Chapter 19
SOME KEYS FOR ANSWERED PRAYER
(Matthew 7:7-11)
Before we begin our study with respect to some keys for answered prayer, let us pray.
Dear Heavenly Father,
Almighty God we come before You in the Name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Holy Father we ask You to please bless this study of Your Word. Please search our hearts and reveal to us any areas within them that are hindering our prayers to You. Lord please continue to extend Your Grace and Mercy to us.
Amen
INTRODUCTION
Let us begin our study by reading the following instruction our Lord gave in His sermon on the mountain,
Matthew 7:7-11
""[7] Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. [8] For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. [9] "Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? [10] Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? [11] If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!"
As one reflects upon Jesus' instruction one may ask as to: "How are we to ask and seek and knock?" The answer for this question is provided to us in what Jesus told the Samaritan woman. This portion of His conversation with her is recorded in,
John 4:19-24
""[19] Sir," the woman said, "I can see that you are a prophet. [20] Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem." [21] Jesus declared, "Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. [22] You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. [23] Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. [24] God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.""
Let us notice the following verses,
19 … After Jesus revealed to the Samaritan woman that He knew all about her past relationships (John 4:16-18), the woman believed that Jesus was a prophet.
20 … The woman told Jesus that they, the Samaritans, who were considered by the Jewish people to be sinners and hence to be avoided, worshipped on the mountain they were presently on. She then told Jesus that the Jewish people insisted that they should worship in Jerusalem. This belief of the Jewish people was based upon the Law handed down by Moses.
21-24 … Let us carefully notice Jesus' response. Specifically, among other things, Jesus told the woman and now us that the issue of worship and prayer is not where but how it is done. In other words, Jesus is teaching us we are to worship "in Spirit and in Truth."
As we reflect upon the above conversation one might ask as to “What does Jesus mean for us to worship and pray "in Spirit and in Truth?" As we study the New Testament we discover that to worship and pray in Spirit and Truth means that we are to: (1) pray and worship from our heart and (2) pray and worship in accordance with God's will.
To see that we are to worship and pray from our hearts let us read the following issue Jesus had with the Pharisees and scribes. After the Pharisees and scribes came against Jesus' disciples for not adhering to the ceremonial laws with respect to the various washings required for the preparation and eating of foods, Jesus chastised them. He did this by stating that the prophet Isaiah correctly prophesied about their spiritual state. Then Jesus quoted to them from the writings of Isaiah. Jesus' quote to them is recorded in,
Mark 7:6-7
"[6] He replied, "Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: "'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. [7] They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.'"
In addition to the fact that we are to worship and pray from our hearts, we are also to pray in accordance with God's will. As we study the Holy Bible we discover that to pray in accordance with God's will we must be moved and motivated by God the Holy Spirit. To see this let us read the following excerpt from Paul's letter to the Romans,
Romans 8:26-27
"[26] … the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. [27] And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will."
As we reflect upon the above portions of God's Word we may begin to realize that we might have some hindrances that are preventing us from praying and worshipping in the manner that our God desires. Consequently, it is imperative for us to search our hearts and see if there are areas that may be hindering us from following Jesus' instruction. To assist us in this effort the remaining study is partitioned into the following two areas:
1. Some hindrances to answered prayer.
2. The issue of perseverance and remaining steadfast.
With the above introduction in mind let us begin our exploration with,
SOME HINDERANCES TO ANSWERED PRAYER
In reading the Scriptures we discover that there are at least six areas of our life that could hinder us from a fruitful and vibrant prayer life. These are:
1. Sin.
2. Un-forgiveness.
3. Unfaithfulness to our wives.
4. Self righteousness.
5. Lack of faith or unbelief.
6. Self indulgence.
We begin with,
SIN
A good example of the fact that God will not listen to the prayers of His people who were in sin comes to us through the prophet Isaiah. The point in time in Israel's history when Isaiah spoke these words was when they once again fell from following God. Their sins, the hardness of their hearts and their depravity had become so severe that God referred to them as Sodom and Gomorrah. Let us read what God said to the people of Israel as recorded in,
Isaiah 1:10-20
"[10] Hear the word of the LORD, you rulers of Sodom; listen to the law of our God, you people of Gomorrah! [11] "The multitude of your sacrifices-- what are they to me?" says the LORD. "I have more than enough of burnt offerings, of rams and the fat of fattened animals; I have no pleasure in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats. [12] When you come to appear before me, who has asked this of you, this trampling of my courts? [13] Stop bringing meaningless offerings! Your incense is detestable to me. New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations-- I cannot bear your evil assemblies. [14] Your New Moon festivals and your appointed feasts my soul hates. They have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them. [15] When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you; even if you offer many prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are full of blood; [16] wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight! Stop doing wrong, [17] learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow. [18] "Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. [19] If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land; [20] but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword." For the mouth of the LORD has spoken."
