DOES GOD ANSWER EVERY PRAYER?

If I were to ask today’s Christians this question, they would be divided into two groups. One group will say, “No, God does not answer every prayer we pray.” The other group will say the opposite, “Yes, of course, God will answer every person’s prayers.” They will, however, add something like, “Sometimes God will answer with a yes, and other times He will answer with a no or maybe. In all these cases, God is answering our prayers.”

So, what do you think? As Christians, prayer is vital to knowing God, growing in faith, and essential to our gospel ministry. We are commanded to pray for ourselves as well as pray for others in need. Therefore, it is necessary to know what the Bible says about why God would or would not hear our prayers and understand the hindrances before us to remove them to have a better prayer life and intercessory ministry. Further, we cannot just take one passage out of the Bible and determine why God does or does not answer our prayers. We need to understand that many things are involved in the dynamics of prayer.

GOD DOES NOT HEAR MY PRAYER…

1.             When I regard wickedness in my heart

“If I regard wickedness in my heart, the Lord will not hear.” (Ps.66:18)

2.             When I turn away from listening to God’s commandments

“He who turns away his ear from listening to the law, even his prayer is an abomination.” (Prov.28:9)

3.             When I have iniquity and sin in my life

“But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He does not hear.” (Is.59:2)

4.             When I have an unforgiving heart

“And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your transgressions.” (Mk.11:25)

5.             When I pray with doubting

“But let him ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” (Ja.1:6-8)

6.             When I pray with the wrong motives

“You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.” (Ja.4:3)

7.             When I do not live with my wife in an understanding way

“You husbands likewise, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with a weaker vessel, since she is a woman; and grant her honor as fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.” (1 Pet.3:7)

BUT GOD WILL HEAR MY PRAYER…

1.             When I humble myself and turn from my wicked ways

“…and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray, and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” (2 Chron.7:14)

2.             When I am living a righteous life

“The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous, and his ears are open to their cry. The face of the LORD is against evildoers, to cut off the memory of them from the earth. The righteous cry and the LORD hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles.” (Ps.34:15-17)

“Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.” (Ja.5:16)

3.             When I abide in Christ and his word abide in me

“If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you.” (Jn.15:7)

4.             When I try to keep God’s words and do things pleasing to Him

“And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight.” (1 Jn.3:22)

5.             When I ask in Jesus’ name

“Until now you have asked for nothing in my name; ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be made full.” (Jn.16:24)

6.             When I pray according to God’s will

“And this is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked of Him.” (1 Jn.5:14-15)

“And in the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” (Rom.8:26-27)