Unanswered Prayer

Unanswered Prayer

Various Passages March 24, 2019
I. Introduction:
A. Unanswered prayer is one of the most discouraging and perplexing aspects of
prayer, maybe even of the Christian life!
1. Believers are told right from the beginning of their relationship with God that
God answers prayers! We are told to pray, we are taught promises about
prayer, and we hear amazing stories about answers to prayers for others. and
yes they themselves have even experienced some answers to prayers
2. Then comes along something that deeply burdens our hearts, so we start
claiming His promises, persisting in prayer, praying in faith and yet they have
not seen one shred of evidence of God doing anything or answering their
prayers.
3. And when it goes on over a long period of time with no answer from God
a) Some their practice and belief in prayer really cools down thinking why
go to Him in prayer because He does not answer my prayers anyway!
b) Some begin to question God’s faithfulness or His word and find it
difficult to trust Him.
c) Some start to feel abandoned by God, let down by Him and that He
really does not care about my concerns.
d) And even some who have turn away from God hurt, angry and
disappointed.
B. Then comes along that Christian who learned the “company line” when it comes
to unanswered prayer as they say “God does answer prayer, sometimes it’s yes,
sometimes it is no and sometimes it is not now!”
1. While there is truth to this line, I do not think it communicate the complete
truth when it comes to what the Bible says about unanswered prayer.
2. And I personally feel that answer can be very insensitive for someone who
has been deeply, deeply disappointed by unanswered prayer. To them it can
feel like “a nickel answer to a million dollar question!”
• This morning I am going to try to fill out a bit more of what it means when we say
yes, no, not now and let me add a fourth one “I do not know” Let’s start with
II. Yes
A. When we get a yes we celebrate, our faith in strengthen in God and His word and
our hearts are lifted high with joy! Read Ps 118:5-6
B. But sometime we do not recognize the yes because it is not exactly what I asked
for, the time I asked for it or in the way I asked God to do it. In other words it is
a yes but it is a different answer than I expected.
C. I love what Tom Yeakley says about this– When you pray do not tell God how to
do it, just ask Him to do it and allow Him to do it in a way that brings glory to
Him.
1. When I pray that way, it opens my mind to see God working in ways of His
choosing rather than mine!
• Let me next address the second easiest part of that phrase to answer
III. Not now
A. Simply that is saying God will answer but not in my timing.
B. Listen to what Jesus said about this:
1. Read Luke 18:1
2. Then Jesus tells them the parable of a widow who pleaded with an unjust
judge. He finally gave in to her request after she wore him down by her
determination. Then Jesus said, “How much more will God, the righteous
judge, listen to the persistent prayers, day and night of His loved ones?”
C. There are things I have prayed for years, and some even for decades that God did
answer like the salvation of my parents, something that I prayed for over 20
years!
• Next is the hardest part of that phrase to answer or maybe to accept – when God’s
answers to our prayers are:
IV. No
A. This is the heart of unanswered prayer - I asked God for something and He
answered it with a no!
1. I do not want to leave it at that this morning but expand on that a bit. I think
a no needs a bigger explanation for someone who is wrestling with
unanswered prayers.
B. Sometimes that No is because God is a loving wise father is saying “no” for my
benefit
1. Greatest example of this in scripture is Job as two times he asked God to let
him die. Job 6:8-9
2. And often we do not see it at the moment but God’s no is the most loving and
wise answer you can get to your prayers. Usually I do not see that right away
but times I look back over my life and say I am so grateful that God did not
answer that prayer with a yes as what I have now is exactly what I need and
is actually better for me.
C. Sometimes the no is because what I asked for was not God’s will.
1. Obviously, Jesus is the greatest picture of this when He said His soul was
deeply grieved to the point of death then He asked the Father three times that
if it was possible for this burden of the cross to pass from Him; yet not as I
will but as you will!
2. As we, all know that request was not God’s will and Jesus went to the cross.
When we have Jesus’ heart for God’s will in our prayers a no is much easier
to accept!
D. Sometimes the no is because God has a greater way to display His glory!
1. Three times Paul asked God to remove the thorn in the flesh he had - listen to
what God said. Read 2 Corinthians 12:8-9
2. I think of someone like Joni Erickson Tada who became a quadriplegic as a
result of a diving accident.
a) In my way of thinking how much glory God could have gotten if he
healed her. But look at the way God has displayed Himself and used her
by not healing her.
b) She is a beautiful picture of this verse and of God receiving greater glory
by not healing her.
E. Sometimes we get the answer no because our motives are all wrong in our
prayers.
