Americans are on edge. Our stock market has taken a tremendous beating over the past two weeks. The Dow Jones Industrial average plunged 513 points on Thursday and gyrated violently on Friday. The recent debt ceiling negotiation of this past Tuesday has caused Standard & Poor to lower the United States government from its list of risk-free borrowers for the first time in our nation’s history. Some are speculating that such a move could cost the national government tens of billions of dollars each year in higher interest payments on our debt. Americans are on edge.
31 Americans were killed yesterday in Afghanistan, as 22 of the 31 belonged to a Navy SEAL unit. Locally, wild fires this week near Rudy road burned sixty acres and threatened numerous homes in the area, including some members of our church. The summer is scorching hot outside and we need rain. Still others are grieving the loss of children in at least two recent deaths within our congregation.
American are on edge and nervous as few other times in recent memory. We are uncertain about our future. We pray for the security of our nest eggs but see little results. We pray for the safety of our troops. We pray for rain and the rain doesn’t come. And we pray for our health.
Does Prayer Make Any Difference?
Paul and Jill are the parents of six children. One of the six, Kim, had been diagnosed with Autism. The family had struggled with Kim’s Autism for years as she had gone to speech therapy for some five years with no success. While away on vacation in the mountains of Northeastern Pennsylvania, Paul was walking down from the campsite to their Dodge Caravan when he noticed his fourteen year old daughter, Ashley, standing in front of the van, tense and upset. When he asked her what was wrong, she said, “I lost my contact lens. It’s gone.” Father and daughter looked down at the forest floor, covered with leaves and twigs. There were a million little crevices for the lens to fall into and disappear. Paul said, “Ashley, don’t move. Let’s pray.” But before he could pray, his daughter burst into tears. “What good does it do? I’ve prayer for Kim to speak, and she isn’t speaking.”
We’ve all asked this question at one time or another: Does Prayer Make Any Difference?
“Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion, and to you shall vows be performed.?2 O you who hear prayer, to you shall all flesh come.?3 When iniquities prevail against me, you atone for our transgressions.?4 Blessed is the one you choose and bring near, to dwell in your courts! We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, the holiness of your temple!
5 By awesome deeds you answer us with righteousness,?O God of our salvation, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas;?6 the one who by his strength established the mountains, being girded with might;?7 who stills the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, the tumult of the peoples,?8 so that those who dwell at the ends of the earth are in awe at your signs. You make the going out of the morning and the evening to shout for joy.
9 You visit the earth and water it; you greatly enrich it; the river of God is full of water; you provide their grain, for so you have prepared it.?10 You water its furrows abundantly, settling its ridges, softening it with showers, and blessing its growth.?11 You crown the year with your bounty; your wagon tracks overflow with abundance.?12 The pastures of the wilderness overflow, the hills gird themselves with joy,?13 the meadows clothe themselves with flocks, the valleys deck themselves with grain, they shout and sing together for joy” (Psalm 65:1-13).
David, the former king of Israel, writes a poem of praise to God. He tells us in verses one through four that God is worthy of our trust and He is worthy of our praise. David praises God for hearing our prayers. David further tells us that God atones for our sin. From the end of verse five through verse eight, God’s power is such that it stills the roaring of the seas. David says that God’s power raises the mountains to their peaks. In verses nine through thirteen, God generously waters the crops for their growth. David’s writes a celebration of God’s good gifts and His acts to deliver His people. If King David were asked, “Does Prayer Make Any Difference?,” He wouldn’t hesitate to say, “Yes.” But are we as convinced today as David was in Psalm 65?
I want you to have the confidence in God that David had. I want you to know… God Hears Your Prayers. God is a Being who not only hears your prayers… but He is eager to hear your prayers anytime of the day or night. Despite the tragedies of our days, I want to convince you that God hears your prayer(s). More so, I want you to see how prayer reveals the uniqueness of God. And more than simply confirming that God listens to you when you pray… this morning I want you to see the character of God Himself. I have just one sentence as the major point of today’s message: God Hears Prayer.
I want to explore this sentence and then I want to give you four reasons to support the big idea.
1. God Hears Prayer
This is simple statement for all to consider: God Hears Prayer. The Bible pictures God as if He is seated on a mercy seat, waiting eagerly to hear His people’s prayers. Though God is above everything and has no need of anything in creation, He is gracious and kind to us. Whenever you stand in need of anything, God allows and invites you to come to Him. The Bible is full of examples where God promises to hear the prayers of His people. The Old Testament book of 1 Samuel tells the story of a woman named Hannah. Hannah was an earnest woman who was also childless. The Bible tells us that she was deeply distressed over her condition and would weep bitterly. Her husband could not comfort her. Yet, she prayed to God to remember her and to change her condition. God revealed Himself to her. And her bitter grief was met by God’s mercy. Long before she gave birth to a son, her sadness went away as she was convinced God had heard her prayer. Hannah discovered the mercy of God through her time in prayer. God has VERY LARGE EARS and His ears are continuously open to His children.
“And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us” (1 John 5:14).
