Why are prayers unanswered?

[Cobus]

Did Jesus pray the wrong prayer? Or maybe he wasn't a prayer person. According to your explanation Jesus should have had the cup pass from Him, and then no would have any hope at all. I don’t think that was the plan even though He prayed for something that wasn’t the will of our Father in heaven. You might want to think again about the truth brother.

Matthew 26:39 (KJV)
[SUP]39 [/SUP]And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.

And the cup did pass Him by. God's will was that the cup did pass from Him... You think Jesus did not want to be the offering and sacrifice? He knew it and accepted it even before the earth was made.... The cup was not that He did not want to be a sacrifice, He only wanted the time to be finished. He went to pray THREE times and everytime He came back to His faithful three, they were asleep. So he said they should also pray, and wehn he returned he asked Father that the cup should pass from Him, when He returned from that prayer they left and He was arrested. God's will was... after the third prayer Jesus would be arrested... The cup passed, so there, Jesus did get a YES AGAIN!

The cup was the agony of waiting, and the axiousness to get it over with, it was NOT a chicken out of HIS PURPOSE that HE and FATHER made for HIM!

 

[RedTent]

The bible talks about ways to pray amiss, and gives guidelines for prayer. We are to pray in the spirit and with our understanding. To have that we would need to be in sync with the ways of our Lord. If we were being unrighteous, resentful, or without being in a state of worship of our Lord, we could not be in true prayer.

Prayer is also a communication, and we are asking for something that benefits us. That would need to be something that isn't contrary to all that God wants to give us.

 

[posthuman]

Matthew 26:39 (KJV)
And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.

How often do we leave that last bit out -- "nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt." ???

Some of you are also leaving out "Seek ye first the kingdom of God"
and skipping straight to "ask and an answer will be given unto you"

i think also, today in America we expect shipping in 3 days or less, an email reply in 2 minutes or less, a cheeseburger in 4 minutes of waiting at a drive-through, on-demand videos, music and information around the internet -- how little patience we have! some of you are just as well saying "i sent God a PM an hour ago, why hasn't He written back yet??"

how contrary to our nature today it is to "wait upon the LORD"​ !!

 

[just-me]

And Jesus requested that the timing be changed. These scripture passages show that God's will was for these things to happen in a certain time, but why couldn't Jesus alter God's will, especially since we'd simply see "the appointed time" or "the fullness of time" being a different time in retrospect if it had been changed? If even Jesus' requests can't be answered unless God wanted to answer them anyway, then what's the point of prayer? Do we have to ask God for what He wants to give us in order to get them every time? Is God seriously that miserly?

Timing according to God's will is critical, because of the way His creation moves, and still doesn’t change. It is important that things happen precisely according to His timing. Take the timing of the Passover, Pentecost, the burning of incense related to Jesus' time on the cross for example. The timing is imperative so that God's will can be done. God is not slack concerning His promises as some consider slackness. If it isn’t on time it’s either too late, or too early for God to approve of the outcome. Timing is something very rarely taken into consideration by most, in retrospect.
Liberal is another good word, but not like liberal today. LOL

James 1:5 (KJV)
[SUP]5 [/SUP]If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask (pray that is) of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

Maybe we all need to pray for wisdom concerning the prayers we offer according to His will. GBU brother. Real good!

 

[just-me]

And the cup did pass Him by. God's will was that the cup did pass from Him... You think Jesus did not want to be the offering and sacrifice? He knew it and accepted it even before the earth was made.... The cup was not that He did not want to be a sacrifice, He only wanted the time to be finished. He went to pray THREE times and everytime He came back to His faithful three, they were asleep. So he said they should also pray, and wehn he returned he asked Father that the cup should pass from Him, when He returned from that prayer they left and He was arrested. God's will was... after the third prayer Jesus would be arrested... The cup passed, so there, Jesus did get a YES AGAIN!

The cup was the agony of waiting, and the axiousness to get it over with, it was NOT a chicken out of HIS PURPOSE that HE and FATHER made for HIM!

I think that the cup was being forsaken. Jesus wasn't scared of the death. How would anyone feel if they had to look forward to being forsaken by their family. Jesus was forsaken by His own Father. That cup didn't pass.

