Positioned In Prayer Possible Problems with Your Prayers February 25, 2018 Pastor Jason Miltz www.tilghmanrdcogop.org 208 Tilghman Rd. Salisbury, MD 21804
Positioned In Prayer Possible Problems with Your Prayers
DECLARATION OF GOD'S WORD! Your word is spirit and it is life (John 6:63). It will quicken me. It will come alive to me. It will speak life to me right now as I read it.
DECLARATION OF GOD'S WORD! Your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path (Psalm 119:105). It will lead me and guide me every step of the way.
DECLARATION OF GOD'S WORD! Your word is life unto my being and health unto my flesh (Proverbs 4:20-22). It will infuse my soul with life and bring about health and wholeness to my physical body as I read it.
Why Aren t My Prayers Working
Prayer is not some arbitrary or sentimental thing people do to ease or appease their conscience.
Prayer has two basic goals
Prayer has two basic goals 1.Communion with God.
Prayer has two basic goals 1.Communion with God. 2.Receiving what you ask for from God.
Don t use Thy will be done as an excuse for your own shortcoming.
Answers are PROMISED in Prayer to God
Answers are PROMISED in Prayer to God [Matthew 7:7-8 KJV] 7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
Answers are PROMISED in Prayer to God [Matthew 21:22 KJV] 22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.
Answers are PROMISED in Prayer to God [John 14:13-14 KJV] 13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do [it].
Answers are PROMISED in Prayer to God [John 14:13-14 KJV] 13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do [it].
Again a couple of qualifiers but the promise is clear.
Reasons your prayers may not be answered
Reasons your prayers may not be answered [James 4:2 NIV] 2 You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God.
YOU CAN NOT EXPECT WHAT YOU WILL NOT ASK FOR.
You Ask for the Wrong Reasons
You Ask for the Wrong Reasons [James 4:3 NIV] 3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
You Ask for the Wrong Reasons [Proverbs 16:2 NIV] 2 All a person's ways seem pure to them, but motives are weighed by the LORD.
You Ask for the Wrong Reasons [Proverbs 21:2 NIV] 2 A person may think their own ways are right, but the LORD weighs the heart.
Doubt Lack of Faith
Doubt Lack of Faith [Mark 9:23 NKJV] 23 Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things [are] possible to him who believes.
Doubt Lack of Faith [James 1:6-7 NIV] 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.
After you pray, your thoughts and actions should be based on God s unseen yet promised YES!
Don t pray to God and then wine and cry to someone else.
Doubt Lack of Faith [Mark 11:24 NKJV] 24 "Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive [them], and you will have [them].
Doubt Lack of Faith [Hebrews 11:6 NKJV] 6 But without faith [it is] impossible to please [Him], for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and [that] He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
If you don t believe or are going to doubt you might as well not even pray.
Pride & Prayer for Attention
Pride & Prayer for Attention [James 4:6 NIV] 6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble."
Pride & Prayer for Attention [Matthew 6:5 NKJV] 5 "And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.
You Ignore the Needy
You Ignore the Needy [Proverbs 21:13 NKJV] 13 Whoever shuts his ears to the cry of the poor Will also cry himself and not be heard.
You have Unforgiveness towards people
You have Unforgiveness towards people [Mark 11:25-26 NKJV] 25 "And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. 26 "But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses."
You have Unforgiveness towards people [Matthew 6:14 NKJV] 14 "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
Lack of Love (hatred, indifference toward others)
Lack of Love (hatred, indifference toward others) [1 John 4:20-21 NKJV] 20 If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? 21 And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God [must] love his brother also.
Lack of Love (hatred, indifference toward others) [Mark 12:30-31 NKJV] 30 'And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This [is] the first commandment. 31 "And the second, like [it, is] this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."
If I don t obey God then I shouldn t expect any answers.
Rebellion (Not listening/obeying God)
Rebellion (Not listening/obeying God) [Proverbs 28:9 NIV] If anyone turns a deaf ear to my instruction, even their prayers are detestable.
Rebellion (Not listening/obeying God) [John 9:31 NIV] We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will.
Rebellion (Not listening/obeying God) [Proverbs 15:29 NIV] The LORD is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous.
Rebellion (Not listening/obeying God) [1 Peter 3:12 NIV] 12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil."
There s Unconfessed sin in my life
There s Unconfessed sin in my life [Psalm 66:18 NIV] 18 If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened;
There s Unconfessed sin in my life [Isaiah 59:2 NIV] 2 But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.
Treating your spouse badly
Treating your spouse badly [1 Peter 3:7 NKJV] 7 Husbands, likewise, dwell with [them] with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as [being] heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.
You Didn t Persist Long Enough in Faith & Prayer
You Didn t Persist Long Enough in Faith & Prayer [Galatians 6:9 NIV] 9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
You Didn t Persist Long Enough in Faith & Prayer [Luke 18:1 NIV] 1 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.
Remember: WE HAVE PROMISES IN PRAYER (1)ASK, SEEK, KNOCK AND IT SHALL BE DONE. (2) KEEP asking, seeking & knocking because the promise is already given.
If You Do What God Says, You ll Get What God Says
Yes, It s actually that simple.
If You Do What God Says, You ll Get What God Says [John 15:7-8 NIV] 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.