Why Our Prayers Are Not Answered 6

Sometimes Perseverance is the key to effectual prayer. Occasionally God may withhold the answer to determine if we really want that for which we have asked. Or, God sees that we need to learn the lesson of patience in intercession, and the growth in grace in Christian charact that perseverance teaches.

History reveals that some of God’s saints have prayed over one object for a score or even two score years, then God answered.

Pastor Winston

Why Our Prayers Are Not Answered 5

Still other Christians dishonor God by the demonstration of "little" faith. They pray, but with a little expectation for God to answer [Hebrews 11:6].

Their requests show little confidence in the ability of a miracle working God. Small wonder God cannot answer their petition.

Read Matthew 6:30-36

Pastor Winston

Why Our Prayers Are Not Answered 4

Far too many of otherwise sincere Christians have in-effective prayer lives just because they do not take time to speak and then listen. Prayer, to some is a one way communication. To God, it is a dialog.

Effectual prayer takes time, takes faith - much time and God's faith in us.

It is true that today’s life is filled to the brim. It is true that there are a thousand and one things loudly clamoring for our attention.

But it is more true that prayer is of more value, or of more importance than anything else. And the wise Christian will take a firm grip on the situation and earnestly resolve by God’s grace that nothing will rob him of the time to fulfill his prayer privilege.

Pastor Winston

Why Our Prayers Are Not Answered 3

Other prayers avail nothing because of the wrong motive. We ask and have not because we ask amiss. It is excellent exercise to analyze our prayers for their “selfish” content? Are we asking simply to gratify our personal desires?

Or, do we have in mind the glory of God and the edification of others? The truth is, that God is not in the habit answering prayer simply to gratify whims. Prayer should be serious business. Motives must be high.

Pastor Winston

Why Our Prayers Are Not Answered 2

No Christian can ever be a successful person of prayer if he allows un-confessed sin to remain hi his life. We all remember that it was sin which caused all the trouble in the beginning. And it is still sin hat stunts and wrecks the effectiveness of our Christian life and testimony.

God our Father cannot answer our petitions if we play with sin or condone its presence. This is absolutely ruinous to our relationship to God. Rather than sending His blessings upon us, He must send punishment until we repent and confess. Christians must sincerely hate sin – hate it enough o conclusively turn from it. Then we may pray.

Pastor Winston

Why Our Prayers Are Not Answered 1

It is a tragedy above all others when we allow certain things in our Christian lives which make it impossible for God to answer our prayers. For in so doing, we ourselves lose the joy and satisfaction of God’s blessing, and we nullify our opportunities to do lasting service for our Lord Jesus Christ.

Such hindrances to prayer should be carefully noted and promptly dealt with.

Pastor Winston

Our Lord’s Own Example

This great prayer reveals also the innermost heart desire of the Lord. What does Christ want most of all? What is the purpose of His heart? Why His death? What’s it really all for? Well, we may see ithere … even thought we may have to read it through our tears.

Christ is interested in us. He wants redeemed men and women to live with Him throughout eternity. The entire purpose of His life and sacrifice is to process our eternal companionship. We are not worthy to even read it. Yet, there it is … ours to read, to meditate upon, to reverently study, and to press it to our hearts. Perhaps this prayer could teach us, more about how our prayers should be fashioned than reams of human advice.

This is the jewel of all prayer - this is the heart of Christ.

See John Chapter 17

Pastor Winston

Our Lord’s Own Example of Praying

No one has ever plumbed the depths of the meaning these words in John Chapter 17. It is questionable whether any human mind can follow the thought expressed in this prayer of the communion of Deity. And yet, there are some things we can know.

Even on the threshold of death on the cross, a death made necessary by the weight of the sins of a world on His heart, the Son of God thought constantly of others. His concern, which is so manifest in the prayer, is for the preservation of His disciples. And not for them only, but for all the vast, unnumbered multitude of believers who should afterward believe on Him.

Never can there ever be any further doubt of the intense love of Christ for His own.

