Untitled Sermon (3)

Will God Answer My Prayers?

Big Idea: Whenever we reach out in faith, Jesus responds in love

(Pray)

We have been talking about prayer this month! Prayer, simply, is just us communicating with God!

It is how we draw near to Him, aligning our wills to His, and giving Him our requests.

While prayer is how we connect with our God personally… Prayer can potentially make or break your faith.

Q. Why do you think prayer can be a make it or break it moment?

Because when we pray and give God our requests… Does he actually answer them?

For some of us we pray and pray, and pray… we ask God to make moves in our lives and in other people’s lives 

We ask God to do great, wonderful, and good things

But sometimes… it seems like we don’t get an answer despite our prayers

Your parents still get a divorce 

Your friend moves away

Your health or mental struggles continue to affect you

That relationship doesn’t work out

For some of you, those moments… Those “answered” prayers could break your faith in God.

Story: When I was in high school, I prayed and prayed for a certain situation to work out

At that time… I was depressed, angry, living in sin, and thought that if the situation would work out, it would fix all my issues

So I prayed that God would: fix the situation, work in the people who were involved hearts, and to give me what I wanted

When things did not go the way I wanted them to… I thought God didn’t care and wouldn’t answer. This led to me to stop praying and stop following Him faithfully.

Looking back now, I can see how God was working and how God was answering my prayers. We will come back to the story later 

But tonight, we are going to be in Mark 5. In Mark 5 we will see 3 people make requests of Jesus and how Jesus responded to them.

We can use these encounters to learn better about how God answers our prayers today!

The big idea tonight as we go through this is: Whenever we reach out in faith, Jesus responds in love.

When we pray and we ask Jesus or God to do something for us, we are to be praying in faith. When we do this, the response is always made in love for us

As we start looking at Mark 5, the first encounter Jesus has, is a surprising one

So Jesus gets in a boat and crosses the sea

When he gets to the other side vs. 2 says he is immediately met by a demon possessed man!

Mark gives us a vivid picture in verses 3-5: 3 He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain, 4 for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him. 5 Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones.

Q. How would you feel if this guy just randomly walked up to you?

I’d be concerned! This guy was not your NORMAL GUY!

He lived in the tombs, he was so strong no one could hold him

This guy was someone you would avoid! But yet, that is who was waiting for Jesus as soon as he landed on the shore!

He was waiting FOR HIM! 

What is interesting about this demon is that in verse 7 the demon knew that Jesus was going to do something…

The demon wanted to avoid torment

He also acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God! 

If we jump down to verse 10-12 we see the demon's request: 10 And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country. 11 Now a great herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, 12 and they begged him, saying, “Send us to the pigs; let us enter them.”

Jesus has power over the demons… If he commands them, they listen. 

They know that Jesus has the power to send them to punishment (Torment)

So they BEG HIM EARNESTLY, to be sent into the pigs.

Jesus, instead of just immediately sending them to torment and punishment says this in verse 13: 13 So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the sea. 

In this verse we can see that Jesus responded by giving them permission. In regards to the demon's requests we can see our first response that Jesus can make to our requests which is…

Response 1: YES

Q. Does it make you feel uncomfortable that Jesus said yes to the demon’s requests?

It is a little nerve wracking…. THEY ARE DEMONS! Satan’s army!

But do you know what is encouraging about this…

If Jesus is willing to say yes and respond to DEMON’S requests…

Then we can be certain that Jesus will hear our requests and respond to us

YOU ARE NOT A DEMON! You are precious to GOD!

Whenever we reach out in faith to Him, he responds with love 

Then if we jump down a few verses…

Jesus is getting ready to leave the area… He is going to head back across the sea 

Then we see the next request and encounter Jesus has in Verse 18: 18 As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him.

So this guy, the one who was CRAZY because of the demon… Jesus had restored Him to a state of normalcy! In verse 15 is describes him as being in his right mind

Q. Do you think this request is a fair request considering all that has happened? Why?

THIS IS JESUS! If I was someone who He miraculously delivered from demonic oppression, I would want to be with him too!

This is a man who died for us, who forgives us, who saves us from our sin when we believe in faith towards Him! This is someone who is WORTH following and dedicating our lives to!

If Jesus was willing to say yes to the demons, why wouldn’t he say yes to someone who wanted to follow him?

But if we look at verse 19 we see his response: 19 And he did not permit him but said to him, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.”

Jesus said NO! So when we ask God or Jesus our requests, not only can He say yes, but he can also respond with…

Response 2: NO

Let’s be honest… we don’t really like that word.

The word NO tends to be associated with you not getting what you want!

Oftentimes, when we hear the word no… we can think the person saying it doesn’t really care.

But we need to remember that whenever God or Jesus respond to our requests with NO

It is coming from a place of love.

Every no from God is grounded in a place of love for us.

Let me try to explain why…

Q. Who in the last month have asked your parents to do something and they said no?

Parents often respond with no to requests because they know you not doing something or getting something is what is best for you.

