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D
I see you are new to cc and would like to welcome you.
The answer to your opening question is, "No." There is scripture that tells us He does not hear our prayers under certain conditions. I started a thread on 14 September "Why are prayers unanswered?" and this was my opening post. In spite of all of the scripture brought out there were still lots of people who refuse to acknowledge that their own heart condition has a bearing on whether God hears a prayer. There are a total of 125 posts so there is plenty of reading material
Many people profess to pray regularly so it seems like we should hear of an abundance of prayers answered every day…but we don’t. I’ve been wondering why this is and began to study the subject.
As I read 1 Peter 3:7, “ You husbands, likewise, conduct your married lives with understanding. Although your wife may be weaker physically, you should respect her as a fellow-heir of the gift of Life. If you don't, your prayers will be blocked,” I thought I would start with looking for other passages that tell us why God refuses to answer our prayers as we think they should be answered.
The first thing I found was “sin” in Psalm 66:18 (CJB): “Had I cherished evil thoughts, Adonai would not have listened.” In all honesty, this sounds like a no-brainer – of course God isn’t going to answer the prayer of a person who harbors evil thoughts/iniquity in his heart. We all know that. But as I meditated on why God would have to tell us something so obvious, it became clear. We do not look at ourselves objectively, without rose-colored glasses, because that is contrary to human nature.
James 1:23 (CJB) For whoever hears the Word but doesn't do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror,
24 who looks at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.
25 But if a person looks closely into the perfect Torah, which gives freedom, and continues, becoming not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work it requires, then he will be blessed in what he does.
26 Anyone who thinks he is religiously observant but does not control his tongue is deceiving himself, and his observance counts for nothing.
The answer to your opening question is, "No." There is scripture that tells us He does not hear our prayers under certain conditions. I started a thread on 14 September "Why are prayers unanswered?" and this was my opening post. In spite of all of the scripture brought out there were still lots of people who refuse to acknowledge that their own heart condition has a bearing on whether God hears a prayer. There are a total of 125 posts so there is plenty of reading material
Many people profess to pray regularly so it seems like we should hear of an abundance of prayers answered every day…but we don’t. I’ve been wondering why this is and began to study the subject.
As I read 1 Peter 3:7, “ You husbands, likewise, conduct your married lives with understanding. Although your wife may be weaker physically, you should respect her as a fellow-heir of the gift of Life. If you don't, your prayers will be blocked,” I thought I would start with looking for other passages that tell us why God refuses to answer our prayers as we think they should be answered.
The first thing I found was “sin” in Psalm 66:18 (CJB): “Had I cherished evil thoughts, Adonai would not have listened.” In all honesty, this sounds like a no-brainer – of course God isn’t going to answer the prayer of a person who harbors evil thoughts/iniquity in his heart. We all know that. But as I meditated on why God would have to tell us something so obvious, it became clear. We do not look at ourselves objectively, without rose-colored glasses, because that is contrary to human nature.
James 1:23 (CJB) For whoever hears the Word but doesn't do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror,
24 who looks at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.
25 But if a person looks closely into the perfect Torah, which gives freedom, and continues, becoming not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work it requires, then he will be blessed in what he does.
26 Anyone who thinks he is religiously observant but does not control his tongue is deceiving himself, and his observance counts for nothing.
J
Yes in four ways:
"Ican't hear you." Sometimes the Lord can't hear us when we pray. And it's not because we need to talk louder or speak more clearly. Sometimes God can't hear us when we pray because according to Psalm 66 and Isaiah 5, there is sin in our life.
"No." Sometimes the Lord says "No" when we pray. And while this can be a very difficult answer to receive, it's still an answer…regardless if we understand His decision at the moment or not. God is able to reveal His strength in you and me when we are broken and weak. So there is a purpose when God says "No."
"Yes." There is true power in prayer. And when we pray in Jesus' name, He may also say "Yes." "Yes, I'll forgive. Yes, I'll heal. Yes, I'll step in to help."
"Wait." Sometimes the toughest answer to receive from God is "Wait." When this happens, we need to remind ourselves that God is in control and can certainly handle our situation. We need to allow Him to continue working in whatever way He sees fit. And we can't try to take back the situation, but must truly be patient and wait on God's timing!
"Ican't hear you." Sometimes the Lord can't hear us when we pray. And it's not because we need to talk louder or speak more clearly. Sometimes God can't hear us when we pray because according to Psalm 66 and Isaiah 5, there is sin in our life.
"No." Sometimes the Lord says "No" when we pray. And while this can be a very difficult answer to receive, it's still an answer…regardless if we understand His decision at the moment or not. God is able to reveal His strength in you and me when we are broken and weak. So there is a purpose when God says "No."
