Praying To Impress Others
Dont pray to publicly draw attention to yourself, by trying to make a spectacle and show others how religious and close to God you supposedly are. Dont litter your speech to our Creator with many huge, lofty-sounding words.
Instead, look to present your petitions to God in private. Use simple, clear-cut language that is sincere, honest, and comes from the heart.
This is all based on what Jesus commanded in Matthew 6:5-8: When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
Why Prayers Are Not Answered Bible Verses
When we pray in our own words, we are saying something personal to our heavenly Father. When you do ask, you do not receive because you are asking for a wrong purpose. James 4:3. We would certainly not expect God to answer our prayers if we were to ask for things we know he does not want us to do or to have.
Reasons God May Not Be Answering Our Prayers
On the kitchen wall in my boyhood home hung a plaque that promised God Answers Prayer. Because of those words, reinforced in Sunday school and Bible storybooks, I got the idea that prayer was a 100-percent-guarantee, lifetime-warranty, you-must-be-completely-satisfied-or-your-money-back, over-night-delivery promise.
And so, as a first-grader, I prayed for a pony for my birthday . . . and didnt get it. I prayed for a pony for Christmas . . . and didnt get it.
During adolescence, I prayed that my face would clear up, and those prayers werent answered either.
As I grew up, so did my prayers. They were far less selfish and included more altruistic requests such an end to the Vietnam War for peace between the races as riots broke out across the nation and againpleas for my face to clear up. No answers.
Now that Im in the third quarter of lifes game, I still have more losses than wins in my prayer bracket. Numerous friends have died of cancerdespite fervent prayers, fasting, and biblical practice of anointing with oil. Christian business leaders, who honored God in their tithing as well as treatment of employees and customers, went bankrupt. Despite prayers for safety, missionary friends have been kidnapped, raped, and killed. Friends who have faithfully spent their entire lives pastoring, are now in government-subsidized housing and trying to survive on food stamps.
1. It may not be his perfect plan
2. It may not be good for us
3. It may not be the right time
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Praying While Ignoring Scripture
Proverbs 28:9 states, if one turns away his ear from hearing the Law, even his prayer is an abomination. Gods Word and instruction is an absolute must to listen to and adhere to. Not doing so and blatantly ignoring the clear command of the Bible will make God equate our prayers to Him to sin!
1 John 3:22 reinforces this by saying, And whatever we ask we receive from Him because we keep His commandments and do those things which are pleasing in His sight.
Praying To God Without Going Through His Son Jesus Christ
Theres no other way of getting around this. You must go to God the Father through Christ. Jesus said to him, I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life no one comes to the Father but through Me.’ John 14:6.
Since sin in the human heart separates us from God, we need a way to be declared righteous and blameless by God. That Way is the Lord Jesus Christ: Having been declared righteous, then, by faith, we have peace toward God through our Lord Jesus Christ.Romans 5:1
Salvation and reconciliation with God come through Jesus death on the cross and His resurrection, and we must personally believe in Jesus as Savior and Lord to receive it.
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When Your Prayers Aren’t Answered
Some of the questions I am frequently asked are… “Why doesn’t God answer my prayers?” …”Doesn’t He see my needs?” …”Doesn’t He care about me?”
So,I’d like to address these questions… The first thing you need to be assured of, is God knows your needs before you even ask
Second, God cares unequivocally about you. Here are some scriptures to back that up…
I Peter 5:7 “Cast your anxiety on Him, for He cares for you.”
Ephesians 5:29 After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church.
Nahum 1:7 The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him.
Psalm 55:22 Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you he will never let the righteous fall.
Matthew 6:25–26“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'”
THE NEXT THING YOU NEED TO KNOW, IS WE HAVE THE ASSURANCE THAT GOD HEARS EVERY PRAYER …
The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry. -Psalm 34:15
How God Answers Our Prayers
The Power Of Confession
For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me my vitality was turned into the drought of summer.Psalm 32:4
California is a dry state that needs water to be transported over many miles to population and agricultural centers. Snowfall in the winter and melting snow in the spring are critical factors in replenishing shrinking reservoirs. In periods of modern droughts, aerial photographs document the receding water levels in reservoirs around the stateshorelines growing wider and drier as water levels fall.