Let us notice the following verses,
10 … Israel's depravity and sin had become so bad that God actually referred to them as people of Sodom and Gomorrah. Let us not forget that it was because of Sodom and Gomorrah’s rampant sin and depravity that He destroyed them (see Genesis 18-19:29).
11-13a … The Lord told Israel that because of their sins He no longer delights in or wants them to offer sacrifices to Him. Can you imagine how it would feel if God told us to no longer assemble together to sing His praises and worship Him?
13b-14 … God can not endure it when people worship and pray to Him while they still refuse to repent and desire to remain in their sinful ways.
15 … Because of Israel's sins God told them He will not listen to their prayers.
16-20 … Through the prophet Isaiah God pleaded with the Israelites to confess their sins and repent, which is turn away from them. If the people did this then, God promised He would wash away their sins and restore them to Him.
As we contemplate the above Scriptures, we may realize that there may be un-confessed sin in our lives. Thus, let us remember that God promised the people of Israel that if they repented and confessed their sin, He would restore them. Well, in like manner He has also given us the same promise. A good summary of this promise is recorded for us in,
1 John 1:5-9
"[5] This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. [6] If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. [7] But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. [8] If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. [9] If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."
Let us notice the following verses,
6 … In other words, if I do not confess my sins to God and want, with all my heart, to turn away from them, and yet claim to have a true fellowship with Him, I am either lying or am deceiving myself. Remember Jesus came to save us from our sins. Thus, if I do not want to be saved or delivered from my sins then how can I say I have fellowship with Him?
7 … However, if I confess my sins to God and truly desire to be delivered from them, then I have fellowship with His people and Jesus' blood cleanses me from my sins.
8 … If I believe I have no sin to confess to God I am also deceiving myself. Let us remember it is only God Himself who is without sin.
9 … If I sincerely confess my sins to God and truly desire for Him to take them away from me, then He will forgive me and purify me. In other words as He told the people of Israel, He will draw me to Him so I can have a vibrant and intimate relationship with Him.
This brings us to the second issue that would hinder our prayer life. This is the issue of,
UN-FORGIVENESS
To see the necessity for forgiving our fellow brother or sister before we pray, let us read from,
Matthew 5:23-24
""[23] Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, [24] leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift."
Let us also read what Jesus said about unforgiveness as recorded in,
Matthew 6:14-15
"[14] For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. [15] But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins."
The third area of our life that could cause God to not listen to our prayers is,
UNFAITHFULNESS TO OUR WIFE
After the people of Israel once again fell away from following His ways, God, through His prophet Malachi, once again chastised them. For this portion of our study let us read the following excerpt of what God told them,
Malachi 2:13-16(a)
"[13] Another thing you do: You flood the Lord's altar with tears. You weep and wail because he no longer pays attention to your offerings or accepts them with pleasure from your hands. [14] You ask, "Why?" It is because the LORD is acting as the witness between you and the wife of your youth, because you have broken faith with her, though she is your partner, the wife of your marriage covenant. [15] Has not the LORD made them one? In flesh and spirit they are his. And why one? Because he was seeking godly offspring. So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith with the wife of your youth. [16] "I hate divorce," says the LORD God of Israel, "and I hate a man's covering himself with violence as well as with his garment," says the LORD Almighty. So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith."
Let us notice the following verses,
13 … This time the people of Israel were crying and weeping because God would no longer accept their offerings.
14-15 … God told the people that the reason He no longer accepted their offerings was because they were not faithful, that is not loving, caring and committed, to their wives. Notice, in God's eyes, a man and his wife are one. This oneness of Marriage goes all the way back to Adam and Eve (see Genesis 2:20-24).
As we read the New Testament we discover that God still wants us to love, cherish and be faithful to our wives. To see this let us read from,
1 Peter 3:7
"[7] Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers."
