Missing Answer

THOUGHTS ON PRAYER

Prayer—we've all heard of it; but what is it? How does it work? These questions will be answered in two phases. A short answer will be given first, followed by a more thorough explanation for the serious reader.

First, the short answer.

What is prayer? Prayer is spiritual communion with the Creator God of the universe. It often involves intercession, which is making requests on behalf of others, or for myself. Intercession differs from praise, in that praise is lauding, applauding, commending, and glorifying God — chiefly for His attributes and His handiwork in our lives.

Prayer is talking to God. It is not the repeating of certain prescribed words or formulas. Matthew 6:7, 8 says: “But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.” Prayer is not a good luck charm. However, it is used by many in this fashion — especially when they’re in serious trouble. God wants to hear our prayers. It is a shame that so many resort to only “emergency measures” when they pray.

Prayer also requires faith in God. Faith is the key to successful prayers that get answered. “And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.” (Matthew 21:22) Are you a true believer in the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ? The answer to this question will determine if your prayer requests even get through to God.

Prayer requires fervency, as well. James 5:16 says, “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”

Did you catch that? For our prayers to be answered, we need faith in God; we need fervency; and above all, we need to be found righteous before God.

This is the short answer. But it’s not all. The question that many people have is: “Will my prayers to God be answered?” The answer is: Yes, no, and not necessarily.

The answer may be “Yes.” In Jeremiah 33:3, the Lord says, “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.”

The answer may also be “No.” Why would God answer “no”?

First of all, we don't tell God what to do. He knows what we need Remember, He is the Creator of all things. We ask, and then we accept His will as perfect.

Secondly, the Bible says, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me” (Psalm 66:18). What is “iniquity”? Iniquity is the desire in my heart or mind to sin. Even if I do not actually, physically do the sin, I was still planning to do it, or thinking about it. God knows our hearts; and if we are hiding unconfessed sin in our lives, He will not hear us. Psalm 44:21 says, “Shall not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart.”

For those who are married, there is another cause for unanswered prayer — dishonouring your wife. In 1 Peter 3:7, the Bible says, “Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.” God requires that the husband love his wife. If the man will not tenderly care for his wife, he cannot expect God to listen to or answer his prayers.

For most people, the biggest reason their prayers are not answered is that they never ask. James 4:2 says, “Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.” Many people say the “Our Father,” and expect great things to happen. One problem with this that no specific request is being made. God is real

There are a couple more reasons for unanswered prayer.

Perhaps your motives are purely selfish. “I just want a brand new Audi 500” or “I just want to be a millionaire.” James 4:3 says, “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.” We truly need to examine our hearts to see if we are being selfish when we pray.

Sometimes we just give up too easily. Luke 18:1-7 says:

“And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man: Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?”

God hears every prayer we make to Him. Remember, prayer is the communication of our hearts to God. God wants me to pray to Him; yet, God does not always necessarily answer me in the way that I want my prayers to be answered. Here are a couple reasons.

First, it may not be God’s will. Isaiah 55:8, 9 says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Secondly, it may not be to my advantage to get what I ask to get. God promises to bless Only God knows that. If I don’t get exactly what I was praying for, it may be that God would not grant that request because He knows it would not be best for me. Sometimes the thing I’m praying for may be a good thing, but not the best The timing may not be right. We need to be patient.

Many people wonder, “Why should I pray?” Prayer is often an untapped resource; but just look at the benefits. Jesus said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it” (John 14:12-14).

James wrote, “Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (James 5:14-16).

Make sure that what you are praying for is in the will of God; and then imagine what great things may be accomplished!

Another reason we should pray is that prayer is God's will Paul wrote, “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth” (1Timothy 2:1-4).

Christians are involved in God's work when they pray. Jesus said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth laborers into his harvest” (Luke 10:2). Elijah, too, did God’s work in praying: “Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months” (James 5:17).

Believing prayer moves the hand of God. Throughout the Scriptures it can be shown that when believing prayers went up, answers came down.

Moses prayed.

“And the people cried unto Moses; and when Moses prayed unto the LORD, the fire was quenched.” (Numbers 11:2)

Hannah (who was asking for a child) prayed.

“And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore.” (1 Samuel 1:10) “Wherefore it came to pass, when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived, that she bare a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of the LORD.” (1 Samuel 1:20)

Elijah prayed.

“And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed unto the LORD, and said, Smite this people, I pray thee, with blindness. And he smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.” (2 Kings 6:18)

Paul and Silas prayed.

“And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, and brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.” (Acts 16:25-33)

It is time for God’s people to pray fervent, effectual prayers with a pure and clean heart, according to His will, believing that He will do whatever we ask according to His will.

Most importantly, if you are not saved, you need to know that prayer is only for true, born again believers. Maybe you Jesus said, “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you” (John 15:7). For those of you who are not His own, God awaits the cry of repentance.

David said, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.” (Psalm 51:17)