Psalm 22:1-3 (KJV)
[SUP]1 [/SUP]My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?
[SUP]2 [/SUP]O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent.
[SUP]3 [/SUP]But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.

Matthew 27:46 (KJV)
[SUP]46 [/SUP]And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

 

[texascowgirl]

God answers all prayers, but sometimes our answer is no. Just understand that God knows best. Trust him.

 

[Cobus]

I think that the cup was being forsaken. Jesus wasn't scared of the death. How would anyone feel if they had to look forward to being forsaken by their family. Jesus was forsaken by His own Father. That cup didn't pass.

Psalm 22:1-3 (KJV)
[SUP]1 [/SUP]My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?
[SUP]2 [/SUP]O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent.
[SUP]3 [/SUP]But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.

Matthew 27:46 (KJV)
[SUP]46 [/SUP]And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

Justme, I agree that was part of the anxiousness Jesus had... On the last night he said to His disciples.... The foxes have holes, the birds have nests, but THE SON OF MAN HAS NO PLACE TO LAY HIS HEAD.... And He added.... YOU KNOW NOT OF WHAT SPIRIT YOU ARE... When they wanted Jesus to let fire down on the village that did not want to give them housing.....

Oh Jesus was ready, and the ELI ELI LAMA SABACHTANI is another great revelation.... If God did not forsake Jesus, HE WOULD NOT HAVE DIED!, and HE GAVE UP HIS SPIRIT.... The Holy Spirit is God, and the Spirit left the flesh.... Only for three days. Then the Spirit returned to the flesh of Jesus, and HE ROSE... Resurrected... Father did not FORSAKE HIM FOR LONG..... I hope Cobus will forsake this flesh, and FATHER resurrect this flesh LIKE JESUS! With Holy Spirit.

I saw Jesus rise, the moment the Holy Spirit enters into a body, JESUS IS RESURRECTED IN THAT FLESH! The BORN OF GOD HAPPENS.... REBIRTH OF JESUS IN ANOTHER FLESHLY BODY. If we do not forsake this flesh, JESUS CANNOT BE RESURRECTED.... God does not resurrect living flesh, he resurrect DEAD flesh! One without a spirit.... WE have to die spiritually BEFORE God resurrect Jesus in us....

 

[just-us-2]

The bible talks about ways to pray amiss, and gives guidelines for prayer. We are to pray in the spirit and with our understanding. To have that we would need to be in sync with the ways of our Lord. If we were being unrighteous, resentful, or without being in a state of worship of our Lord, we could not be in true prayer.

Prayer is also a communication, and we are asking for something that benefits us. That would need to be something that isn't contrary to all that God wants to give us.

So true!

I noticed one thing as I was studying that might not turn out to always be the case but worth considering as we pray. I found the case of Paul asking that a “thorn” be removed from his flesh, and read the testimony of a relatively young man who was diagnosed with cancer and multiple sclerosis one day thirteen years ago and suffered with the accompanying depression, 49 pills a day, spinal taps, steroid treatments, etc. Like Paul, he prayed for cures to his illness. Neither of them was granted the taking away of whatever was afflicting them, but when focusing on their well-being and what God had for them to do, both could be considered over comers. There may be something to that principle of not asking God to take away what afflicts us.

Another thing that makes sense to me is that since the purpose for answered prayer is to glorify God, it stands to reason that He would answer prayer for those who are called by His name (Romans 8:28 “Furthermore, we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called in accordance with his purpose;”) because they have molded their lifestyle to imitate Him. How glorifying would it be if He answered all prayers of all people who asked of Him regardless of their dedication to Him? God will answer prayer when it glorifies Him, and if it does not glorify Him, it is not in His will – or character, which = His name. To pray in the name of Jesus is much more than closing our prayer with the words, “in Jesus’ name, Amen.”

