A Few Thoughts About Answers to Prayer

Prayer is talking to God

B1 Formal: Solomon in 1 Kings 8:22-53

B2 Informal: Nehemiah 2:3-5 (Nehemiah was in the king’s presence and didn’t have any time to be on his knees. Essentially, in his soul he prayed, “God help me”).

Why pray?

B1 Needs of spiritual, physical, and/or emotional nature

C1 Of others

C2 For ourself

B2 Our counselor

C1 For consolation

C2 For complaining. This would include our story of persecution, abuse, difficulties, hardships, etc.

B3 Seeking

C1 God’s will

C2 Wisdom

B4 Ministering. Help

C1 For preaching the Gospel

C2 For teaching

C3 For preaching (pastors, deacons, deaconesses, etc.)

C4 For the sick and troubled

C5 For the hurting

B5 Situations

C1 Patience

C2 Forgiveness (our need of forgiveness and help to forgive others)

C3 Judgment and other decisions about ourselves or others

C4 Dedication (of meetings, places of worship, etc.)

B6 Towards God

C1 Being thankful

C2 Blessing God

C3 Praising God

Hindrances to prayer

B1 Unforgiven sin (my sin or in not forgiving others)

B2 Treating wife badly (which is sin)

B3 For our lusts instead of needs

B4 For cursing someone

B5 Trying to manipulate God for any answer

False views about prayer

B1 Name it, claim it

B2 Have to word it perfectly

B3 Have to pray until it is answered (the way I want it answered. This is “praying through”)

B4 Believing if we pray enough prayers, He will answer. There are no price tags (number of prayers) for an answer

B5 Believing that if we have enough people or the right people (super-spiritual) people pray, it will be answered

Attitudes towards God regarding prayer

B1 Honoring God

B2 Being humble

B3 Being honest

B4 Being accepting and seeking God’s will

B5 Being teachable

B6 Being confessing of sins

B7 Being mindful of others first

B8 Being generous instead of covetous

B9 Being in expectation

B10 Seeking God’s kingdom (wanting to learn God’s ways, promoting God’s ways, living in God’s ways. His ways are His beliefs, rules, and way of life in His kingdom).

Questions

B1 Why doesn’t God answer my prayer?

C1 He always answers prayer—it may be yes, no, or wait

C2 Wrong reasons for prayer (treat wife badly

C3 Ignoring and disobeying God’s Law. For the Jew, it was Mosaic Law. For the Christian, it is the rules in the New Testament. Proverbs 28:9

C4 A person doesn’t believe God can answer, will answer, or doesn’t believe what God has in the Bible, etc. Hebrews 11:6 & James 1:6-7

C5 At the correct time. Compare Titus 1:3 & Luke 18:7

C6 Pray only for show and praise of people. See Mark 12:40

C7 Unconfessed sin and/or not having believed the Gospel and place trust into Jesus Christ. See Proverbs 15:29 & 1 Peter 3:12

C8 Being an arrogant person. See Luke 18:10-14

C9 Not persevering in prayer, that is, quit too soon. See Luke 18:1-6

C10 He does answer, but it is different than what we prayer for. See 2 Corinthians 12:8-9.

C11 It is not His will See 1 John 5:13-14

B2 I prayed if I should marry this man. I did. He was abusive. So why did God do this?

C1 There were red flags and cautions to you and/or others, but they were ignored. Sometimes the desire to marry and believe the best is greater than exists.

C2 Sometimes we are deceived by a facade of godliness.

C3 Sometimes we get in a hurry and rush. Compare Psalm 40:1.

B3 I prayed for deliverance for my family member, friend, myself, etc. but nothing has happen.

C1 God may want to teach the person some things that cannot be learned any other way.

C2 God may want to use this person to teach others.

C3 (Daniel 10:12-14 NET Then he said to me, "Don't be afraid, Daniel, for from the very first day you applied your mind to understand and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard. I have come in response to your words. However, the prince of the kingdom of Persia was opposing me for twenty-one days. But Michael, one of the leading princes, came to help me, because I was left there with the kings of Persia. Now I have come to help you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision pertains to future days." (Emphasis was added).

B4 Why do we pray in Jesus’s name?

C1 Our recognition that Jesus is God and Messiah

C2 To honor Him

C3 To be recognizing that the Father’s will and the Son’s will are in unity.

C4 See John 16:26, 1 John 5:13, Ephesians 2:18

B5 Does God answer prayers of unbelievers?

C1 For salvation See Luke 18:13-14

C2 As a witness to His love

C3 As a call to the Gospel and service See 1 Samuel 3:10

B6 When should we not pray?

C1 When it is time for action instead of praying any longer (the prayer is answered so start). See Exodus 14:15

C2 When we know the answer is “No.” 2 Corinthians 12:8

B7 How does prayer sanctify something?

C1 Us when our sin is exposed See Psalm 50:1-2

C2 When we agree to God’s will See Luke 1:38

C3 When we ask for God’s wisdom See James 1:5

C4 God says so See 1 Timothy 4:4-5

B8 Can we pray directly to God?

C1 Because Jesus is our High Priest. See Hebrews 10:19-22

C2 We can pray directly to God to honor His name See Psalm 115:1

B9 What happens if I don’t pray?

C1 We miss out on fellowship with brothers, sisters, and God Himself. See Matthew 18:20 & Psalm 130:5-6

C2 We disobey God. Why wouldn’t someone want to communicate with the one who loves us?

C3 Might lead to reject of God and by God See John 15:16

C4 God’s blessings See James 4:2

C5 Might not be delivered from temptation Matthew 26:41

C6 Might brings God’s wrath See Jeremiah 10:21

B10 How often should someone pray?

C1 Every day for guidance and safety See Psalm 5:3

C2 Every day for leaders 1 Timothy 2:2

C3 Every day for all brothers and sisters. We are one family. 1 Thessalonians 1:2

C4 Every day for all things See 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

B11 Why have a prayer meeting?

C1 It was done by the first Christians and indeed all since then See Acts 1:14

C2 For other’s needs See James 5:13-20

C3 For the Gospel to be spread Colossians 4:3-4

C4 For when our brothers and/or sisters sin 1 John 5:16-17

Psalms 5:2-3 BSB Attend to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to You I pray. 3 In the morning, O LORD, You hear my voice; at daybreak I lay my plea before You and wait in expectation.