“UNANSWERED PRAYERS”

Good morning to everyone. I pray that you had a wonderful weekend and am pumped and ready to face the new week with courage and boldness. Just think, with God in us, what power can match us or hold us down.

Today, I want to talk about prayers. What are some of the things you pray about? When you pray, do you really expect an answer? How is your prayer life? Do you pray about small things, big things or everything? The Bible has much to say about this issue so let’s take a look at some of these scriptures.

Ephesians 3:20 says, “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,” Matthew 6:8 says, “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.” Matthew 7:7-8 says, “7 "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” Matthew 18:19-20 says, “19 Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them." Matthew 21:22 says, “And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive” John 14:12-14 says, “"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. 13 And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.” John 15:7 says, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.” James 1:6 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.” James 4:2-3 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. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.1 John 3:22 says, “And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight” 1 John 5:14 says, “14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.

So, how is your prayer life? How often do you pray? Do you really believe in the power of prayer? Did you know that in the 66 Psalm that we are told that if we regard iniquity in our hearts, God WILL NOT HEAR us? Have you ever prayed for something for a long time and felt like you were never answered? Or maybe have you prayed for something to work out one way or the other, and the problem did just the opposite? Did you feel that God was not listening? 1 Thessalonians 5:17 tells us we are to “pray” without ceasing.

So, what are we to get from all of this information? First and foremost, the very first prayer God is waiting for is for our prayer for salvation, and if we make that prayer with a sincere, repentive heart, He is sure to forgive us and that prayer will be answered on the spot. If we have made that prayer and you are now a child of the King, then we have a 24/7 straight line to the Savior of this world. But, we have to remember that the Bible tells us that if we regard iniquity in our hearts God will not hear us. Maybe you have been praying for things that just haven’t happened. Could it be that you have some sin between you and God that is preventing you from receiving an answer?

Prayer was never meant to be some big complicated mathematical equation. After salvation, prayer really is as easy as 1,2,3. 1> Get right with God. Do your best to seek Him and live a life of obedience. 2> Ask God to remove any sin that maybe between you and Him. 3> Then pray in His will, expecting something to happen. Remember the scripture above says “God is able to do exceedingly abundantly more than we ask or think”. I can think of a lot. Prayer is just a conversation between two people. Don’t make it more than that.

When you pray, you should remember that prayers are answered in one of three ways: 1> Yes. 2> No and 3> Not right now. Sometimes it is His will to give you what you ask for when you ask for it. Other times He says no because He knows what is best for us. And sometimes, the answer comes at a later time when He knows it will be better for us. Don’t be discouraged if you feel like there is no one on the other end of the prayer line. Just ask God if there is some sin standing between you and Him, and if so, confess it and walk on. If sin is not the problem, then have faith and know that God is at work and will answer when He is ready, and in the way that is best for us.

Remember: The next time you feel you have unanswered prayers, re-evaluate, it maybe that He answered in a way you didn’t expect and you just missed it.

Until next time, please continue to pray for each other, and me, as I continue to pray for each of you. 

Love in CHRIST

Brian Hanvey

Associate Pastor

Bethel Baptist Church