 

[just-us-2]

God doesn’t “owe” us positive replies to our prayers with nothing from us – our lives must line up with His expectations of us. I don’t think God says, “no” as often as we attribute unanswered prayer to that cause. I think it is more often that He simply does not hear prayers from those out of His will, because God calls us to be a separated people, peculiar, and a special treasure to Him. (Exodus 19:5, Deuteronomy 14:2, Deuteronomy 26:18, Titus 2:14, and 1 Peter 2:9) God’s creation is perfect, therefore, anything added to or subtracted from it causes imperfection and is sin, and where there is sin, He turns a deaf ear. Even the so-called “sinner’s prayer” is heard because the sinner is repenting, which is definitely within the will of God. But His Word tells us that after that we are responsible to live – all day every day – as He tells us, and the only way to know those things is to study His Word. Look at this:
Acts 17:26-30 (CJB)
26 "From one man he made every nation living on the entire surface of the earth, and he fixed the limits of their territories and the periods when they would flourish.
27 God did this so that people would look for him and perhaps reach out and find him although in fact, he is not far from each one of us,
28 'for in him we live and move and exist.' Indeed, as some of the poets among you have said, 'We are actually his children.'
29 So, since we are children of God, we shouldn't suppose that God's essence resembles gold, silver or stone shaped by human technique and imagination.
30 "In the past, God overlooked such ignorance; but now he is commanding all people everywhere to turn to him from their sins.”

Then, I read Isaiah 59:1-4 (CJB).
1 ADONAI's arm is not too short to save, nor is his ear too dull to hear.
2 Rather, it is your own crimes that separate you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he doesn't hear.
3 For your hands are stained with blood and your fingers with crime; your lips speak lies, your tongues utter wicked things.
4 No one sues with just cause, no one pleads honestly in court, they trust in empty words and say worthless things; they conceive trouble and give birth to evil.

and

Isaiah 1:15-22 (CJB)
15"When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; no matter how much you pray, I won't be listening; because your hands are covered with blood.
16 "Wash yourselves clean! Get your evil deeds out of my sight! Stop doing evil,
17 learn to do good! Seek justice, relieve the oppressed, defend orphans, plead for the widow.
18 "Come now," says ADONAI, "let's talk this over together. Even if your sins are like scarlet, they will be white as snow; even if they are red as crimson, they will be like wool.
19 If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good of the land;
20 but if you refuse and rebel, you will be eaten by the sword"; for the mouth of ADONAI has spoken.

Those scriptures, along with John 9:31 (CJB) “We know that God doesn't listen to sinners; but if anyone fears God and does his will, God does listen to him” make it pretty obvious that much of the result of our prayers is dependent upon us.

Then I hit another obstacle but I will go into that in my next post because this is getting too long.

 

[just-us-2]

Now, about that obstacle. It is called “self-examination” and is necessary if I am to determine where I am missing the mark. It isn’t so much that self-examination is such an obstacle itself, the obstacle is an objective self-examination. Human nature severely hinders objective self-examination and as new creatures in Christ, it would be nice if human nature just disappeared when we first believe. But we have to take off the rose colored glasses that come as stock equipment straight from the ‘assembly line’ so to speak. Our self-absorbed human nature is as ungodly as it is strong.

I consulted good old Webster’s dictionary to see what it said about this “entity.” Human nature is, according to the dictionary, “the qualities common to humanity; the unique elements that form a basic part of human life and distinguish it from other animal life.” It is the makeup all humans everywhere and at every time in history share. It does not change so we are automatically engaged in a spiritual war, raging within true believers. This fact is addressed most notably by the apostle, Paul, who was intimately acquainted with all of God’s Word, which says, “ If a person will not listen to *Torah, even his prayer is an abomination.” (*Torah = instruction, teachings)

He describes it this way in Romans 7:14-24 (CJB):
14 For we know that the Torah is of the Spirit; but as for me, I am bound to the old nature, sold to sin as a slave.
15 I don't understand my own behavior - I don't do what I want to do; instead, I do the very thing I hate!
16 Now if I am doing what I don't want to do, I am agreeing that the Torah is good.
17 But now it is no longer "the real me" doing it, but the sin housed inside me.
18 For I know that there is nothing good housed inside me - that is, inside my old nature. I can want what is good, but I can't do it!
19 For I don't do the good I want; instead, the evil that I don't want is what I do!
20 But if I am doing what "the real me" doesn't want, it is no longer "the real me" doing it but the sin housed inside me.
21 So I find it to be the rule, a kind of perverse "torah," that although I want to do what is good, evil is right there with me!
22 For in my inner self I completely agree with God's Torah;
23 but in my various parts, I see a different "torah," one that battles with the Torah in my mind and makes me a prisoner of sin's "torah," which is operating in my various parts.
24 What a miserable creature I am! Who will rescue me from this body bound for death?