Such is the picture David paints with his words in Psalm 32a drought of spiritual vitality brought on by his own sin. When he failed to confess his sin to God, his bones grew old and he groaned all the day long . It was like his soul was being evaporated by the heat of his own guilt and shame. But then the rains of grace came and David confessed his sin and God forgave him . And he encouraged his readers not to make the same mistake he had made .
Confession and repentance reveal the access to restoration. Hiding sin does not remove it from Gods sight but when we seek Gods forgiveness, the refreshing living water from the Father is poured out on us and we are restoredthat is the power of confession.
The way to cover our sin is to uncover it by confession.Richard Sibbes
I rejoice at Your Word as one who finds great treasure.Psalm 119:162
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Ignorance Impedes Our Invocation
Another reason prayers may be weakened is because of our ignorance.
The disciples once approached Christ as he was praying. They asked: Lord, teach us to pray, even as John also taught his disciples .
Doesnt this reveal that there must be a correct way to pray that comes as a consequence of teaching? It is frequently the case that Christians know not how to pray as they ought .
For instance, it may be that some saints do not know of Gods willingness to answer our prayers, hence, they have not because they ask not .
Ignorance concerning the purpose of prayer can hinder. For example, prayer should be according to Gods will in order to be heard . But how can we pray effectively according to his will if we dont know his will.
Heres an example. It is not proper to pray for miracles, since those signs served a unique place in the divine plan and thus, have been terminated .
And what about praying that God should save someonesomeone we dearly lovebut who remains in rebellion to the gospel plan of salvation .
The more we study and understand Gods will as revealed in his word, the more effectively we can pray.
Does Prayer Work Why Doesnt God Answer My Prayers
The good news is: God answers prayers. BUT there is a catch. And it all depends on how you look at it.
For example, if you are wondering Does prayer work?Does God answer all prayers? or, more specifically, Why doesnt God answer my prayers? you can think of it one of two ways:
You can say: No, God doesnt answer all prayers. Otherwise, there wouldnt be so many unanswered prayers And thats totally understandable. Unfortunately, there are many prayers we pray that will never be answered the way we want them to.
OR you can say: God answers prayers BUT God answers prayers in His own time and not always in the way we ask. Just because Im still wondering why God doesnt answer prayers doesnt mean He wont ever.
Its all about your mindset.
You see, we typically think of God giving us one of three answers: Yes, No, and Not Yet, and only one of those answers to unanswered prayer is acceptable to us!
Yet, this fantastic article on ways God answers prayers lists 14 different ways God answers prayers, including:
- Yes, But You Arent Paying Attention
- The Substitute Yes
- No, But Youll Thank Me Later
- No, And Stop Being Ridiculous
So if youre wondering, Why doesnt God answer my prayers? chances are He either already has or is currently working on it. God hears our prayers and God answers prayers. We just dont always notice or like the answer.
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Praying With A Doubting Heart
The last bit of advice from the Apostle James is a big one: do not ask while still having unbelief. Instead, believe with bold faith that God will come through! James 1:6-8 articulates, but he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one you doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
Things That Will Hinder Your Prayers
In a way, all prayer is actually answered. God answers prayer in three ways: yes, no, and wait. When God says no to our prayers, we think he didnt answer them. But actually he did. He said no. Thats an answer.
Sometimes God tells us to wait, because God has his timing. And sometimes God says yes.
So why is it that our prayers are not answered in the affirmative more often? One reason is the promise of answered prayer is not given to every person on earth. We need to have a relationship with God. Sure, anyone can call upon the name of the Lord, but having a prayer life, having fellowship and communion with God, is a privilege of the child of God.
I cant call out to God if I have no relationship with him and expect him to respond necessarily. I cant walk up to a random stranger and say, Will you make me lunch? But I can go to my wife of almost 45 years and say, Will you make me lunch? I can ask that of her. And she can ask things of me as well. Those are the privileges of relationship.
If my phone buzzes and I see that its my wife calling, I answer. If its my son calling, I answer. If its one of my grandkids facetiming me to have a random conversation at the worst time of the day, I answer. Why? Because relationship trumps everything.
