Why Won’t God Answer My Prayers?
Another Resource: Steps To Christ
Maybe we can figure out the answer by turning to the Bible (Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth, aka God’s Word).
First of all, why do parents fail to give their children a special “promised” gift of any kind? It’s because their children did not fulfill the conditions specified by Mom and/or Dad! This is not a surprise. It’s expected. It’s reasonable. And it’s fair.
OK, so what conditions do I need to fulfill? I’m so glad you asked!
In John chapter 14, Jesus is having the Last Supper with His disciples. He knows that tonight He will be betrayed by Judas, have to face a mockery of a trial, and be sentenced to death. But tonight He is not worried about Himself. Tonight His primary concern is to help His disciples be prepared for all of the temptations and trials that Satan will heap upon them.
Let’s see what Jesus has to say starting in verse 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. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.” John 14:12-14 KJV
Let’s see, hmm, Jesus healed the sick, taught the people about His Father, and even raised the dead! Please note that this promise is not given to “just anybody”! It is given to Jesus’ disciples. Are you a disciple of Christ? Do you share your knowledge of Jesus with others?
Let’s see what else Jesus has to say on this important night!
“If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you. He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.” John 14:15-21 KJV
Are you doing your best to keep The 10 Commandments, not to be saved, but because you love Jesus? Just a quick reminder; these 10 Commandments are found in Exodus 20:3-17. And Jesus Himself, before He was born of Mary, wrote those 10 Commandments with His very own finger! Those 10 Commandments describe the character of God. Do you want to be like Jesus? Keep His Commandments and you’ll learn to be like Him!
“Well, I’ve tried to follow the 10 Commandments as much as I can, for the last few years and I know I’ve made some mistakes. But I love Jesus and my prayers still go unanswered.”
Let’s try to understand this from God’s point of view. As a parent, are you going to give anything and everything to your children that they ask for? No? Why not? It’s because you love them! And you know that many of the things they ask for are not going to make them happy, some are dangerous, some are pointless, some are “OK” but not age appropriate, etc. If you really love your children, sometimes you have to say “NO”, or “not yet”!
It’s the same way with God, except that He knows not only what will make you happiest, but what the right time is to give the gift to make you as happy as possible! And sometimes that means “not yet”.
God also has some limitations (bet you didn’t know that)! Yes, He does (although they are “self imposed”)! He cannot force a person to love Him! That means that the son or daughter you may be praying for is resisting the love of God. And that means that you and God are partners, working together, to find a way to demonstrate the love of God in a practical way to that son or daughter.
This is my favorite quotation if this is your situation:
“The earth was dark through misapprehension of God. That the gloomy shadows might be lightened, that the world might be brought back to God, Satan's deceptive power was to be broken. This could not be done by force. The exercise of force is contrary to the principles of God's government; He desires only the service of love; and love cannot be commanded; it cannot be won by force or authority. Only by love is love awakened. To know God is to love Him; His character must be manifested in contrast to the character of Satan. This work only one Being in all the universe could do. Only He who knew the height and depth of the love of God could make it known. Upon the world's dark night the Sun of Righteousness must rise, "with healing in His wings." Mal. 4:2.” The Desire of Ages by Ellen White, page 22.
The good news is, you CAN be like Jesus! Another favorite quote from the same book and chapter:
“Since Jesus came to dwell with us, we know that God is acquainted with our trials, and sympathizes with our griefs. Every son and daughter of Adam may understand that our Creator is the friend of sinners. For in every doctrine of grace, every promise of joy, every deed of love, every divine attraction presented in the Saviour’s life on earth, we see “God with us.”
Satan represents God's law of love as a law of selfishness. He declares that it is impossible for us to obey its precepts. The fall of our first parents, with all the woe that has resulted, he charges upon the Creator, leading men to look upon God as the author of sin, and suffering, and death. Jesus was to unveil this deception. As one of us He was to give an example of obedience. For this He took upon Himself our nature, and passed through our experiences. "In all things it behooved Him to be made like unto His brethren." Heb. 2:17. If we had to bear anything which Jesus did not endure, then upon this point Satan would represent the power of God as insufficient for us. Therefore Jesus was "in all points tempted like as we are." Heb. 4:15. He endured every trial to which we are subject. And He exercised in His own behalf no power that is not freely offered to us. As man, He met temptation, and overcame in the strength given Him from God. He says, "I delight to do Thy will, O My God: yea, Thy law is within My heart." Ps. 40:8. As He went about doing good, and healing all who were afflicted by Satan, He made plain to men the character of God's law and the nature of His service. His life testifies that it is possible for us also to obey the law of God.