If it was this difficult for an apostle, the great apostle Paul, what makes us think we should expect an easier time?

 

[just-us-2]

I’ve sort of been stuck at this self-examination point. Even after forty years of being a Christian, complete objectivity still plays hide and seek with my mind sometimes. So, now that I’ve managed to lasso ‘objectivity’ for a while, I need to look at those things that prevent the desired results of my prayers. First there was the sin/evil thoughts/iniquity in man’s heart that Psalm 66:18 tells us God won’t just overlook and excuse us for. But that’s not a problem for me – I don’t harbor iniquity of any kind in my heart or mind. ​

Uh-oh, here comes objectivity giving me ‘that look’ and I know what that look means!

Well, yes, I do occasionally…ok, ‘sometimes’…
oh, all right – ‘often’…I often grumble about things people do that seem brainless and/or inconsiderate.
But how bad is it if I grumble and gripe around here because our nice quiet neighborhood has been gradually invaded by people who want a dog, for some unknown reason, and insist upon letting them bark at nothing or to beg for attention from their owners, totally destroying my peace and quiet! Why have a dog if they are not going to give it the attention a pet needs?
Harumph!
I can’t tell which attribute is greater in these people – stupidity or inconsideration. Or those guys who wear their caps backward while they squint as the sun glares in their eyes while they’re driving down the road – why? That is so stupid! The brim on a cap is to help shield the eyes from the sun!
Oh dear! ‘Objectivity’ just threw a mirror up in front of my face! It sure didn’t take long to allow an ungodly, iniquitous attitude to slide right up to the front and center, did it?
This is so embarrassing – I’ve aired my dirty laundry for all to see, not just my family who loves me in spite of my shortcomings…and in these cases happen to agree with me (a little bit of self defense there).

So much for the plan of tackling all six of the causes for refused prayer answers. I guess I will recuperate this evening and undertake more of them tomorrow.

 

[Ariel82]

God answers all our prayers if all our prayers are in line with HIS will.

If you were to pray that all those people with dogs suddenly lost their jobs, lost their house and had to move (thus giving you peace and quiet) then it is highly unlikely GOD would answer that prayer because it does not show a heart that is loving and compassionate.

However, if you pray that those people would have their eyes open to their sins, their minds filled with knowledge of how dogs should be treated, trained and cared for, and their hearts filled with love that they could not help but pay attention to their dogs and KNOW how to train the dogs to be considerate to their neighbors. Then that prayer might be answers in ways you would never expect.

Its not just WHAT you pray but WHY you pray that matters:

is it so you can be comfortable or so that you can live a life that glorifies God?

 

[Least]

I’ve sort of been stuck at this self-examination point. Even after forty years of being a Christian, complete objectivity still plays hide and seek with my mind sometimes. So, now that I’ve managed to lasso ‘objectivity’ for a while, I need to look at those things that prevent the desired results of my prayers. First there was the sin/evil thoughts/iniquity in man’s heart that Psalm 66:18 tells us God won’t just overlook and excuse us for. But that’s not a problem for me – I don’t harbor iniquity of any kind in my heart or mind. ​

Uh-oh, here comes objectivity giving me ‘that look’ and I know what that look means!

Well, yes, I do occasionally…ok, ‘sometimes’…
oh, all right – ‘often’…I often grumble about things people do that seem brainless and/or inconsiderate.
But how bad is it if I grumble and gripe around here because our nice quiet neighborhood has been gradually invaded by people who want a dog, for some unknown reason, and insist upon letting them bark at nothing or to beg for attention from their owners, totally destroying my peace and quiet! Why have a dog if they are not going to give it the attention a pet needs?
Harumph!
I can’t tell which attribute is greater in these people – stupidity or inconsideration. Or those guys who wear their caps backward while they squint as the sun glares in their eyes while they’re driving down the road – why? That is so stupid! The brim on a cap is to help shield the eyes from the sun!
Oh dear! ‘Objectivity’ just threw a mirror up in front of my face! It sure didn’t take long to allow an ungodly, iniquitous attitude to slide right up to the front and center, did it?
This is so embarrassing – I’ve aired my dirty laundry for all to see, not just my family who loves me in spite of my shortcomings…and in these cases happen to agree with me (a little bit of self defense there).

