Why God Answers Prayer Dr. Mike Fogerson September 2, 2012
Introduction
A 13 Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises.14 Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord;15 and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him.16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. James 5:13-16 (NASB)
1 We learn several things about prayer in these 3 verses.
a Got a problem? Got Need? - Pray (v.13)
b Got people to help you pray? - Pray Together (v.14)
c Got Faith? (v.15)
d Pray for one another. (v.16)
aa Too often in the church brothers & sisters prey on one another instead of praying for one another.
bb James said to pray for one another.
2 I know God answers prayer because He’s answered mine.
a When sorrow came & cloud after cloud came over my head, I had now ay to look but up... I’ve gone to Him in prayer.
b I have seen times when without supernatural power I could not have stayed one more week in ministry.
aa Without the power of God this church would be boarded up, submerged in trouble, confusion & persecution.
bb God heard me, answered me... for 25 years now, trusting Him one step at a time, one day at a time.
3 We have no greater resource, source of comfort than getting on our knees in prayer
a You will never go any deeper than you go in your prayer closet, never move any further than you move on your knees.
b Prayer doesn’t force God’s hand to move but God’s hands won’t move without prayer!
aa (IL) Boy in class lost his Game Boy DS. Teacher couldn’t keep his attention. “Ma’am, could I pray that God helps me find me DS?”
bb Next day, “Did God answer your prayer?” She asked. “Yes, He did, but not in the way I thought He would. I didn’t find my DS, but I am not concerned about it anymore; I’m going to trust God whether I find it or not.”
c God always does something when people pray.
B There are four things we need to know about prayer before the heart of the sermon.
1 The Bible teaches that it is a sin not to prayer.
a In the O.T. the people cried out to God for a king when God never wanted them to have one.
aa God told the prophet Samuel to anoint Saul as Israel’s king.
bb Saul was disobedient, brought heartache / confusion to the kingdom.
b Samuel (broken hearted) said, 1 Sam. 12.23
23 "Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you; but I will instruct you in the good and right way. 1 Sam 12:23 (NASB)
c It’s a sin not to prayer for...
aa Family, church, leaders, lost
bb God always does something when people pray.
2 God does not hear everyone’s prayer (with reason)
a 18 If I regard wickedness in my heart, The Lord will not hear ; Psalms 66:18 (NASB)
aa “Regard” means to host, look after, harbor, condone, accept.
bb If you made a friend of sin, the Lord will not hear your prayer.
b 1 Behold, the Lord's hand is not so short That it cannot save; Nor is His ear so dull That it cannot hear.2 But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear. Isaiah 59:1-2 (NASB)
aa God doesn’t hear everyone’s prayer (Not because He’s less powerful. He doesn’t hear as well because of iniquity, sin, wickedness.)
bb We can accept the thought that God doesn’t hear a lost person prayer because prayer is in the name of Jesus & how can a lost person prayer in the name of Jesus without knowing Him as Savior.
3 We are to pray for one another.
a Easy to pray for people we like (or who like us) but you cannot pray unless you pray for people you don’t like (or who don’t like you)
b 44 "But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, Matt 5:44 (NASB)
aa Prayer isn’t just lip service (action) but also our emotions.
bb We see Jesus combining His heart with prayer as the steel spikes pierced His hands, “Father forgive them.”
cc Hard to pray & mean it for those who assail against you, say wicked things about you... There are many things that you have to do that are hard in order to do what Gods wants you to do.
dd What a greater church F.B.C. would be if the families of God, the Lord’s people, would pray for one another.
4 We need to learn to pray.
a It wasn’t uncommon for the disciples to wake up early in the morning to find Jesus MIA - only to find Him knelling under an alive tree in a lonely grove or secluded hillside... praying.
1 It happened that while Jesus was praying in a certain place, after He had finished, one of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, teach us to pray just as John also taught his disciples." Luke 11:1
aa 2 And He said to them, "When you pray, say: 'Father , hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come.3 'Give us each day our daily bread.4 'And forgive us our sins, For we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.' "Luke 11:2-4 (NASB)
bb “Our Father...” Relationship; Jesus is saying relationship is crucial in prayer.
cc If you can’t look up & call God your Father though faith in Jesus Christ & His precious blood, then you cannot pray.
b (IL) Visited a woman in the hospital, offered to pray with her, hey prayer book was on the table, “You Baptist’s don’t have a prayer book do you?”
aa “Oh. Yes ma’am we do!” Pulled out my Bible. “This is the prayer book of a believer.”
bb The Bible is a book of prayer, prayer book for the born-again children of God.
T.S. How can we know God answers prayer?
I God has promised in His word to answer prayer.