Let us notice that if we do not honor our wives, our prayers will be hindered. In other words, just as God told the Israelites through the prophet Malachi, if we are unfaithful to our wives He will not listen to us.
The fourth area of our life that may cause God to stop listening to us is one of,
SELF RIGHTEOUSNESS
A good illustration of this issue comes to us through the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector. Let us read it as recorded in,
Luke 18:9-14
"[9] To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: [10] "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. [11] The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men--robbers, evildoers, adulterers--or even like this tax collector. [12] I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.' [13] "But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.' [14] "I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.""
Let us notice the following verses,
10 … The designation of Pharisee was a name given to people that meant separated ones or pious ones. The objective of the Pharisee was to observe, in the strictest manner, all the ordinances concerning Levitical purity. In other words, to purify themselves they rigorously followed the ceremonial laws and manmade traditions. For example they were extremely careful to follow and comply with their religious duties, such as tithes and other temple obligations. On the other hand the tax collectors were employed by the Roman Empire to collect the taxes levied by Rome. Consequently, these folks were considered by the Jewish people to be sinners and held in contempt.
11-12 … The Pharisee was self righteous. He prided himself with his compliance to the demands of the Mosaic Law and traditions. Thus, he believed he had nothing to confess or repent from.
13 … The tax collector recognized he was a sinner and begged God for mercy.
14 … God heard the tax collector's prayer; not the Pharisees'.
With this parable in mind let us read the attitude God desires for us to have. A good summary of it is recorded for us in,
1 Peter 5:5b-7
"[5b] ... All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." [6] Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. [7] Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."
The fifth area of our life that could hinder our prayers is the,
LACK OF FAITH OR UNBELIEF
To see that the lack of faith or unbelief could have a devastating effect upon our prayer life, let us read what happened when Jesus returned to teach and minister to the people in His own hometown. To do this we go to,
Mark 6:1-6
"[1] Jesus left there and went to his hometown, accompanied by his disciples. [2] When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. "Where did this man get these things?" they asked. "What's this wisdom that has been given him, that he even does miracles! [3] Isn't this the carpenter? Isn't this Mary's son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren't his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him. [4] Jesus said to them, "Only in his hometown, among his relatives and in his own house is a prophet without honor." [5] He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. [6] And he was amazed at their lack of faith. Then Jesus went around teaching from village to village."
Let us notice the following verses,
2 … Upon hearing Jesus teach many were surprised to hear His wisdom and about the miraculous works He performed.
3 … The people knew Jesus' humble beginnings. They grew up with Him. To them He was one of their neighbors. In other words, they did not view or believe that Jesus was a prophet of God, let alone the Son of God!
5-6 … Because of unbelief Jesus was only able to heal a few sick people. Also notice that Jesus was amazed at their lack of faith.
This incident leads us to the questions of: "What was the issue? What was and is the underlying problem?" The answer to these questions is found in,
Hebrews 11:6
"[6] And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."
Let us return to the Gospel according to Mark and read about the power that can come from faith and belief in God. It is recorded in,
Mark 11:20-24
"[20] In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. [21] Peter remembered and said to Jesus, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!" [22] "Have faith in God," Jesus answered. [23] "I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. [24] Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours."
Let us notice the following verses,
22 … For an effective prayer we must have faith in God. In other words when we pray we must believe and have faith that He is, He hears us and will respond to our prayer.
23-24 … When we pray we are to believe we will receive what we ask for. Then, God will give us our request.
Before we jump into a false understanding of the above teaching, we must remember that when we pray we are to pray in God's will. Specifically, the Bible teaches us that we are to pray in harmony with what God desires and not according to our own whims and fancies. To see this let us recall that Jesus told the Samaritan woman that we are to pray motivated and moved by God the Holy Spirit, that is pray "in the Spirit and in Truth.”
To expand upon this a bit more let us read the following excerpt from our Lord's Prayer. As we read this excerpt notice that when we pray we are asking for God's will to be done, not ours.
Matthew 6:10
"[10] Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven."
This brings us to the sixth area of our life that can hinder our prayers, which is,
SELF INDULGENCE
To see this, let us read what the Holy Spirit wrote through James in,
James 4:3
"[3] When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures."