So much for the plan of tackling all six of the causes for refused prayer answers. I guess I will recuperate this evening and undertake more of them tomorrow.

I'm so glad that you wrote about those struggles!

I was thinking about the same things today.

If we're not willing to acknowledge our own shortcomings, how can there be any real changes?

This reminded me of when when Jesus ate with publicans and sinners.

Mark 2:16 And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with publicans and sinners, they said unto his disciples, How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners?
Mark 2:17 When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

He was talking to the Pharisees who walked in their own righteousness. I don't think that Jesus was saying that the Pharisees were righteous, but how can anyone be taught or be changed if they see themselves as already being perfect?

Psalms is one of my favorite books because it goes to the heart of the matter. It shows that David examined his own heart and acknowledged his sins before God.

God already knows our hearts, and I personally believe that he looks for us to acknowledge our shortcomings and our need for Him in overcoming these things. I believe that HE hears those kinds of prayers.

 

[just-us-2]

I see now why human nature and objectivity are mortal enemies when it comes to self-examination.

Anyway, I have bounced back from yesterday’s embarrassing revelation and will be better today. I’ll be better because the next …flaw, shall we say, is selfishness/wrong motives and I definitely don’t have a problem with that. I don’t mean to sound like I’m bragging, but I have been told how unselfish I am, so it isn’t just my opinion. So, here we go…

The scripture to start this topic is James 4:3 (CJB) “Or you pray and don't receive, because you pray with the wrong motive, that of wanting to indulge your own desires.” Or as the KJV says it,
“Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.”

My own desires? I don’t really think so. Then God brought to mind some of the things I had asked of Him but I still didn’t see where I had asked with wrong motives – until He reminded me of those ‘bless him with a brick’ prayers of years past. We had two sons who had a tendency to ignore the good advice we gave them, especially after they turned 18. So, I admit, I sort of prayed that God would show them how right we were by allowing the calamities we warned them against to happen. Then those boys would learn to listen! Of course, we also prayed for their salvation, but that didn’t seem to be in any hurry to come around any quicker than the ‘blessing bricks’ I prayed to befall them…for their own good, of course…and it goes without saying that since I am their mother, I know what the best way to handle them is.

I really wanted my sons to straighten up, but I was forced to think about my motives as I was studying these reasons why we don’t see prayers answered anywhere near the “whatsoever you ask” level. Seriously, all parents want the things that are best for their children. I, for one also wanted them to be “good kids” so the people at church wouldn’t think I was a less than great mother. That in itself isn’t a real bad thing, but it wasn’t God’s glory I was worried about – it was my own reputation amongst my peers, and that equals wrong motive. God answers prayer in order to glorify Himself, and rightly so. It is so easy to slip into something like wrong motives even for good things and easy for those same motives to hide from a superficial self-examination.

How did things work out with our sons? The oldest one stole a car and drove to Texas where he was caught and put in prison for 13 years. He has been out now for several years and is still reaping the consequences of bad choices he’s made many years after the fact, but he is drawing nearer to God all the time. The other one died suddenly in 2004 when he was 30 years old. We found out a week or so later that he had finally turned his life over to Christ four days before he died.

1 John 3:22
“then, whatever we ask for, we receive from him; because we are obeying his commands and doing the things that please him.”
I really hate to have to admit that my concern about whether the people at church saw me as a fantastic mom was something that did not please our Heavenly Father. It didn’t occur to me that I should be thinking of how God could be glorified. And my requests to bless with MY instructions on how to do it, gave Him no glory. Instead my thoughts, with all good intent, were not in His will. When I think of all the times that I have unthinkingly prayed “amiss”, I hang my head in shame.
1 John 5:14-15
14 This is the confidence we have in his presence: if we ask anything that accords with his will, he hears us.
15 And if we know that he hears us - whatever we ask - then we know that we have what we have asked from him.