1. Read James 4:2d-3
2. Remember this quote “Too often our prayers are intended to inform God of
what we believe He needs to do to structure the universe in compliance with
our desires for a happy and comfortable life.” Daniel Henderson.
F. Let me give you one more reason for a no that is not discussed often enough but
Scripture does refer to it. Simply that while being a child of God, my life and
walk are out of whack with God.
1. There are various Scriptures that refer to this but I just will show you a few.
First :
a) Read Psalm 66:18
b) To regard sin in my heart means that I know that there is a serious sin in
my life but I do nothing about it!
c) God is not even listening to that prayer as He is concerned about what is
of first importance - getting your heart right with Him
2. You might say – that is Old Testament stuff. Listen to 1 John 3:22
a) He says here his prayers are answered because He obeys God and does
the things that please Him
b) What does this imply about the child of God who is in blatant
disobedience to God and involved in things that are displeasing to God?
3. Try this one on – it is for married couples, especially husbands!
a) Read 1 Peter 3:7
b) Some husbands here today are not getting their prayers answered
because you are not treating your sister in Christ, God’s daughter, your
wife sensitively, gently and with honor.
c) I get that because if some guy does not treat my daughters right but
rather harshly then comes and asks for a bunch of good things – what do
you think is going to happen.
• Finally let’s look at my addition this morning to yes, no, not yet and it is
V. I do not know
A. Job is the greatest example of this. Turn in your Bibles to Job 7
1. Actually, in the book of Job there are two prayer requests that he had, each
request he asked for two separate times. The first one we referred to earlier –
his request two times to die. The other prayer request Job asked two times
was – Why are you doing this to me?
2. Read 7:19-20 – Why have you set me as a target?
3. Read 10:2 - Let me know why you contend with me?
B. Job makes it very clear that God does not answer his prayers!
1. Read 19:6-7 – but I get no answer
2. Read 30:19-20 – You do not answer me
3. Read 31:35-36 – let the Almighty answer me.
4. We can see in Job the pain and frustration of unanswered prayer. It got to
the point where Job, being a righteous man, struggled so much with what was
happening to him that he began to find fault with God and accuse Him of
being unrighteous in the way He dealt with him!
C. Now listen to how God answered Job
1. Read Job 38:1-4 – Oh, oh Look out as it took God four chapters of questions
to Job for him to get the point.
a) Then in chapter 38 God pummels him with questions about his ability to
know and understand the great mysteries of the heavens and the earth?
He says tell me if you understand, surely you know!
b) Then in chapter 39 - Focus now switches from the great mysteries of the
heavens and the earth to the great mysteries of the animal world as the
Lord questions him about his ability to understand these things.
c) Then at the end of this section we see Job’s response – Read 40:1-5
2. Then in chapter 40 – God turns to Job’s strength and authority to overcome
and control things! Read 40:6-9.
a) Then in Chapter 40 He uses the hippopotamus and in chapter 41 He uses
the crocodile to show him just how small his strength is.
3. In summary God showed Job a major lesson that would be good for all of us
to let sink deep within our hearts - that there are things in life that are smarter
than he is smart and stronger than he is strong.
D. Jobs final prayer of repentance reveals to us this final answer to the question of
unanswered prayer
1. Read 42:1-3
2. Job is broken at the core of his being as he sees God’s sovereignty and his
inability to overthrow what God wants to do.
3. He also learned that God’s purposes are just too high for him to understand.
E. The answer “I do not know” is a way of saying - sometimes the reality of
unanswered prayer is a mystery, something that is bigger than we are smart,
bigger than we can understand –
F. Bottom line at times it is a very biblical answer to the question “Why God does
not answer my prayer?” is “I do not know” It is a mystery!
VI. Application
A. My prayer for today’s message is that those who are presently struggling with this
million dollar question may discern a bit more what God may be doing in their
lives in not answering their prayers. And those who are not struggling now may
be equipped to more sensitively and wisely serve those who are struggling with
this!
B. Next week in many ways will be part two to this question of unanswered prayer
as it raises some other questions – primarily - how do I pray now.
1. I have this unanswered prayer, and I see that God isn’t against me, but rather
is doing something for His glory. So does that mean I stop praying for this? Is
it wrong to pray for this?
2. Should I be the persistent widow or should I let go and move on?
C. Before Josh closes us, I just want to give a few minutes for those who have been
wrestling deeply today with this question to sit before the Lord to see if there
something God wants to impress upon their heart today.
1. Not now – Persist in Prayer
2. No
a) Not best for me in the long run
b) Not God’s will
c) God has a greater way to display His glory
d) Wrong motives
e) Undealt with sin in my life
3. I do not know – It is a mystery bigger than I am smart!