By His humanity, Christ touched humanity; by His divinity, He lays hold upon the throne of God. As the Son of man, He gave us an example of obedience; as the Son of God, He gives us power to obey.” The Desire of Ages by Ellen White, page 24.
My dear friend, true power is not the ability to lift a car with one hand! Nope! It is being able to live in this dark, sinful world, and consistently live with the same loving Spirit as Jesus did when He was here on the earth! That’s REAL POWER! Of course you can’t lay your hands on that kind of power, unless you know the Author of that power!
“Maybe I just need more faith”, you say. OK, let’s see how to get more faith! “So then, faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” Romans 10:17 KJV
What is the Bible talking about when it says “hearing”? What do you mean as a parent when you tell your children, “you are not hearing me”? Do you mean that they literally didn’t hear you talking? Nope! You mean that they have no interest in returning some love to you by “keeping your commandments”, don’t you? I’m sorry that hurts, but true friends tell each other the truth.
Ah, so it’s the Word of God that gives you and me the power to obey God’s law, The 10 Commandments! And it’s also the Word of God that gives us more faith! Many, many Christians read Romans 10:17 and recognize that faith comes by the Word of God, but they skip over the word “hearing” too quickly and they forget that true love ALWAYS obeys!
I know that this view is NOT popular among many Christian denominations for very understandable reasons. But beware, there are false teachers among us! Listen to God’s Word:
“Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.” Matthew 7:13-15 KJV
“Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ: grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, according as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” 2 Peter 1:1-4 KJV
“And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.” 1 Corinthians 10:4-14 KJV
Have you seen enough evidence? 1 Corinthians 10 is talking about the Israelis’ wandering in the “wilderness experience”. Will you try to “explain away” the power of verse 13? Why? Is it that you don’t want to obey God? Perhaps you don’t love Him enough? I’m sorry to cut you like that, but I care what happens to you, OK?
God isn’t Santa Claus and He won’t listen to prayers that are full of nice sounding words that just don’t come from inside your heart! It’s your heart that is precious to Him! Let Him “have it” with all of the hatred, disappointment, bitterness, sadness, and fear that’s there right now! He still wants it! It’s OK to “beat on His chest” with both fists.
He won’t abandon you! Your heavenly Father gave His Only Son to take your punishment! He literally risked losing His Son forever, just so that you might be restored into a right relationship with Him! Do you think that a few angry words from you are going to stop Him in His tracks? Not a chance!
Would you abandon your son or daughter just because they got angry with you? Well, under the right circumstances, maybe when they’re older, you might. But it would be very difficult. Fortunately God is Love! His love won’t “run out”. Go ahead, be angry with God, but don’t say He isn’t there, or that He isn’t loving by falling for that stupid “theory of evolution”. Nothing could be further from the truth!
If you were walking on the beach and saw a cell phone in the sand, would you say, “Oh, what a nice looking naturally formed rock formation”! Believing in evolution is EVERY BIT AS STUPID! The only reason evolution is still here, as a theory, is because people don’t want to be accountable to God! And that is that!
The point is that God is not only there in heaven, somewhere beyond the “Nebula of Orion”, but He is also here, everywhere, and He can be in your heart, too, if you will simply invite Him in!
Do you hate a God who would burn people in hell forever? Well, so would I! But the Bible does not teach that there’s a hell that exists now and burns forever! That is a man made tradition that started with the Catholics and that has NO scriptural foundation! Go right ahead and find me some Biblical evidence that proves there’s an eternal hell, I dare you!
OK, now that we’ve dispensed with that objection, any excuses left? What’s keeping you from your heavenly Father? Anything?
One last word:
“What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:31-39 KJV
Have you lost your will to fight against Him yet? You will. I hope it’s before you see Him returning in the clouds, because then it will be too late. And He will be here very, very soon! The truth might hurt, but it is the truly loving thing to give you.
Finally, Why won’t God answer my prayers? Could it be that there are more important priorities? Are you praying for those that are still in a “lost condition”? There’s an “example prayer” that Jesus shared with His disciples:
“After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.” Matthew 6:9-13 KJV
That phrase, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven”. Do you really want that? Are you willing to help that happen? Really? It starts with loving obedience to God’s Law: The 10 Commandments! And it really gets going when you start following the promptings of God’s Holy Spirit!
Amen! Father. Amen!
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