Disciples Prayer Life Week 10

When God says ‘No’

Example after example in the Bible remind us that God answers prayer in one of four ways:

Yes

No

Wait

At times He refuses to hear

Psalm 66:18 (HCSB)

If I had been aware of malice in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.

These answers reveal three reasons why God may not answer our prayer, or answer it differently than we had asked.

Read Numbers 11:10-15

What did Moses ask for?

Numbers 11:15 HCSB

If You are going to treat me like this, please kill me right now. If You are pleased with me, don’t let me see my misery anymore.”

Another example of unanswered prayer:

2 Corinthians 12:7-10

Paul’s request: 2 Corinthians 12:8

2 Corinthians 12:8 HCSB

Concerning this, I pleaded with the Lord three times to take it away from me.

Moses’ prayer may have been well intentioned: Where am I to find meat for all these people?

However, listen to how he phrases his concern:

Numbers 11:11–14 (HCSB)

So Moses asked the Lord, “Why have You brought such trouble on Your servant? Why are You angry with me, and why do You burden me with all these people? Did I conceive all these people? Did I give them birth so You should tell me, ‘Carry them at your breast, as a nursing woman carries a baby,’ to the land that You swore to give their fathers? Where can I get meat to give all these people? For they are crying to me: ‘Give us meat to eat!’ I can’t carry all these people by myself. They are too much for me.

God did answer Moses’ prayer for meat - see Numbers 11:31-ff.

Paul prayed re: a thorn in the flesh. Scholars are agreed: no one knows exactly what affliction Paul experienced.

God’s answer was quite different that what Paul expected:

One primary reason God may not answer our prayer:

SIN

There are far too many specific sins to list in our time together. Dr Hunt has identified six specific sins that DO hinder prayer:

ANGER

1 Timothy 2:8 HCSB

Therefore, I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or argument.

Anger - human wrath - is often sudden and vindictive. Paul encourages men in particular to carefully guard their hearts and minds so that as they pray, they do so without anger.

Idolatry

Ezekiel 14:3 HCSB

“Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts and have put sinful stumbling blocks before their faces. Should I be consulted by them at all?

As Ezekiel served God’s people in exile, he was given a vision of what was happening in and around the temple back in Jerusalem. Priests and other leaders were openly worshiping idols - even as the Babylonian army threatened their very lives.

Indifference to need

Proverbs 21:13 (HCSB)

The one who shuts his ears to the cry of the poor will himself also call out and not be answered.

Generosity and hospitality are to be the hallmark of Christian living. When we are closed to genuine need we can expect God to delay in answering our prayer.

Hypocrisy

Matthew 6:5 HCSB

“Whenever you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by people. I assure you: They’ve got their reward!

Unforgiveness

Jesus had more to say about unforgiveness than almost any other subject.

Mark 11:25 HCSB

And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven will also forgive you your wrongdoing.

Broken Relationships

Matthew 5:23–24 HCSB

So if you are offering your gift on the altar, and there you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

1 Peter 3:7 HCSB

Husbands, in the same way, live with your wives with an understanding of their weaker nature yet showing them honor as coheirs of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.

WRONG MOTIVES

James 4:1–3 HCSB

What is the source of wars and fights among you? Don’t they come from the cravings that are at war within you? You desire and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and don’t receive because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your evil desires.

James’ letter focuses on prayer in almost every chapter.

Here he diagnoses some of the challenges these believers were experiencing.

The primary challenge James identifies is simple:

Selfishness

Yes, we are to seek God for our daily needs. These needs are to be secondary to God’s ultimate purpose: the expansion and fulfillment of His kingdom (see Matt 6:33).

Our prayers for ourselves and those close to us need to stay connected to the ultimate purpose of God. If we are in a season of unanswered prayer it is time to carefully evaluate your motives and align your asking with the priority of God’s kingdom purpose.

UNBELIEF

This is not to suggest that believers lose their faith. Rather, we need to be reminded that there are times when we pray with a lack of faith, or a hindered faith.

For example:

James 1:5–7 HCSB

Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without criticizing, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith without doubting. For the doubter is like the surging sea, driven and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.

Hebrews 3:15–17 HCSB

As it is said: Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion. For who heard and rebelled? Wasn’t it really all who came out of Egypt under Moses? And who was He provoked with for 40 years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness?

Dr Hunt identifies two causes of unbelief:

a). a fear that God doesn’t want to give

b). a fear that what you are asking is too difficult for God

There are some steps we can take to battle unbelief:

Focus on Jesus

Spend time in the gospels, re-reading that which is written of Him

Encourage one another

Sometimes we just need a word of support, a word of encouragement

Hold on the Christ

There are times we just have to ‘hang on’ and let the wind and waves take us where they will, remembering that Jesus is right there with us.

Keep Praying

Don’t quit.

When God says, ‘Wait’

There are times when God doesn’t answer prayer immediately. Think of Zacharias and Elizabeth in Luke 1-2.

Remember Daniel

Daniel 10:2 HCSB

In those days I, Daniel, was mourning for three full weeks.

Daniel 10:12 HCSB

“Don’t be afraid, Daniel,” he said to me, “for from the first day that you purposed to understand and to humble yourself before your God, your prayers were heard. I have come because of your prayers.

There is a purpose behind these ‘delayed’ answers: God is at work developing patience and steadfastness. Zacharias, Elizabeth, and Daniel continued to seek God - even as God delayed answering their prayer. Their example encourages us to abide - to remain - to stay focused.