to simple/child-like faith.
Sometimes the more experienced we become in the ways of this life, the less faith we seem to have.
We allow the ideas/philosophies of this world to affect our thoughts, faith, and belief in God
more than we allow the Bible to shape our thoughts, faith, and belief in God.
Story - two blind men -
Mtt 9:29 Then He touched their eyes, saying, "It shall be done to you according to your faith."
They were healed according to their faith.
The same God is still answering prayers today.
So our faith matters to God when we pray.
NOW, if this is true-I might conclude-if I have enough faith, then God will give me a new Ferrarri.
Faith is not just something we conjure up- faith is a relationship with a living God.
You cannot have biblical faith apart from relationship.
Therefore, even as we believe, we must remember-
5. God’s will matters
1 Jn 5:13-15
Some Christian’s believe that just because we claim something in faith, that God has to do it for us.
Not true- because God’s will matters.
2 Cor 12:7-9 (Paul’s thorn in the flesh)
Paul pleaded for God to remove this affliction.
God had different plans-Paul-I am going to show you-
"My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness."
God was saying to Paul
I am going to do something in you that is even greater than what you are asking for-
Why? Because My will matters!
As Jesus was agonizing over having to face the cross-
Lk 22:42"Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me-yet not My will-but Yours be done.
We can pray and ask God for whatever we want, but in the end we need to acknowledge that God is God.
Regardless of what happens- I will still love/trust Him.
Summary
What matters most if we want God to answer-prayers.
That we have- honest/open relationship w/the Lord.
Jn 9:31 "We know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is God-fearing and does His will, He hears him. NASU
Churches throughout the world are filled with people who know religion but do not know God.
There heart is not connected w/God of all Creation.
Perhaps you are here today, you play the part of a Christian, but your heart is not connected w/God.
Be honest w/yourself/God and ask Him to forgive you.
Conclusion
If God is speaking to you today and
you want more of God and
you want your prayer life to improve,
raise your hands.
Pray for them-
God remind/call us to pray this next week.
If we do not have faith, increase our faith.
If our prayers are not in alignment w/Your will, bring our will into alignment w/Your will.
I am reading- Secrets of the Secret Place by Bob Sorge
Bob makes two significant points-
Mtt 6:6 "But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.
How do we get into that secret place with God?
We must close the door-
shut out- distractions and busyness of life.
Mtt 11:12 "From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and violent men take it by force. NASU
Bob Sorge talks about getting up early to pray …
It will also require violence to provide your body with sufficient rest so that, when you get to the secret place, you’re not constantly falling asleep. This is the violence we exercise the evening before so that the next morning is secured ... the man of violence and wisdom will enact whatever measures are necessary to be alert and engaged on a regular basis … Bob Sorge
In other words, you are not going to pray unless you get VIOLENT and make some life changes.