See John Chapter 17

Pastor Winston

Our Lord's Prayer Example

The occasion of this intimate encounter was the night just before the day of the Lord’s crucifixion. In this event we see the pitiful, almost desperate longing in the heart of the Savior for divine consolation.

The words themselves were probably spoken somewhere near Gethsemane’s dark depths. This is truly the “Lord’s Prayer.”

See John Chapter 17

Pastor Winston

Our Lord’s Own Example

The life of the Lord Jesus Christ on earth was rich in prayer to His own Father. Many times He spent the entire night in communion. Of our Lord’s many prayers to the Father but one (John Chapter 17) is recorded for us.

Some have called it the holy of holies of prayer. For here is the heart to heart conversation between God the second Person of the Trinity and God the first Person. With holy reverence we must approach it.

See John Chapter 17

Pastor Winston

God Understands Our Needs

God fully understands the basic needs of his children and so the remainder of the prayer speaks eloquently of God’s interest in individual lives. As the source of all good gifts, He is the one who bestows daily mercy.

As the righteous Father He pardons our iniquities, as a wise guide through life He leads us away from temptation and evil. Nothing which the soul of man requires is to be omitted from our daily prayers. And nothing is anything too difficult for our heavenly Father to provide.

Rarely was ever so much expressed in such an intimate and brief discourse. Here is the panorama of man’s entire need. Here is the complete realization of our relationship to the Heavenly Father. Wise is the child of God who emulates the prayer that his Lord modeled on that day.

Luke 11:1-4
Matthew 6:9-15

Pastor Winston

The Lord's Prayer Template

We know, based on God's own word and from empirical evidence that our agreement with him in prayer brings his plans and purposes to manifestion. The desire of our heart is that His kingdom is to come and His will is to be done everywhere.

These things are the real things in life. These are the matters that will alter, for the better, the entire course of mankind.

Luke 11:1-4
Matthew 6:9-15

Pastor Winston

The Present Glory

It is a wonderful experience to know that we have a depth of knowledge, wisdom and understanding upon which to draw when we invest ourselves in Christ. On so many occasions I have come to the end of myself in specific areas of difficulty –

The College Experience
While attending college, I had a particular assignment in my math class which was “analytic Geometry and Calculus,” I just didn’t get it! While I was asleep, I had dream and there was an invisible hand doing the problem in the air in front of me. It was the perfect solution to the problem.

On the Job
Once, at Chemical Bank in New York, we were experience inexplicable software problems with our Check and Credit Card operating system. After reviewing several core diagnostic printouts I did not have a good understanding nor solution to the problem. I was awakened early one morning (about 3am) and a very authoritative voice told me how to handle the problem. This was repeated throughout my computer career as I came across various problems.

Every Day Life
I have been faced with issues such as relationship difficulties, electrical appliance challenges and it is indeed amazing how the answer comes even when you are not necessarily pondering the issue. One of our appliances appeared to have died and I was ready to cart it off to the garbage pile or repair shop. As I stood in front of it, I heard in my spirit that it was not dead. The problem was articulated to me and as I followed what I had heard … the equipment came back on.

Then I consider the times that I have had very intimate questions that I dare not share with anyone, as I opened the bible or another text, turned on the television or just in simple conversation the answer comes.

God is a good God and wants to share HIS world [his knowledge, wisdom and understanding] with us.

Invest yourself in Christ today, take time to pray and experience the significance of the “Elisha Glory” for this present season.

From the tribe of Issachar, there were 200 leaders of the tribe with their relatives. All these men understood the signs of the times and knew the best course for Israel to take. 1 Chronicles 12:32


Pastor Winston

Praying, "Our Father..."

A most noteworthy feature of this lovely prayer is its division. The first half is utterly devoid of petition but given over completely to worship, to reverence, to adoration, to praise of God.

What a commentary upon our prayers in general which usually both begin and end with insistent petition. If this model prayer teaches one primary lesson, it is that the first requisite of real prayer is an acknowledgement of God’s omnipotence and the consequent worship that is due unto Him. His name is to be hallowed and honored.

