Questions to Ask When Prayers Seem Unanswered Part 1.
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Transcript of Questions to Ask When Prayers Seem Unanswered Part 1.
Questions to Ask When Prayers Seem Unanswered
Part 1
Questions to ask when prayer seems unanswered
• Is God listening?
At times David questioned
Psalm 10:1
Why, O LORD, do you stand far away?Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?
Psalm 74:11
Why do you hold back your hand, your right hand?Take it from the fold of your garment and destroy
them!
At other times David knew
Psalm 94:9
He who planted the ear, does he not hear?He who formed the eye, does he not see?
Psalm 5:3
O LORD, in the morning you hear my voice;in the morning I direct my prayer to you and watch.
Psalm 4:3
But know that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself;the LORD hears when I call to him.
David UnderstoodPsalm 34:7, 19, 22
The angel of the LORD encampsaround those who fear him, and delivers them.
Many are the afflictions of the righteous,but the LORD delivers him out of them all.
The LORD redeems the life of his servants;none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.
The Lord encircles and watches over the righteous
David UnderstoodPsalm 55:17
Evening and morning and at noon
I utter my complaint and moan,and he hears my voice.
The Lord stays interested and available at all times
David UnderstoodPsalm 145:18-19
The LORD is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.19 He fulfills the desire of those
who fear him;he also hears their cry and saves
them.
The Lord listens to those calling in truth and with
reverence
Questions to ask when prayer seems unanswered
• Is God listening?
• Does God care?
David feared this
Psalm 77:7-9
“Will the Lord spurn forever,and never again be
favorable?8 Has his steadfast love forever ceased? Are his
promises at an end for all time?
9 Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he in anger shut up his compassion?”
David cured his doubts with facts
Psalm 77:10-13
Then I said, “I will appeal to this,to the years of the right hand of the Most High.” 11 I will remember the
deeds of the LORD;yes, I will remember your wonders of
old.12 I will ponder all your work,
and meditate on your mighty deeds.13 Your way, O God, is holy.
What god is great like our God?
David cured his doubts with factsHosea 11:3-4, 8-9
Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk; I took them up by their arms, but they did not know that I healed them. 4 I led them with cords of kindness, with the bands of love,
and I became to them as one who eases the yoke on their jaws, and I bent down to them and fed them.
How can I give you up, O Ephraim? How can I hand you over, O Israel? How can I make you like Admah?
How can I treat you like Zeboiim? My heart recoils within me; my compassion grows warm and tender.
9 I will not execute my burning anger; I will not again destroy Ephraim; for I am God and not a man, the Holy
One in your midst, and I will not come in wrath.
Questions to ask when prayer seems unanswered
• Is God listening?
• Does God care?
• Am I praying in God’s will?
Hebrews 11:35-38Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some
were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. 36 Others suffered
mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated
— 38 of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves
of the earth.
Hebrews 11:35-38, 39Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some
were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. 36 Others suffered
mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated
— 38 of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves
of the earth.
39 And all these, though commended through their faith,…
2 Corinthians 12:7-10 So to keep me from becoming conceited
because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in
the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming
conceited. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave
me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made
perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so
that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am
content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Sometimes we are fighting unseen battles with…
PRIDESELFISHNESS
SELF-CENTEREDNESS
MY OWN AGENDAETC., ETC.
Questions to ask when prayer seems unanswered
• Is God listening?
• Does God care?
• Am I praying in God’s will?
• Is my timing God’s timing?
John 11:1, 6Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and
her sister Martha.
So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he
stayed two days longer in the place where he
was.
John 11:4, 40 But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not
lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the
Son of God may be glorified through it.”
Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of
God?”
Maybe God is waiting for the pray-er to learn…
To glorify GodTo depend on God
To look for God’s agenda
Questions to ask when prayer seems unanswered
• Is God listening?
• Does God care?
• Am I praying in God’s will?
• Is my timing God’s timing?
• Is my answer God’s answer?
Hebrews 2:10; 5:8-9For it was fitting that he, for whom and
by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the
founder of their salvation perfect through suffering.
Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he
suffered. 9 And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal
salvation to all who obey him,
Jesus was perfected, matured by suffering
2 Corinthians 12:7-10 So to keep me from becoming conceited
because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in
the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming
conceited. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave
me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made
perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so
that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am
content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Paul learned dependence, was matured through suffering
We ask for what we want, God gives us what we need
What are we finding thus far?
• God certainly hears and cares
• It is a promise to His children
• His timing/answer may be unexpected, but it will be for our good
Do you have this privileged access?