It is becoming abundantly clear why so many prayers go unanswered.

 

[Angela53510]

The best prayer I thought God didn't answer was to be healed of Rheumatoid Arthritis, although it tore my life apart. The things I learned through the pain, the disability and dependence, and then learning to really listen to God, have been the things that help qualify me to be a chaplain in long-term care.

It seems like very few people care about the severely disabled, both physically and mentally. I know I sure did not before I became incapacitated. God knew that he was giving me a much better answer, and despite the pain I experience daily, I have found the will of God for my life, ministering to "the least of these."

 

[just-me]

And Jesus requested that the timing be changed. These scripture passages show that God's will was for these things to happen in a certain time, but why couldn't Jesus alter God's will, especially since we'd simply see "the appointed time" or "the fullness of time" being a different time in retrospect if it had been changed? If even Jesus' requests can't be answered unless God wanted to answer them anyway, then what's the point of prayer? Do we have to ask God for what He wants to give us in order to get them every time? Is God seriously that miserly?

His way or no way is how I see it. We don't call Him Lord for nothing. Add to what He has created, and it's sin. Subtract from that creation, and it's sin. It involves trust, and faith that His way is the best way. We can't see His way, for the most part, and that's why we call that substance of the faith "hope".

Romans 8:24-25 (KJV)
[SUP]24 [/SUP]For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
[SUP]25 [/SUP]But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

Hebrews 11:1 (KJV)
[SUP]1 [/SUP]Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

If faith is substance, as the scripture clearly points out, and that substance is hope, how in the world could we ever think that God will change His mind and character just to shower blessings on us according to what we want when He knows the future and we don't. We are saved by hope. Think about that.

Malachi 3:6 (KJV)
[SUP]6 [/SUP]For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.


James 4:14-15 (KJV)
[SUP]14 [/SUP]Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
[SUP]15 [/SUP]For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.

Hebrews 6:3 (KJV)
[SUP]3 [/SUP]And this will we do, if God permit.

 

[Trax]

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.

Joh 14:11-14 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for
the very works' sake. (12) Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that
I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
(13) And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified
in the Son. (14) If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

This asking in Jesus name has conditions. Know who Jesus really is and its so the Father
can be glorified in the Son. There are also conditions of praying:

1. Mat 6:5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love
to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen
of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

2. Mat 6:7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think
that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

3. Mat 6:6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy
door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward
thee openly.

 

[vanillakay]

Here is my take on it. God answers prayers in these various answers "yes" "no" "not yet" or "I have something better in mind"


I could be wrong, just saying I personally had a prayer answered just an hour or more after i prayed it just a few months ago and about two years ago same thing and every time I felt this warm sort of calmness come over me, it was like the Lord saying "Be still and know that i am God."

So he does answers prayers!

 

[Abiding]

So then how do you explain Jesus' words? For being the ultimate authoritative voice of the faith, I'm surprised how much Christians dismiss what He has to say.

you left out the qualifier...Jesus never meant He would answer yes to any prayer
thats why He said "In My Name". That does not mean saying a prayer then adding at the end "in Jesus name"

 

[just-us-2]

Here is my take on it. God answers prayers in these various answers "yes" "no" "not yet" or "I have something better in mind"


I could be wrong, just saying I personally had a prayer answered just an hour or more after i prayed it just a few months ago and about two years ago same thing and every time I felt this warm sort of calmness come over me, it was like the Lord saying "Be still and know that i am God."

So he does answers prayers!

What you say is true and I agree that God does answer prayer. What made me look deeper into this is the thought that if we pray daily, some of us more than once a day, it seems like we should see answers so frequently that it would be difficult to list them as answered. It should be the norm to get "yes" answers to our prayers if we take John 14:11-14, as well as several other scripture passages, as how things would be after Christ ascended into heaven. I honestly think we ask "amiss" in one way or another very often and don't examine ourselves, our motives, our attitudes, etc. That makes it too easy to chalk off unanswered prayer as, "God has something better for me" or "no" or "later" all of which could be true, and allow us to abdicate our responsibilities as children of the Most High God.