A When Jesus preached the sermon on the mount, He didn’t speak simple, but spoke simply (profound but even children could understand)
1 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. Matt 7:7-8
a He used monosyllables...
aa 9 "Or what man is there among you who , when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone?10 "Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? Matt 7:9-10 (Here son, eat this stone.)
bb If you ask God, He will hear your prayer, answer you
b Notice how many times “ask” is used in Matt. 7:7-11 (5xs)
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 , when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone?10 "Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he?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 what is good to those who ask Him! Matt 7:7-11 (NASB)
aa You can Bless, Praise, Thank the Lord, Prayer has asking application
bb 22 "And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive." Matt 21:22 (NASB)
2 When Jesus was on His way from the upper room to the bloody Garden of Gethsemane, He spoke on prayer...
a 7 "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. John 15:7 (NASB)
b Another Time; 19 "Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. Matt 18:19 (NASB)
c God hears your prayers because he has promised to do so.
aa 3 'Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know.' Jer 33:3 (NASB) (God is challenging us to ask Him to do something we have never know of or have never had done before.)
bb 15 "He will call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble ; I will rescue him and honor him. Psalms 91:15 (NASB) (God promised to answer prayer)
cc 2 in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago, Titus 1:2 (NASB) (If God were to lie, He would cease to be God.)
dd 22 "And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive." Matt 21:22 (NASB)
II Jesus believed that the Father answered prayer
A He knew it was in the Father’s nature to answer prayer.
1 God is bound only by the boundaries / limitations He puts on Himself.
a 2 O You who hear prayer, To You all men come. Psalms 65:2 (NASB)
aa Hearing / answers prayer is God’s nature
bb One of the attributes of God
God is Love; 8 The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 1 John 4:8 (NASB)
God is Omnipotent; 1 Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, "I am God Almighty; Walk before Me, and be blameless . Gen 17:1 (NASB)
God is all knowing; 25 To the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen. Jude 1:25 (KJV)
b Because of who God is, His nature demands Him to hear prayer.
c No matter how dark the night, deep the valley, bloody the battle - God still hears our voices!
27 "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; John 10:27 (NASB)
2 I believe none know this fact better than Jesus.
a 16 But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray. Luke 5:16 (NASB)
23 After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone. Matt 14:23 (NASB)
aa 35 In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there. Mark 1:35 (NASB)
bb 12 It was at this time that He went off to the mountain to pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer to God. Luke 6:12 (NASB)
When was the last time you prayed all night long?
b 20 "I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; John 17:20 (NASB) (17 is really the Lord’s Prayer / Priestly Prayer)
aa He’s praying not only for the 12, but for all who believe.
bb As he was making His way to Gethsemene, He looked ahead across the centuries & He saw unborn me, “I’m praying for you.”
B 31 "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat;32 but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers." Luke 22:31-32 (NASB)
1 Peter & Jesus are walking & praying & Jesus confirms He’s been praying for Peter.
a Today Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father praying for us.
b He sees the trials, tears, burden of our hearts, affliction, disease... “I have prayed for thee, that their faith will not fail.”
2 Jesus is a testimony that God answers prayer (Pentecost is an answer to Jesus’ prayer)
III Prayer is how God released blessing & power into our lives.
A God has set the rules of the Universe into play (Thermodynamics, Physics, Scientific Method)
1 He has set is so we can only obtain & achieve through prayer.
a James teaches that idea (in regards to healing)
13 Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises.14 Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord;15 and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him. James 5:13-15 (NASB)
aa I believe James 13-15 is for the church today as much as I believe John 3:16 is!
bb Let the call originate with the one in need of help, anoint with oil, in His name & by faith for healing of the sick. Seen it happen!
b I thank God for doctors, nurses, medicine (God uses all kinds of ways to heal!)
aa “Do you believe in divine healing?” Is there any other kind?
bb If God doesn’t want you to be well, no doctor in the world can get you off your sick bed.
2 Prayer is important for saving souls
21 "But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting." Matt 17:21 (NASB)
a Prayer for lost people, back sliding people!
aa Think of those who once knew the Lord, loved Him, walked with Him, worked in His kingdom - Now away from God.
bb Pray!
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.11 Do not cast me away from Your presence And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation And sustain me with a willing spirit. Psalms 51:10-12
b When people get away from God, the way back is on our knees.
aa When you’ve lost the fire, thrill, peace, prayer is the way back. (Restore unto me the joy...)
bb Jonah shows us that fact.
1 Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the stomach of the fish,2 and he said, "I called out of my distress to the Lord, And He answered me. I cried for help from the depth of Sheol; You heard my voice. Jonah 2:1-2 (NASB)
B The way back to God, to power, joy, living with your eye upon Him is on your knees
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