Given that we are to pray in accordance with God's will and not for our own self indulgences, the question arises as to how does one do this? Or, how can one know God's will?
First of all we must not forget that as born again believers in Jesus Christ we have the mind of Christ. To see this let us read from,
1 Corinthians 2:11-16
"[11] For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. [12] We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. [13] This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. [14] The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. [15] The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man's judgment: [16] "For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ."
Let us notice the following verses,
11 … It is the Spirit of God Who knows the thoughts of God.
12 … So that we can know what God has freely given us, the born again believers have been given God the Holy Spirit to live inside them.
13 … The born again believer who is motivated by the Holy Spirit speaks spiritual truths with spiritual words.
14 … Those who have not been born again do not have God the Holy Spirit residing within them. Thus, they do not understand nor accept the things that come from God.
16 … Those who have God the Holy Spirit living within them have the mind of Christ. Thus, if the born again believer yields to the Holy Spirit during prayer, he will then be praying in harmony with God’s will.
To insure we can hear and know God's will is by abiding in Christ and His Word. To see this let us read the following excerpt of Jesus' parable of the vine. It is recorded in,
John 15:5-8
""[5] I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. [6] If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. [7] If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. [8] This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples."
Let us notice the following verses,
5 … As a branch must remain in the vine so that the sap from the vine will bring forth fruits from the branch, so it is for us. Specifically, to bear good fruit we must remain in Christ and allow the Holy Spirit to flow from within us. If we do this then we will be praying; “In the Spirit.”
7 … In like manner, to help us understand God’s will or desires, we must also remain in God’s Word. If we do this we will be praying in harmony with God’s Word and His desires. Consequently we can have confidence that we are praying in accordance with God’s will.
This is one of the reasons why Jesus teaches us to always come before God the Father in His Holy Name. To see this let us read what Jesus told His disciples as He was preparing them for His departure from earth and His return to Heaven. To see this let us read from,
John 16:23
"[23] In that day you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name."
AN OBSERVATION
Now there may be times when we have prayed and to the best of our knowledge we have prayed in accordance with God's will and there are none of the above hindrances in our life and yet we have not received an answer. Why? What is the problem? The answer is a least twofold.
First, there are situations when the Bible or God’s will is not clear for how we are to pray. Examples of this could be for a physical healing, deliverance from difficult times, etc. In these situations we must never forget the following promise in,
Romans 8:28
[28] And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
A good example for this is recorded for us by the Apostle Paul. To read the situation he was in we go to,
2 Corinthians 12:7-10
[7] And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. [8] Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. [9] And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. [10] Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Let us notice the following verses,
7 … God’s purpose for the thorn in Paul’s flesh was to prevent him becoming conceited or proud.
8 … It was only after Paul pleaded with God three times to remove it that Paul received his answer.
9 … After Paul received his answer he realized that the afflictions were for his eternal good.
The second reason our prayer may not yet been answered is because God may want us to,
PERSEVERE AND REMAIN STEADFAST
To receive some insight into this area for our prayer life let us read the parable Jesus gave with respect to the woman and the unjust judge. To do this let us read from,
Luke 18:1-8
"[1] Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. [2] He said: "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. [3] And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.' [4] "For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God or care about men, [5] yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!'" [6] And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. [7] And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? [8] I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?""
Let us notice the following verses,
1 … Jesus gave us this parable to teach us that we should always pray and not give up, that is remain steadfast. Remember Paul pleaded with God three times before he received his answer.
2 … The judge did not fear God or cared about anyone.
4-5 … Because of her perseverance, the judge decided to vindicate the woman.
7-8(a) … Our Lord now asks us the question: "Shall not God, who loves you, not be more responsive to our cries and prayers than the unjust judge?" The implied answer to Jesus' question is yes.
8(b) … Jesus now asks us: "Even though God is good to us, hears us and responds to our prayers will we remain faithful to Him?" In other words, "Will we ignore Him till the next crisis arrives and we again need His help?" or "Will we remain faithful and true to Him?"
In reflecting upon all that we have covered one might ask as to what is,
THE MESSAGE
The message of this study comes from Jesus' sermon on the mountain. It is the theme of this study and is recorded for us in,
Matthew 7:7-11
""[7] Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. [8] For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. [9] "Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? [10] Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? [11] If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!"
Blessed be the Lord forever,
Amen and Amen