"Yes." There is true power in prayer. And when we pray in Jesus' name, He may also say "Yes." "Yes, I'll forgive. Yes, I'll heal. Yes, I'll step in to help."
"Wait." Sometimes the toughest answer to receive from God is "Wait." When this happens, we need to remind ourselves that God is in control and can certainly handle our situation. We need to allow Him to continue working in whatever way He sees fit. And we can't try to take back the situation, but must truly be patient and wait on God's timing!
B
James 1:6-8 tells of the reason why God may not answer our prayer, and this is our own doing. "No" or "wait" is an answer, just maybe not the answer we would hope for. Sometimes he has to say no because what we ask for is not in His will. Even "No" and "wait" are answers. We must always pray God's will be done and not ours.
Blessings
Blessings
Jehovah God requirements regarding prayer requires that we must lead lives in harmony with our prayers. Our course of action must please Him; otherwise, we cannot expect Him to consider our petitions and supplications with favor.
This is an aspect of prayer that is overlooked by most of those in Christendom, even as it was overlooked by the apostate Israelites in Isaiah’s day. That is why Jehovah had his prophet represent Him. See Isaiah 1:15-17. If those Israelites wanted God’s favor, they had to act in a way that pleased him. As has well been said: “If you would have God hear you when you pray, you must hear Him when He speaks.”
In fact, Jehovah God repeatedly found it necessary to remind his people Israel of these truths. Read Proverbs 28:9; 15:29. Because of this situation, Jeremiah mourned: “You [Jehovah] have blocked approach to yourself with a cloud mass, that prayer may not pass through.” (Lamentations 3:44) Truly, the warning that Micah was inspired to give was fulfilled: “They will call to Jehovah for aid, but he will not answer them. And he will conceal his face from them in that time, according as they committed badness in their dealings.”-Micah 3:4; Proverbs 1:28-32. Consider Genesis 27:41; chapters 32, 33; 2*Samuel 15:31-37; 17:1-14; 18:6-8; Nehemiah 4:9,*16.
For our prayers to be heard by Jehovah God, not only must we be morally and spiritually clean but we must also prove the sincerity of our prayers by working at what we pray for. Prayer alone is not a substitute for honest, intelligent effort. Jehovah will not do for us what we can do for ourselves by earnestly applying the counsel of his Word and following the guidance of his holy spirit. We should be willing to do all we can in this regard so that he will have a basis for answering our prayers. Thus, we ‘should not be asking for more than we are willing to work for,’ as someone has well put it.
Some may be asked: “Why pray if we have to work at what we pray for?” We should pray for at least two good reasons. First, by our prayers we acknowledge that all good things come from God. He is the Giver of every good and perfect present. (Matthew 5:45; Acts 14:16,*17; James 1:17) Second, whether our efforts are successful or not depends upon Jehovah’s blessing. Read at Psalm 127:1. Making the same point are these words of the apostle Paul at 1*Corinthians 3:6,*7.
Jesus also counseled us to ask his heavenly Father for His holy spirit. As Jesus assures us, God is more willing to give us the holy spirit than earthly parents are to give good things to their children. (Luke 11:13) But we cannot expect Jehovah God to impart his holy spirit to us miraculously, without any effort on our part. We must do everything we can to receive holy spirit. In addition to praying for it, we need to feed diligently on God’s Word. Jehovah God does not give his holy spirit apart from his Word, and we cannot hope to receive holy spirit if we ignore the earthly channel Jehovah is using today, “the faithful and discreet slave.”-Matthew 24:45-47.
In the final analysis, it is knowledge of God’s will that governs the contents of a person’s prayers, for the supplicant must realize that, if his request is to be granted, it must please God. Knowing that the wicked and those disregarding God’s Word have no favor with Him, the supplicant obviously cannot request that which runs counter to righteousness and to God’s revealed will, including the teachings of God’s Son and his inspired disciples. (John 15:7,*16) Thus, statements regarding the asking of “anything” (John 16:23) are not to be taken out of context. “Anything” clearly does not embrace things the individual knows, or has reason to believe, are not pleasing to God. See 1John 5:14; compare James 4:15.
Acceptable prayer must be made to the right person, Jehovah God; on right matters, those in harmony with God’s declared purposes; in the right manner, through God’s appointed way, Christ Jesus; and with a right motive and a clean heart. (Compare James 4:3-6.) Along with all of this, there is need for persistence. Jesus said to “keep on asking, seeking, and knocking,“ not giving up. (Luke 11:5-10; 18:1-7) The seeming delay on God’s part in answering some prayers is not due to any inability nor to a lack of willingness, as the Scriptures make clear. (Matthew 7:9-11; James 1:5,*17) In some cases the answer must await God’s “timetable.” (Luke 18:7; 1 Peter 5:6; 2 Peter 3:9; Revelation 6:9-11) Primarily, however, it is evident that God allows his petitioners to demonstrate the depth of their concern, the intensity of their desire, the genuineness of their motive. (Psalms 55:17; 88:1,*13; Romans 1:9-11) At times they must be like Jacob in his wrestling a long time in order to obtain a blessing.-Genesis 32:24-26.