Ex. Asking to not go to school because you don't want to

It is good for you to go because graduating high school can lead to a better life down the road.

So in the case of the man who asked to come with Jesus… Jesus’ says no but instead tells him to (Vs. 19) Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.”

Jesus knew the best thing for him was not for him to come with, but to go home to his loved ones who haven’t seen him in his right mind for however long the demon was inside Him and tell them about Jesus and His mercy

What a blessing for the man and his family/friends

When God tells us no, again, it's because He has something better in store for us.

We need to trust in Him to lead us to that.

(Continuing the story): Back when I was in High school and I was praying and praying for God to MOVE in my life to do something about the situation I was in… I can confidently look back at that and see that he was saying… NO.

That was for my good! He was MOVING in my life… just not necessarily in the way I wanted…

So God can say Yes or no to our requests, but there is still one more response to look at.

After Jesus finished his encounter with the demon possessed man, it says in vs. 21-22: 21 And when Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered about him, and he was beside the sea. 22 Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing him, he fell at his feet…

So Jairus, this guy was a leader in one of the synagogues… perhaps he had heard of Jesus’ works from the past.

In faith, Jairus comes to Jesus with his request… with a faith that believed Jesus could grant it.

That request can be found in verses 23-24: 23 and implored him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live.” 24 And he went with him. 

Q. Why do you think Jesus chose to go with Him rather than healing his daughter on spot?

Jesus wanted Jairus to learn something… So Jesus goes on this journey with Jairus

So Jesus’ response to Jairus is…

Response 3: NOT YET

Jesus does not say yes or no, but that He will follow Him. He is not going to answer Jairus request yet… 

So as Jesus is heading with Jairus to his daughter something happened. Lets read vs 25-29: 25 And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, 26 and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. 27 She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. 28 For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” 29 And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease.

This lady, she had been bleeding for 12 years… in these 12 years she:

Had be outcasted from the community because she was unclean

Had spent all her money on doctors to be healed

Consistently got worse

But she  had faith! She believed that Jesus could heal her even if she just touched his clothes.

So in faith, she reaches out, touches Jesus, and is immediately healed!

You know what Jesus does… HE STOPS to talk with her! Verses 30-33 says: And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?” 32 And he looked around to see who had done it. 33 But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. 

So this lady, because she had been outcast, wanted to stay hidden. She was afraid to be recognized by Jesus… but when he called, she came.

Thinking of Jairus… this man’s daughter is DYING! He URGENTLY wants to get to her! 

But Jesus told him not yet… He wanted Jairus to learn something in this moment.

So in response to women, this is what Jesus says (Vs. 34): 34 …“Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.” 

Your faith has made you well! Because of her faith, she was delivered and Jesus assured her this disease would NEVER affect her again

This is beautiful for us… because when we reach out in faith to Jesus and believe, he forgives us, he cleanses us from unrighteousness, he frees us from sin and its ultimate punishment.

But after this, something drastic happens (Vs. 35-37): 35 While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler’s house some who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?” 36 But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.”

Q. What drastic thing happened? - Jairus’ daughter dies

So the officials come and tell Jairus to not bother Jesus because she is gone…

But Jesus, he tells Jairus to have faith and believe. This is what Jesus wanted Jairus to learn. To have faith in Jesus.

This is Jairus’ make it or break it moment.

Would he continue to trust in Jesus and follow him or would he just accept what happened and stop believing in Jesus. 

We all have moments like this in our lives… moments were are faith will be tested.

But as we know, whenever we reach out to Jesus in faith, he responds with love.

So Jairus continues to have faith and takes Jesus to his daughter.

We can see what happens in vs 41-42: 41 Taking her by the hand he said to her, “Talitha cumi,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” 42 And immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement.

Because of Jairus’ faith, he got his daughter back! 

But Jesus made Jairus wait. He told Him not yet… I have reason for you to go through this ordeal

Jesus may do the same to us. We might pray and pray and pray, but he simply responds, not yet… 

We have to trust Jesus in that journey and have faith that what he is doing is out of love for us.

Conclusion

To finish my story, God told me no but he was also telling me not yet.

I learned a lot while I was waiting for God to answer my prayers

He grew me spiritually and maturally through my struggles and one day brought me to the place he intended

Ultimately, he answered my prayer!

So coming back to prayer and if God answers our prayers. Yes, he does!

With a yes, a no, or not yet.

When you pray, pray but also be willing to listen to God! This is a conversation!

Conversations are both ways

But when you pray remember to focus on God and align your will to His will… when you make your requests, listen to what He tells you

Whatever he responds with, remember it's from a place of love.

Big Idea: When we reach out to Jesus in faith, He responds with love.

So I challenge that if you are praying for something right now… and you are struggling with feeling like God does not care, hears, or is going to answer you… continue to have faith!

Be like the woman who had unshakable faith in Jesus 

Be like Jairus who despite losing all hope, had faith in Jesus

Because in our lives we will meet forks in the road that are make it or break it moments for our faith.

I encourage you, take the road that follows Jesus. He loves you and has a good plan for your life. But follow Him in faith.