Why doesn’t God Answer My Prayers?

Opening Framework:

Prayer

Series Intro: Ever Wonder Why

Message Title: Why doesn’t God Answer My Prayers?

The topic we’re tackling is tough

ME: Normally I’d start with something funny… this is a heavy topic

Usually I think about the week and something funny always connects but… this is a heavy one.

This isn’t just an ordinary topic for some people. It makes you think of personal stories, situations, time’s you’ve cried and times you wondered why…

And don’t get me wrong… one thing I want you to know is that I believe in the power of prayer.

I’m grateful that we serve a God who has the ability, and the power to do anything and everything… What a mighty God we serve.

Yet it can be hard… when I think about Scripture and then think about my own prayer life…

Moses praying & the seas part… VS… Praying for a sick family member and they get worse.

Jesus praying to God and feeding 5000… and then praying for the struggling family who can’t seem to figure things out

Prophet Elijah asking God to prove Himself and fire rains down from heaven… And I prayed for my friends from Bible school struggling in their faith and they walk away from God.

We: So why is it that prayer can seem so powerful and yet also seem like it doesn’t make sense at times?

We can pray for good things at times… and it just seems like God doesn’t come through.

God fix this… It breaks God heal them… they get worse. God change this situation… nothing changes.

Firstly… we have to remember something. WE have to get our answers about these difficult questions from scripture. ALL of scripture… not just one verse.

We have to let scripture give us a whole explanation… not just taking one verse out of context.

Matthew 7:7 - On it’s own can be taken out of context

God: So let’s let Scripture answer the question… Why does it seem like God is not answering my prayers?

And first off we have to know what prayer is… because alot of us are mistaken. Prayer is not a time where we tell God what we want and He gives it to us.

Prayer is a communication tool to help us draw closer to God. Sometimes we have requests… and sometimes we just draw new.

Prayer is not how we get things from God. Prayer is how we stay close to God regardless of what we get.

But when you have those request and they arn’t being answered… I can’t tell YOU specifically why it might seem like God isn’t answering YOUR prayers. That’s personal.

But I can show you 5 things scripture tells us to examine when it feels like our prayers are not being answered.

5 Things Scripture Shows Us About Unanswered Prayers…

1. You MIGHT need to examine your relationship with God.

John 15:7 - Scripture seems to show that prayer is answered to those that are with God

Matthew 7:21-23 - Scripture seems to show that people might talk to God but they arn’t actually with God.

Sometimes people want God’s answers without an actual relationship with Him.

I don’t pick up calls from people I don’t know…

You cannot separate your prayer life from your relationship with God

2. You MIGHT need to examine your relationship with others

Mark 11:24- 25 - Scripture seems to tell us that our unforegiveness with others might impact our prayers.

Matthew 5:23-24 - Scripture seems to tell us that our problems with others might impact our prayers.

LIKE MY KIDS

1 Peter 3:7 - Husbands too… your relationship matters to our relationship with God.

Hinder - Enkopto - Thwart / Block / Cut

You cannot separate your prayer life from your people life.

3. You MIGHT need to examine your motives

James 4:3 - Sometimes we have the right words but all the wrong motives…

Lord I want them to get SAVED…. So I can date them. Lord I want you to bless my business or improve my finances… But I have ZERO plans to tithe to you. Lord I want to draw closer to you and know more about you… So I can look like I know the bible to that cute girl in my connect group.

God cares about the request, but He also cares about the reason.

4. You MIGHT need to examine your faith

Story from Mark 9 of the demon possessed boy and the Dad that’s struggling to believe

Mark 9:21-24 - IF you can… And Jesus makes it clear that you have to believe that He can.

Matthew 13:58 - Your faith matters to your prayers

**Story in Valentina’s apartment

BUT… We can’t twist this (Prosperity Gospel & Faith Healing movement)

We have to remember that God is in control… And it’s simply our job to have faith

5. You MIGHT need to examine your surrender

Scripture teaches us to pray surrendered prayers.

Luke 22:42 - JESUS says… Take this cup please… but even if you dont… I trust you.

Paul’s thorn in his flesh… and what he learned…

2 Corinthians 12:8-9 - “My grace is sufficient”

Surrendered prayer still asks boldly, but it trusts deeply.

**PASTORAL GUARDRAIL**

“Are you saying that if God didn’t answer it’s all my fault Pastor Steven?” No… I’m saying God might have a different plan because He knows best and his love for you is greater than our requests at times.

LIKE THE WAY I ANSWER MY KIDS REQUESTS

You: And maybe after all of that, you’re thinking, “Pastor Steven, if prayer is this complicated, why bother?”

Because the purpose of prayer is not to figure out how to get what you want…

The purpose of prayer to is to draw to God… so that when God does what He desires to do…. You’re ready for the package He delivers.

You get to talk to God and at times make a requests… but you’re not in control of How its delivered, When its delivered. Etc… But prayer gets you ready so that however the package arrives… you’re ready to receive it.

So when you dont understand… exercise faith and pray. If you’re not getting answers… pray and have faith.

God will use prayer to grow you for when and how He answers

We: Imagine if we were a church that took prayer serious like this

We wouldn’t be a church that had everything we wanted… We’d be a church that couldn’t be shaken.

Alter Call:

If you need to examine these things in your prayer life…

God I need to examine my relationship with you

God I need to examine my relationship with others

God I need to examine my motives

God I need to examine my faith

God I need to trust you with the outcome of these prayers I’ve been praying… you do whatever it takes.

This alter is for that today