In the same way, God answers our calls and hears our prayers because of relationship. When we have a relationship with God and call on him, he will hear us. And he will answer us.
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Reasons Most Prayers Are Not Answered
10 Reasons Most Prayers Are Not Answered
James 4: 3 All of you ask, and receive not, because all of you ask amiss, that all of you may consume it upon your lusts.
INTRODUCTION
Prayer is a practice of communicating and making a request to ones God. Praying is very essential to our daily being because it is through communicating to our maker, plans for life can be revealed and vision for a purposeful future can be accomplished. Prayer is not a technique for escape from conflict but a stimulus to growth.
As Christians, the place of prayers cannot be overemphasized because even Jesus in Luke 18:1 encouraged us to pray and not faint. Nobody wants to pray to a God that will not answer his / her prayers and this could be quite frustrating when faced with such. As believers, praying is not the issue but the primary challenge is receiving answers to all prayers rendered to God. Most times, we feel discouraged and withdrawn even when prayers are not answered but we should remember we have a loving God who will always listen to His children and grant them their heart desires. All we need to understand is the art of prayers. It takes understanding to make one outstanding in life. When we pray like the Pharisees in the bible, we may never get answers to our prayers.
1 SIN: Psalms 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.
You Are Asking For The Wrong Things
And this is the confidence that we have toward 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 that we have asked of him. 1 John 5:14-15
In this Scripture about answered prayer, we are assured that if we ask anything according to His will we have the requests. Thats a powerful promise! Its important to note, however, that our requests have to be in accordance to His will.
We cant just pray for whatever we want and simply tack in Jesuss name. Amen on the end. And we cant pray for things that are contrary to Gods will for our lives or contrary to His will for other peoples lives either.
For example, if you pray for a certain promotion or job opportunity, and God has already decided someone else needs the opportunity more, the answer will be no,not yet, or heres something else instead.
Again, this isnt because God doesnt care about our unanswered prayers. Its because He knows much more than we do, and His way is always best.
Instead of asking Why doesnt God answer my prayers? perhaps you should ask, What does God want me to pray for in the first place?
Key takeaway: Rather than always praying for what YOU want, pray for what GOD wants.
For example, God what do YOU want me to pray for today? What plans do YOU want to accomplish, and how can I help bring YOUR plans to fruition?or at least a goodif its your will God, let it be so.
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Question: Why Are Prayers Not Answered And What Requirements Need To Be Met
Bible Answers
There are conditions we must meet before God will answer our prayers. Some of these conditions include:
1. Are you approaching God with a pure heart?
If I regard wickedness in my heart, The Lord will not hear . Sin and unforgiveness are the primary heart polluters that separate us from God.
When we walk before the Lord with a pure heart, whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight .
2. We Must Pray According to God’s Will.
And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he hears us .
3. We Must Pray in Faith.
Ask in faith without doubting believing in God and His Word. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord .
4. We Must Pray with Forgiveness of Others.
But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins . How did God, our model, forgive? For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more . And Jesus commanded, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you .
5. We Must Pray Having Repented of Our Sins.
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin .
9. Are you prideful of yourself?
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- PRAYING WITHOUT THE SCRIPTURES: Hosea 4:6asays My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Lack of knowledge of the word of God will make one to pray without direction. For ones prayers not to remain unanswered one must cultivate the habits of praying with the words of God. One must search the scripture and know what exactly the word of God is saying as regards ones request, praying without knowing what the word of God is saying is like just praying into the thin air. The bible says in Psalms 138:2b God honored His words more than His name. If we can pray and hold Him by His words, our prayers will receive heavens attention.
- PRAYING WITH UNFORGIVING SPIRIT When you are holding back someone in your heart, or someone has offended you or done wrong to you and you refuse to forgive or let go your prayers to God will remain unanswered. We must clear and do a thorough check of ourselves before going to God in prayers, we have to be sure we are not holding anyone in our heart, we have to be sure we have forgiven all those who has offended or hurt in one or the other, because that is only when God will hear us too if we forgive one another. Just like the bible says in Matthew 6:14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. As we all know that if God does not forgive our sins He will not hear us, so we must forgive anyone that has hurt us, so that God can forgive us and answer our prayers.
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