CHRISTIAN SURVIVAL KIT Lesson 6 What To Do When Your Prayers Seem Unanswered Page 1 Our Texts: John 15:7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. John 16:23b-24 At that time you won t need to ask me for anything. I tell you the truth, you will ask the Father directly, and he will grant your request because you use my name. You haven t done this before. Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy. NLT John 16:26-27 Then you will ask in my name. I m not saying I will ask the Father on your behalf, for the Father himself loves you dearly because you love me and believe that I came from God. NLT Can You Hear Me Now? Relationship with God is a two way communication: o When you read the Bible, God talks to you. When you pray, you talk to Him. And you've got to have both sides or you don't have conversation. Nobody likes a onesided conversation, even God. o How could you understand God s mind and will if your don t listen to Him? You Shouldn t Have Ask There are ways to pray wrongly. o Prayer is not begging. Oh, Lord, please, please, please do this for me. Lk.11:5-18 And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves; For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him? And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee. I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth. [ importunity - Thayer s Definition: ναίδεια, anaideia, combination of no & shame = shamelessness, Total KJV occurrences 1. GWT he will get up and
Page 2 give you whatever you need because he is your friend and because you were so bold. Not because of his persistence as many translations have it. ] And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? KJV Ephesians 3:12 in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him. Hebrews 11:19 Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, o Prayer should not be repetitious. Matthew 6:7 When you pray, don t talk on and on as people do who don t know God. They think God likes to hear long prayers. CEV o We spend a lot of time asking for stuff we don't need. "Lord, give me this, give me that," and the Lord knows if He gave it to us it would only mess us up so He doesn't. o We also sometimes ask for things we already have. Did you ever ask the Lord for peace? The Bible says you already have the peace that passes understanding. Philippians 4:6-7 Never worry about anything. But in every situation let God know what you need in prayers and requests while giving thanks. Then God s peace, which goes beyond anything we can imagine, will guard your thoughts and emotions through Christ Jesus. GWT Did you ever ask the Lord for grace or strength? The Bible says His grace is already sufficient. 2 Corinthians 12:9 And He said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness. Have you ever asked Him for love? He says that God s love has already been poured into your heart. Romans 5:5 We re not ashamed to have this confidence, because God s love has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
Page 3 You see, we ask the Lord for a lot of stuff that we already have. That s why James says we ought to ask for wisdom, then, if we have wisdom, that will give us the sense not to ask Him for what we already have. What s in a Name? Maybe you think, I forgot to end my prayer in Jesus name. o Some people think that at the end of every prayer you have to say "in Jesus' name, Amen," and that guarantees it. o Or, they hear someone who prays and says, "Amen" and you say, "Oh, he didn't say in Jesus' name, amen, that will never get beyond the ceiling. I heard a guy say one time, "That's like sending a letter to God without a stamp." He thinks that you've got to have this little formula zapped on the end or it doesn't get there. How many prayers in the New Testament end in Jesus' name, amen? o That is not what it means in John 14:13 when it says, "If you ask anything in My name." What the word "name" means is all that Jesus is the totality of His person. It is saying, "This I ask as if Christ was asking it." When Peter said, In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk. what did that mean? It meant because of who Jesus is, because of His power and His person, walk. So, when you ask in Jesus' name you re asking consistent by who Jesus is. A Living Will Illustration, "Father, this I ask because I know this is what Jesus would want." Try that in your next prayer. "Lord, all the stuff I've been asking for, I'm asking because I know this is what Jesus would want." That's how to pray in His name. Some say that you need to pray, If it be thy will. o You can t find that in the Bible. o Someone said, Jesus prayed to let this cup pass from me if it be thy will. Not so. He said, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done. Or, as the CEV renders it, My Father, if there is no other way, and I must suffer, I will still do what you want. o 1 John 5:14-15 says, Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.
You don t have to wonder what God s will is. The Word of God reveals the will of God. Page 4 o But what about 1 Corinthians 2:9 But as it is written: Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him. So, how can we know God s will? But, the next 3 verses (10-12) say, But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. With your spiritual mind and reading God s Word you can know the will of God. o So we know when God s Word says, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.(3 John 1:2) you know it is God s will that you prosper and that you be in good health. If you pray, for better health, If it be thy will. you are just showing your lack of knowledge. o Peter said that he had heard the voice of God from heaven with his own ears, but, We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, 2 Peter 1:19 God s Word is more sure than any vision, thought or prophecy of man that you might have. God s Word is more sure than any IF it be thy will prayer. o If there is something you don t know God s will on, James says, If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; James 1:5-7. o And if all else fails, pray in your spiritual language. Romans 8:26-27 In certain ways we are weak, but the Spirit is here to help us. For example, when we don t know what to pray for, the Spirit prays for us in ways that cannot be put into words. All of our thoughts are known to God. He can understand what is in the mind of the Spirit, as the Spirit prays for God s people. CEV
Road Blocks There are many things the Bible says will hinder you prayers. Page 5 o Unforgiveness: If we do not forgive others, our Heavenly Father will not forgive us. (Matthew 6:15) o An Unthankful Heart: Give God thanks in all things, because in all trials, painful situations, He is always with us. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says "...in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." o Unbelief: Pray with confidence, believing God to do what He said He will do. James 1:6-7 says "But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord." o Selfishness: Ask for the things in God's will, the outcome of which is to honor and glorify God. James 4:3 says "You ask and do not receive because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures." o Failure to ask God to supply our needs: James 4:2 says "You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask." o Disobedience: Pray and ask God with confidence, obeying His commandments. 1 John 3:22 says "And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things which are pleasing in His sight." o Disharmony in family or wiht others: Be at peace with one another. 1 Peter 3:7 says "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." o Idols: Not putting God first in our lives. Ezekiel 14:2-5 says "And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 'Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their hearts, and put before them that which causes them to stumble into iniquity. Should I let Myself be inquired of by them? Therefore speak to them, 'Thus says the Lord God: 'Everyone of the house of Israel who sets up his idols in his heart, and puts before him what causes him to stumble into iniquity, and then comes to the prophet, I the Lord will answer him who comes, according to the multitude of his idols, that I may seize the house of Israel by their heart, because they are all estranged from Me by their idols. '"
o Forgetting the Poor: Ignoring and not having compassion on those who truly are in need. Proverbs 21:13 says "Whoever shuts his ears to the cry of the poor will also cry himself and not be heard." o Lack of reconciliation: Bearing malice, hate, grudge etc. Matthew 5:23,24 says "Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Page 6 The Manner of Prayer By Deborah Smith Plemmons I was alone with God and His Word today; He showed me how I should rightly pray. Whether on my knees, on my face, or standing, He's always there with knowledge and understanding. "My Father, Who art in Heaven on the throne, May I give You honor; just You alone. I hallow Your name, and Thy kingdom come; As in Heaven, may Your will on earth be done. Give me daily bread, that I may be physically fed; Lead me not into temptation; deliver me from evil instead. Forgive me for my trespasses, which are sin; I forgive my trespassers, that I may some win. For Thine is the kingdom, the glory, and the power; In Jesus' name, I'll come to You, every minute or hour. Thank You, God, for teaching me how to pray; Morning, noon, or night, I know You're there alway. AMEN."