God’s hearing and answering your prayers speak volumes about His nature. It announces His grace and it trumpets His goodness. God Hears Prayer. Here are four reasons why God Hears Prayer. My first reason you should believe God Hears Prayer is…
1.1 God Has No Curfew
God is available at any time. God is eager to hear your prayer and will stay up past His bedtime to hear your needs. God’s throne has no barriers or bodyguards around it to prevent you from coming to Him. When Jesus died, the curtain of the Temple was torn from the top down (Matthew 27:51). Christ offers His followers unhindered access to His throne.
“Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:14-16).
What must we do in order to have our prayers answered? When I say “we,” I have in mind Christians, that is, people who are trusting Christ. What He did purchased their salvation. As far as unbelievers are concerned, there is one prayer that we know God answers for them, the earnest plea to Christ for salvation. God invites people everywhere to pray to Him. No matter where you are or your background.
“To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours…” (1 Corinthians 1:2).
Yes, God invites and allows the most vile and unworthy people to come to Christ. The greatest of sinners are allowed to come to Christ. He not only allows this but He encourages it! The Bible says that He delights to hear your prayers. “…the prayer of the upright is acceptable to him” (Proverbs 15:8b).
The voice of Christ’s followers is sweet music to God’s ears. He delights to hear their voice. “On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have set watchmen; all the day and all the night they shall never be silent. You who put the Lord in remembrance, take no rest…” (Isaiah 62:6). In other words, don’t rest. Keep God up all night. Remind Him continually of your needs.
My wife and I were talking late into the night this past week about the needs of one of our children. And no solution presented itself. We concluded the only thing to do was to “remind” God of our needs. A little more than a week later, I still don’t have a solution to the problem. Nevertheless, I have a God who hears my pleas.
Jesus Himself told a parable to encourage us to pray. And he said to them, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, 6 for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 7 and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything’? 8 I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs. 9 And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 11 What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; 12 or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him” (Luke 11:5-13)!
God encourages you to continually come to Him. Again, He has no curfew. On one occasion while Jesus was walking by, a blind man was sitting beside the road. “As he drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. 36 And hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what this meant. 37 They told him, ‘Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.’ 38 And he cried out, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’ 39 And those who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me” (Luke 18:3-39)!
When the blind cried out for mercy to Jesus, others told him to quiet down. But the blind man grew only louder. God grants His children tremendous freedom to come to Him. Christ’s followers have a backstage pass to God Himself: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6). He has no curfew. He has no bedtime. God has no posse protecting Him from unwanted people. God has no secretary who answers His phones; He delights to hear your prayers. God Hears Prayer. Our first reason you should believe God Hears Prayer was…
1.1 God Has No Curfew
My second reason you should believe God Hears Prayer is…
1.2 God is Eager to Answer
God is not only eager to hear from you, but He is eager to answer your prayer. He is eager to answer your prayer. God’s answers to your prayer can come before you finish your prayer: “Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear” (Isaiah 65:24). We read where the when the prophet Daniel was praying, an angel showed up to comfort him before he had said, “Amen.”
“while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the first, came to me in swift flight at the time of the evening sacrifice. 22 He made me understand, speaking with me and saying, “O Daniel, I have now come out to give you insight and understanding. 23 At the beginning of your pleas for mercy a word went out, and I have come to tell it to you, for you are greatly loved” (Daniel 9:21-23a).
God is very much like a runner at a track and field event, waiting for the starting pistol to fire. God is eager to hear your prayer and to answer your prayer. Still, at times, God delays His answer to our prayer. Yet, even His delays come with tremendous speed.
“And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? 8 I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily” (Luke 18:7-8a).
When He waits to answer your prayer, it’s not because His nature is not generous. Instead, He waits to answer for your good. At times, He knows the best timing to answer your prayer. Even when God’s ear seems to be distracted elsewhere, you can be assured that He is working according to His timing. God tells the Old Testament prophet Habakkuk: “If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay” (Habakkuk 2:3b). Again, God Hears Prayer.
1.1 God Has No Curfew
1.2 God is Eager to Hear
1.3 God is Not Stingy
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.” (James 1:5-6)
Prayer with God is not like trying to obtain money for your mortgage. When you pray in faith, He desires to give. Jonathan Edwards said it this way in 1738: “Men often show their backwardness to give, both by the scantiness of their gifts, and by the upbraiding those who ask of them. They will be sure to put them in mind of some faults, when they given them anything; but, on the contrary, God both give liberally, and upbraids us not with our undeservings. He is plenteous and rich in his communication to those who call on him.”
God is not like asking your father to borrow the car. He not only wants to hear your prayer, He answers your prayer quickly. And He wants to grant your request when you pray. “For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you” (Psalm 86:5). “For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him” (Romans 10:12).
God is so generous that at times He gives more than was asked. When King Solomon (David’s son from earlier in the sermon) was in prayer. Solomon asked for wisdom in order to lead the Hebrew people. God was pleased to answer His prayer: “behold, I now do according to your word. Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you. 13 I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that no other king shall compare with you, all your days” (1 Kings 3:12-13).
“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us…” (Ephesians 3:20)
I’ve given you three reasons in hopes you would agree with me that: God Hears Prayer.
