"God Answers All Prayers"

I was talking with someone who bitterly expressed great anger and contempt for both God and Jesus. An extremely intense situation had affected a very significant person in their life and many people had prayed for a favorable outcome that did not come or change the progression.

We have heard time and time again God does indeed answer all prayers. sometimes He says "yes," sometimes "no," sometimes "wait." Not very comforting for those praying especially when we read passages such as...

7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! (Matthew 7:7-11)

There are several prayer related conditions, God doesn’t give what is wanted, He gives what is good! The Creation chapters of Genesis abound with God seeing that what He created was good and for our benefit.

Another is that prayers must be addressed to God in heaven. By saying who prayers must be addressed to, Jesus said prayers addressed to Jesus, Mary, or any saint, are not properly addressed to God.

In what is called the Lord's prayer Jesus is teaching prayer and He starts His model prayer by addressing God...

Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. 10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. 13 And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. (Matthew 6:9-13)

What God does for one He does for all...

For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality nor takes a bribe. (Deuteronomy 10:17)

Then Peter opened his mouth and said: “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. (Acts 10:34)

For there is no partiality with God. (Romans 2:11)

And you, masters, do the same things to them, giving up threatening, knowing that your own Master also is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him. (Ephesians 6:9)

And God only hears those who worship, or follow, Him.

Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him. (John 9:31)

The passage says He hears those who do His will..

In talking about his affliction Paul says...

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. (2 Corinthians 12:8-10)

God has placed certain things in order that when certain things happen certain results happen. This setting in order is called providence.

45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. (Matthew 5:45)

Georgia had a severe drought when lakes and rivers were shrinking. The mayor of Atlanta set a prayer day gathering in Atlanta for believers to pray for drought relief rain. It didn't have any effect at the time. I don't recall seeing any umbrellas in the press. God does not go against nature, His works are self-sustaining. All the prayers in the world won't change the course of a hurricane. Good things happen to good people, bad things happen to good people, good things happen to bad people, bad things happen to bad people.

God will not answer any prayer when the answer is already within you or is answered in His Word. He will not allow one to just sit on the couch and do nothing while waiting for Him to handle it.

God will not go against the power of choice to make someone do something they do not want to do.

And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15)

Prayer is not a hap-hazard activity. It is very difficult to have a rewarding prayer life mostly because the prayer results seldom produce a change in the events around you, they produce results in you. Prayers must be rooted in the word of God and be in agreement with His will. Is casually praying for God to help someone you may be able to actually help in some way vain?

14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? (James 2:14-16)

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Marv Walker
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