Why Week 2 :: Why Didn't God Answer my Prayer?

INTRO: We've been asking some of our toughest "why" questions. Last week we asked the question, why don't I always feel God's presence? What we said was that it doesn't really matter if you always "feel" God's presence. But we can know that he has promised in his Word to always be with us. Today, we're going to be asking the question, why didn't God answer my prayer? Have you ever prayed about something really important, something you knew God could do, yet he didn't answer that prayer?

For a lot of people, this has really rattled their faith. Why didn't God do what I asked him to? And then what tends to sometimes confuse people more are verses like these: John 14:13-14
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that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. And so perhaps you would think, "what did I do wrong?"

And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so

"I asked in Jesus' name and had faith that God could do it". But God still didn't answer my prayer.

Or sometimes you read in Scripture of these people who prayed impossible prayers and they were answered! Joshua prayed for the sun to stand still. Daniel prayed and the lions didn;t swallow him whole. Elijah prayed for fire to fall from heaven. Jonah gets swallowed by a fish and prays and gets vomited to dry land. Then perhaps you would think, "my prayers are no where close to impossibility as those, yet God did not answer my prayer." What have you prayed for that God did not answer? Perhaps you've prayed for a sickness or disease that you've asked God to take away and he hasn't. Perhaps financially it's been tough and you've asked God to open a door for a job in this tough economy.

 Maybe you've prayed for someone you really love to come to know Christ. What we want to try to do today is raise some Biblical possibilities as to why God didn't answer all our prayers. I'm not saying that these apply to everyone or that I have all the answers. But we do want to raise a few Biblical possibilities as to why God didn't answer our prayer. 1 :: MAYBE IT'S BECAUSE YOU HAVE A BROKEN RELATIONSHIP. Mark 11:24-25
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Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25 And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them,

so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins. Our horizontal relationships can effect our vertical relationship. Matthew 5:23-24
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Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother

or sister has something against you, 24leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift. 1 Peter 3:7 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. Is there a broken horizontal relationship that is effecting your vertical relationship? 2 ::Maybe you have the wrong motive when you pray. James 4:3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. What are the motives behind your prayers? But I've been praying to win the lottery for years! Nicky Cruz testifies about a time that he prayed and asked God to kill everybody from the opposing gang.

I think that similarly, often times if we're honest with ourselves, our prayers can be pretty selfish and of wrong motive. The pharisee's used to do this. Luke 18:11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: God, I thank you that I am not like other people robbers, evildoers, adulterersor even like this tax collector. Matthew 6:5 And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. How do you know if your motives are pure? Proverbs 16:2

All a persons ways seem pure to them, but motives are weighed by the LORD. Perhaps one of the reasons God didn't answer your prayer was because of wrong motives. 3 :: MAYBE YOU DON'T BELIEVE GOD WILL DO IT. In Mark 9, we read a story of a concerned dad who's son was possessed by an evil spirit.

The evil spirit would cause the boy to have violent episodes including seizures and foaming at the mouth. Imagine the care and concern as a father for his child.

They bring the boy before Jesus and the following conversation takes place. Mark 9:20-23 20 So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a

convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth. 21 Jesus asked the boys father, How long has he been like this? From childhood, he answered. 22 It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us. 23 If you can? said Jesus. Everything is possible for one who believes. It seems like Jesus is almost taken aback by the response of the father. In fact, the father replies, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief". *Story of pastor and bar owner. How often do people call themselves Christians and don't really believe in the power of prayer.

You can hear it in the way they talk. "I've tried everything I could do, I guess all I can do now is pray".

WARNING ON WORD-FAITH Now, what we're not trying to say is what word-faith theology teaches. Which is just say the words and believe it and if you have enough faith, God has to do whatever you say.

Just because you have faith doesn't mean that God has to do it.

But at the same time, your faith really does matter.

James 1:6-7 6 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. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 4 :: MAYBE GOD HAS SOMETHING DIFFERENT. God's will for our life matters more than our own will. 1 John 5:14-15 14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us whatever we askwe know that we have what we asked of him. If we're asking God for something that is out of His will, he loves us enough not to give us that. Even if we think it's best, even if we believe it's right, even if we feel certain.

The Apostle Paul had a specific prayer request as well that he had placed before the Lord. He spoke of a thorn that was in his flesh. West ill don't know what this was. 2 Corinthians 12:8-9a 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.

God's response to his prayer request was basically, "no, my grace is sufficient"

In Daniel 3, there is a story about three Jewish men who refused to kneel down to worship an evil king.

The payment for their treason to the king and loyalty to God was to be thrown into a fiery furnace.

Daniel 3:16-18 16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majestys hand. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up. So here's what we believe about prayer. We We We We believe believe believe believe God can. all things are possible with God. God can answer our prayers. God will.

And if He doesn't...we still believe.