1.1 God Has No Curfew
1.2 God is Eager to Hear
1.3 God is Not Stingy
Here’s the fourth reason why God Hears Prayer:
1.4 God’s Track Record
The reason why David was so confident God answered prayer is that David knew God’s track record when it came to prayer. David knew God’s history. When his brother Esau was coming out to battle him along with 400 men, Jacob prayed. Even though Esau was fully resolved to cut Jacob off, Jacob prayer and God turned the heart of Esau (Genesis 32-33). When Moses prayed to God in Egypt, God sent the plagues upon the great nation of Egypt to free the Hebrew people from slavery. And when Moses prayed again for the plagues to go away, they vanished. When the mighty man Samson’s strength had left him, he prayed. God gave Samson the strength to bring down the temple of Dagon on the Philistines (Judges 16). Samson accomplished more in his death through prayer than he did throughout his entire life. When Joshua prayed to God for the sun to stand still, God heard Joshua’s prayer (Joshua 10). The sun stopped when Joshua prayed.
Asa was the king of the ancient civilization of Judah. He was up against an Ethiopian army of a million men and 300 chariots. This was Asa’s prayer: “O Lord, there is none like you to help, between the mighty and the weak. Help us, O Lord our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this multitude. O Lord, you are our God; let not man prevail against you” (2 Chronicles 14:11). And God answered Asa’s prayer. When King Hezekiah was leading Israel, he faced a the world power of Assyria. Hezekiah prayed for God to spare Israel and the angel of the Lord struck down 185,000 Assyrians in one night (1 King 19:35). David’s confidence in God answering prayer was because David knew God’s track record.
I’ve given you four reasons in hopes you would agree with me that: God Hears Prayer.
1.1 God Has No Curfew
1.2 God is Eager to Hear
1.3 God is Not Stingy
1.4 God’s Track Record
We serve a tremendously huge God. God can perfectly know the circumstances of every one that prays to Him throughout the world. Though millions pray to Him at once, it is no more difficult for the One who is infinite in knowledge to hear them all than it is for Him to hear simply one.
2. Why Does God Require Prayer?
If nothing comes about by chance… If God has a design and a plan for all things… And if God has everything in the future set according to His plan, why should we bother with prayer? “In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will…” (Ephesians 1:11). Here are two reasons why you don’t pray.
2.1 You Don’t Pray to Inform God
God is so perfect in knowledge, that he does not need to be informed of our needs. It is impossible for God to gain any new information. He does not need to be informed of our wants. He knows what things we need before we ask. Earlier I spoke about the childless woman of the Old Testament, named Hannah. God knew her prayers while they were still in her mind (1 Samuel 1:13). He doesn’t need you to voice your prayers. He knows what things we need before we ask.
2.2 You Don’t Pray to Change God’s Mind
God’s mind has never been changed on anything at anytime by anyone. We don’t change God’s mind in prayer anymore than we inform Him. What new information do you have that is God is not privy to that would cause His mind to change? God Himself is the spring of His mercy. God is pleased to show His mercy as a result of prayer. Yet, the prayer is planned along with everything else God has designed. “Thus says the Lord God: This also I will let the house of Israel ask me to do for them: to increase their people like a flock” (Ezekiel 36:37).
God has so chosen to run the world through prayer. Even though He knows the end from the beginning, He has chosen to get from “here to there” through the road of prayer. There are some things that would have happened had you prayed. And there are some things that God will do only when we pray. All this is true while also affirming God is in control of every random molecule running around in the universe.
3. What About Unanswered Prayers?
Someone says, “But I have prayed for things that I haven’t received?”
2.1 We Have Wrong Desires
The reason why God does not answer some prayers is that we want things that are no good for us. “You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions” (James 4:3). If God were to answer your prayers, it would work against His will in our lives. If God were to answer such prayers, He would be defeating Himself. If God were to answer such prayers, He would be His own enemy. Before we pray, we must inspect out motives.
2.2 We Have No Faith
Others prayers are not answered because of your lack of faith. You pray but you pray with no firm belief. God doesn’t answer you because the all-seeing God can see between real prayers and pretend prayers. When you pray with no faith you act as if you are depending on God, but in reality you are depending on yourself. When you pretend to pray you act as if you are a beggar when in reality you are treating God as if God owes you. Correct prayer is when God is your banker and you in debt to Him. When your faith is lacking, then you are not praying.
2.3 God is Wiser than Us
Sometimes your prayers are not answered because God is wiser than you. Remember prayer is not to direct God. He is wiser than us. God always answers prayer, but He is not obligated to answer according to your timing.
This past week, my family and I were on vacation in Colorado. While there, a gentlemen walked passed us with a Navy tattoo on his right forearm. I asked him if he had served in our military. He said he had served in the US Navy during the Vietnam War. I thanked him for serving and told him my father had also served. He told me (in a nice way) I should be proud of my father and if I were not proud of him, I should be ashamed. Before he walked away I told him I was proud of my father. But think of the boldness of this older man. He was rightfully ready to place shame on anyone who was not proud of our veterans. Similarly, if we neglect such a high privilege of prayer, we should be ashamed. To neglect such a privilege would be inexcusable.