Luke 11:1-4
Matthew 6:9-15

Pastor Winston

A Foundation Principle

However, this disciples’ prayer was never intended to be repeated in rote fashion. The prayer was the foundation of a relationship that was forged at the creation.

God, our Father, fully intended to be in that role for eternity. Through Jesus, he reiterated that relationship in this pattern of prayer. It formed the basis of our prayer relationship with God our Father and clearly answers the needs of prayer's principles.

Luke 11:1-4
Matthew 6:9-15

Pastor Winston

The Disciple's Prayer

Our Lord’s disciples wanted to know how to pray. They came to Him requesting that He teach them as John the Baptist had taught his disciples. Very graciously the Lord consented (Matthew 6:9-15), giving them the most beautiful prayer gem in all of literature.

It is so lovely that it has become the model of all prayers. He begins this with an intimate recognition of our relationship with His Father ... "Our Father ..."

Luke 11:1-4
Matthew 6:9-15

Pastor Winston

Thieves on the Cross

There were two thieves crucified with Christ. Both of them railed on the Lord at the beginning. Then over one came a change for the better. Perhaps he saw in the face of the the Lord the expression of God's compassionate love.

To this crucified soul, the thief addressed one of the briefest but must desperately needy prayers of all time – "Lord remember me". God the Son heard and answered that prayer for all time and eternity.

Prayers do not need formal language or ritualistic surroundings. They must be from the heart, and this one was.

Luke 23:39-45

Pastor Winston

Paul's Prayers

Paul was God’s great apostle to the Gentiles. In three great missionary journeys he fully preached the gospel and changed the entire course of history. Although he was called upon to undergo many excruciating trials and difficulties, the greatest burden on his heart was the burden of prayer for the churches and the believers who had come to know Christ through his ministry.

These Paul carried daily to the throne of grace in loving intercession. Here is an example for all true pastors and Christian leaders to follow. Here is also the amazing extent of one man’s prayers.

2 Corinthians 11:22-23

Pastor Winston

Cornelius' Prayer

Cornelius was an unsaved Gentile but a discerning man of prayer. He saw through the futility of pagan prayer rites which he learned as a child and from his cultural background. But he learned to pray to the true God of heaven.

In answer to this unusual expression of faith outside the covenant people, God dispatched a special angelic messenger who informed Cornelius how he might be acceptable before God.

He was to send for Peter who became God’s instrument of preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ to Cornelius. Very definitely this story teaches that God will both hear and answer the sincere cry of every seeking heart.

Act 10:1-48

Pastor Winston

Daniel's Prayer

Daniel was a brilliant statesman. For the space of seventy years and over the span of four Kings he was prime minister of a mighty nation (Babylon). All during this time he was a man of prayer. As is the case frequently, this godly man had significant and powerful enemies. In an ingenious and subtle plot a trap was set to catch Daniel in his well known prayer vigil.

Caught praying, he was sentenced to the Lion’s den to be torn instantly into small pieces. But Daniel was “prayed up” and God’s angel was on hand to shut the mouth of the lions. What a blessing to have one’s prayer life in good working order before an emergency arises.

Daniel 6:1-24

Pastor Winston

Jonah's Prayer

Jonah prayed from the strangest place. He was a disobedient prophet upon who God brought hardship and reversal. Three days in the belly of the great fish finally brought repentance, contrition and ultimately obedience as Jonah prayed. As he prayed, God brought swift deliverance and a re-commissioning for service. No child of God can get too far from God’s ability to hear. Not even in the belly of a fish.

Jonah 2:1-10

if I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. 9 If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; 10 Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. Psalm 139:8-10 KJV

Pastor Winston

Hanna's Prayer

Hannah prayed in quiet desperation. It was a shame in Israel for a wife to be barren (not have children). More than that, Hannah yearned within herself to have a child of her own. So, earnestly she promised God that if He would grant her the deep desire of her heart, she would dedicate the child for the Lord’s service.

God both heard and answered this godly woman’s prayer, and the child that resulted from this transaction became truly one of Israel’s greatest prophets. But promises to God made on our knees must be carried out for God remembers.

1 Samuel 1:1-28

Pastor Winston