This is an aspect of prayer that is overlooked by most of those in Christendom, even as it was overlooked by the apostate Israelites in Isaiah’s day. That is why Jehovah had his prophet represent Him. See Isaiah 1:15-17. If those Israelites wanted God’s favor, they had to act in a way that pleased him. As has well been said: “If you would have God hear you when you pray, you must hear Him when He speaks.”
In fact, Jehovah God repeatedly found it necessary to remind his people Israel of these truths. Read Proverbs 28:9; 15:29. Because of this situation, Jeremiah mourned: “You [Jehovah] have blocked approach to yourself with a cloud mass, that prayer may not pass through.” (Lamentations 3:44) Truly, the warning that Micah was inspired to give was fulfilled: “They will call to Jehovah for aid, but he will not answer them. And he will conceal his face from them in that time, according as they committed badness in their dealings.”-Micah 3:4; Proverbs 1:28-32. Consider Genesis 27:41; chapters 32, 33; 2*Samuel 15:31-37; 17:1-14; 18:6-8; Nehemiah 4:9,*16.
For our prayers to be heard by Jehovah God, not only must we be morally and spiritually clean but we must also prove the sincerity of our prayers by working at what we pray for. Prayer alone is not a substitute for honest, intelligent effort. Jehovah will not do for us what we can do for ourselves by earnestly applying the counsel of his Word and following the guidance of his holy spirit. We should be willing to do all we can in this regard so that he will have a basis for answering our prayers. Thus, we ‘should not be asking for more than we are willing to work for,’ as someone has well put it.
Some may be asked: “Why pray if we have to work at what we pray for?” We should pray for at least two good reasons. First, by our prayers we acknowledge that all good things come from God. He is the Giver of every good and perfect present. (Matthew 5:45; Acts 14:16,*17; James 1:17) Second, whether our efforts are successful or not depends upon Jehovah’s blessing. Read at Psalm 127:1. Making the same point are these words of the apostle Paul at 1*Corinthians 3:6,*7.
Jesus also counseled us to ask his heavenly Father for His holy spirit. As Jesus assures us, God is more willing to give us the holy spirit than earthly parents are to give good things to their children. (Luke 11:13) But we cannot expect Jehovah God to impart his holy spirit to us miraculously, without any effort on our part. We must do everything we can to receive holy spirit. In addition to praying for it, we need to feed diligently on God’s Word. Jehovah God does not give his holy spirit apart from his Word, and we cannot hope to receive holy spirit if we ignore the earthly channel Jehovah is using today, “the faithful and discreet slave.”-Matthew 24:45-47.
In the final analysis, it is knowledge of God’s will that governs the contents of a person’s prayers, for the supplicant must realize that, if his request is to be granted, it must please God. Knowing that the wicked and those disregarding God’s Word have no favor with Him, the supplicant obviously cannot request that which runs counter to righteousness and to God’s revealed will, including the teachings of God’s Son and his inspired disciples. (John 15:7,*16) Thus, statements regarding the asking of “anything” (John 16:23) are not to be taken out of context. “Anything” clearly does not embrace things the individual knows, or has reason to believe, are not pleasing to God. See 1John 5:14; compare James 4:15.
Acceptable prayer must be made to the right person, Jehovah God; on right matters, those in harmony with God’s declared purposes; in the right manner, through God’s appointed way, Christ Jesus; and with a right motive and a clean heart. (Compare James 4:3-6.) Along with all of this, there is need for persistence. Jesus said to “keep on asking, seeking, and knocking,“ not giving up. (Luke 11:5-10; 18:1-7) The seeming delay on God’s part in answering some prayers is not due to any inability nor to a lack of willingness, as the Scriptures make clear. (Matthew 7:9-11; James 1:5,*17) In some cases the answer must await God’s “timetable.” (Luke 18:7; 1 Peter 5:6; 2 Peter 3:9; Revelation 6:9-11) Primarily, however, it is evident that God allows his petitioners to demonstrate the depth of their concern, the intensity of their desire, the genuineness of their motive. (Psalms 55:17; 88:1,*13; Romans 1:9-11) At times they must be like Jacob in his wrestling a long time in order to obtain a blessing.-Genesis 32:24-26.