Jesus On Prayer:
1. Most passages deal with the conditions of answered prayer:
a. You’ve got to have faith.
- Matthew 17:20; Matthew 21:21-22; Mark 9:23; Mark 11:22-24; John 14:12.
b. You’ve got to be obedient.
- John 14:15; John 15:7, 16.
- also, James 5:16; 1 John 3:22.
c. You’ve got to be in God’s will.
- Matthew 26:39.
- also, 1 John 5:14.
2. A few passages deal with special situations.
- (This is not an exhaustive list of other passages on prayer, just a sampling.)
a. You can have more power in prayer by praying together.
- Matthew 18:18-20.
b. You can have less power in prayer by having an unforgiving heart.
- Matthew 6:14-15; Mark 11:25-26.
c. You need to be persistent in prayer.
- Luke 18:1-8.
3. There are four remaining prayer passages that seem to promise “unconditional” answered prayers. Why are they in there?
- The Answer: All four are about the reasons why God answers prayer.
- I’ve always wondered why some of the times that Jesus talks about prayer that He gives a condition to what He says and other times He doesn’t/in studying for this series, I had an “Aha!” moment: they all have one thing in common - they aren’t in there to tell us how to get answered prayer, but to tell us why God answers prayer.
- why God answers prayer is an important question to consider/cf. getting an offer of something free or an incredible deal from an insurance salesman or a telemarketer - you’re going to be wondering what the catch is.
- it’s a big help for us to know why God is so willing to make these incredible offers of answering our prayers/is there a catch or once we understand the reasons will it give us more confidence to ask boldly.
- one reason has to do with God’s character/two reasons have to do with the results God hopes to see.
The Reasons That God Answers Prayer:
1. Character: It’s in His very nature as a Father.
- Matthew 7:7-11; Luke 11:9-13.
- read rest of passage from earlier.
- this has to do with His character.
- not all have good associations with the word “Father.”
- God is a loving Father who wants you as His child.
- so we come to Him in prayer expecting Him to answer because He is a loving Father.
- the next two have to do with the results God is seeking/it’s an interesting question to ask, “What results does God hope for as He answers our prayers?”
2. Result: Prayer brings the result of giving glory to God.
- John 14:13.
- why the focus on glory to God?
- 1. He deserves it.
- 2. It draws others to Him.
- adoption story in my life.
3. Result: Prayer brings the result of bringing us joy.
- John 16:24.
- stories of answered prayer make you smile/seeing answers in your life makes you smile.
- there’s nothing wrong with getting excited about something God has done/long faces and little enthusiasm in worship too often/nothing wrong with clapping and shouting and getting fired up.
- adoption story and the joy it brings.
- God wants to see more joy in your life/ do you?
- the things that bring me the greatest joy in my life are answers to prayer (wife, kids, chance to serve).
Put It All Together:
- Begin to utilize the phrase: “Father, for Your glory and for our joy” when you pray.
