The Problem of Unanswered Prayer

— Why does God sometimes not seem to hear us?

 
 
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• Andrew Fountain — June 26th, 2011

A Frequent Cry from God’s People

• Psalm 10:1-2
• Psalm 13:1-3 (these Psalms usually end in praise)
• Psalm 22:1-8 (groaning all night)
• Psalm 55:1-2 (moaning) v.6 (ever felt this?)
• Psalm 77:2-3 (same idea of moaning)

The Problem of Prayer

• Why does God sometimes not seem to hear us?

1. We are praying for the wrong thing
2. We are demanding, trying to bully God, not trusting
3. God has a better plan
4. God has different timing

1. We are praying for the wrong thing

• James identifies two problems with their prayers: (James 4:2-3)

2. “You do not have because you do not ask;
3. you ask and do not receive because you ask wrongly, so you can spend it on your passions.”

John 15:7-12

7. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
8. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.
9. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.

John 15:7-12 cont’d

10. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.
11. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
12. “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

2. Demanding Prayer

• Prayer that is angry with God or tries to force him
• Job was guilty of this to start with—he demanded that God would explain why bad things had happened
• God showed Job his glory and Job repended of his arrogance
• example of Rosalind Goforth
• Much of our prayer will be about our needs—he wants us to bring all our needs to him

3. God has a better plan

• This is probably the most common reason
• Jesus prayed in Matthew 26

39. And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”

4. God has different timing—Habakkuk 1

1. The following is the message which God revealed to Habakkuk the prophet:
2. How long, Lord, must I cry for help?
   But you do not listen!
   I call out to you, “Violence!”
   But you do not intervene!
3. Why do you force me to witness injustice?
   Why do you put up with wrongdoing?
   Destruction and violence confront me;
   conflict is present and one must endure strife.

Habakkuk 1 cont’d

4. For this reason the law lacks power,
   and justice is never carried out.
   Indeed, the wicked intimidate the innocent.
   For this reason justice is perverted.

Habakkuk 2—God answeres

1. I will take my stand at my watchpost and station myself on the tower, and look out to see what he will say to me, and what I will answer concerning my complaint.
2. And the Lord answered me: “Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it.
3. For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.
4. “Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his life of faith.

John Newton’s Mother

• Prayed faithfully for him
• Died when he was almost 7 years old.
• He became a sailor, his level of evil and depravity even shocked hardened sailors
• 32 years later during a violent storm he was saved
• All of her prayers were answered, even that he should become a pastor
• He could not have written “Amazing Grace” if he had not experienced it

Prayer is a law of nature

• You need to believe in God hearing prayer even like electricity
• God hears immediately!
• Daniel 10:

12. Then he said to me, “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words.”