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Again, there could be many reasons why you are not seeing or getting a
clear answer. Let me borrow a portion of my three-part sermon on prayer
with the title, “Your
Best Communication.”
Recognizing God’s Answers to Prayer
God has a plan. Everything that happens in this world is part of that
plan.
God is in charge and He has reasons for things happening the way they
do. When we ask for something that falls in line with His plan and His
goals for us RIGHT NOW, He'll give us what we ask RIGHT NOW.
When we ask for something that we DON'T NEED RIGHT NOW, He may wait
until the time is right. God is seldom early, but never late.
How God Answers Prayer
Depending on what we ask, when we ask, and what God is doing, He will
answer our prayers in different ways.
His answers will generally be:
Yes
Yes, and I'll give you even more than you asked for
Yes, but not now
Yes, but not as you expect
No
No, but I'll give you something else instead
Nothing, silence, no answer
As we build our relationship with God, we'll learn to know His voice.
We'll learn to know what answer He gives us. A yes, no, or wait will be
clear.
1 ) Yes
When what we ask is in God's will for us Now, we get what we ask. It may
not be right under our noses, but it will be there.
1 John 5:14
And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any
thing according to his will, he heareth us:
2) Yes, and I'll give you more than you
asked for
When we're right with God, and we ask according to His will, AND we can
be good stewards of what He has for us, He sometimes gives us even more
than we ask.
2 Chronicles 1:11-12
11 And God said to Solomon, Because this was in thine heart, and thou
hast not asked riches, wealth, or honour, nor the life of thine enemies,
neither yet hast asked long life; but hast asked wisdom and knowledge
for thyself, that thou mayest judge my people, over whom I have made
thee king:
12 Wisdom and knowledge is granted unto thee; and I will give thee
riches, and wealth, and honour, such as none of the kings have had that
have been before thee, neither shall there any after thee have the like.
Matthew 25:20-21
20 And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five
talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I
have gained beside them five talents more.
21 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant:
thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over
many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
Verse 29
For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have
abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that
which he hath.
3) Yes, but not now
Sometimes God makes us wait. Maybe the time isn't right. Maybe we're not
yet ready for what He wants us to have.
Maybe He's waiting for us to decide that His INVOLVEMENT in our lives is
more important to us than His actual ANSWER.
Maybe we just need a patience lesson. Whatever the case, we sometimes
wait.
Job 30:20
I cry unto thee, and thou dost not hear me: I stand up, and thou
regardest me not.
Job 42:12
So the LORD blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for
he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand
yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses.
Luke 18:7-8 (ff)
7 And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto
him, though he bear long with them?
8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily…
Psalm 40:1 SAYS
I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my
cry.
4) Yes, but not as we expect
Often we pray, and don't see the answers He gives us, because we're
looking in the wrong places. We look for the fruit and not the tree, we
want to KNOW without having to LEARN:
We want Patience without learning how to Wait
We want Strength without learning how to Overcome Difficulties
We want Wisdom without learning how to Solve Problems
We want Prosperity without learning how to Work
We want Courage without learning how to Face Danger
We want Favors without learning to Recognize Opportunities
When we ask for these things, God answers by exposing us to situations
that TEACH us what we need to know.
The old adage "be careful what you ask for, you may get it" is useful
here.
If you ask God for PATIENCE, He'll make you WAIT, which develops
patience.
If you ask for more COURAGE, you'll face DANGER, which develops courage.
If you ask for Wisdom, you'll have PROBLEMS to solve, which develops
wisdom.
God is concerned with CHARACTER more than COMFORT. If God needs to put
us in uncomfortable situations to teach us what we need to know, He
will.
5) No
Sometimes God says no. It may be that we're asking for something we
can't handle. It may be that we are asking with wrong motives.
James 4:3
Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it
upon your lusts.
It may be that He just has other plans for us and our friends.
Sometimes He doesn't heal.
Sometimes He lets someone die. Sometimes He allows us to go through
trouble to strengthen us. Sometimes
His purposes and plans are better served by not doing what we ask, even
when we plead with tears.
Matthew 26:39
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.
Verses 45-46
45 Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them, Sleep on now,
and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is
betrayed into the hands of sinners.
46 Rise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand that doth betray me.
6) No, but I'll give you
something else instead
We might be "in love" and pray desperately to have a certain person who,
by divine intervention, isn't the one we end up with, and we praise Him
in hindsight.
We may plead to continue the work we've been doing for Him, when He
needs us somewhere else.
We may desperately seek Him to remove a situation in our lives that is
teaching us something we need to teach people about next year.
Whatever the case, sometimes God has something else better or more
important for us, and we need to recognize His will and submit to His
direction.
Deuteronomy 3:25-27
25 I pray thee, let me go over, and see the good land that is beyond
Jordan, that goodly mountain, and Lebanon.
26 But the LORD was wroth with me for your sakes, and would not hear me:
and the LORD said unto me, Let it suffice thee; speak no more unto me of
this matter.
27 Get thee up into the top of Pisgah, and lift up thine eyes westward,
and northward, and southward, and eastward, and behold it with thine
eyes: for thou shalt not go over this Jordan.
2 Corinthians 12:8-9---Paul’s
affliction
8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from
me.
9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength
is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory
in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
7) Nothing, dead silence from God
This is different from a NO.
When God says No to something, we still feel His presence in our lives.
Silence from God is the hardest answer of all. We plead and beg, but
feel like God's not there.
When God is turning His face from us, there is something wrong on our
end.
Maybe it's a commitment problem, maybe it's a sin we haven't confessed
and repented of, maybe we're just trying so hard to solve the problem
we're not letting God solve it for us.
We need to let go and let God.
When someone is drowning, a lifeguard will sometimes have to wait until
the person is completely out of strength from flailing around trying to
save himself before coming to the rescue, else the drowning person takes
them both down.
Similarly, God waits patiently for us to stop fighting so He can take
care of us.
Psalm 68:19
Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of
our salvation. Selah.
Isaiah 59:2
But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your
sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.
Proverbs 28:9
He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall
be abomination.
Hebrews 11:6
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to
God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that
diligently seek him.
Getting to know God's answers takes time and commitment.
We learn to hear His voice by spending time with Him in prayer, and in
His word. The more we rely on Him, the more He answers.
The more He answers, the more we recognize His answers. The better we
know Him, the easier it will be to Know what He's doing.
Finally, some words of encouragement,
Turn to Jude 1:20
Jude 1:20
But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying
in the Holy Spirit.
Ephesians 6:18
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and
watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all
saints.
Pray in the name of Jesus Christ
It is your BEST COMMUNICATION
See entire three-part sermon:
here
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