Why Should God Answer Our Prayers?

Subject: "Why Should God Answer Our Prayers?"

Scripture Reference: Psalm 67:1-7

’God be merciful to us and bless us, and cause His face to shine upon us. Selah. That Thy may be known upon earth, Thy saving health upon all nations. Let the people praise Thee, O God, let all the people praise Thee. O let the nations be glad and sing for joy; for Thou shalt judge the people righteously, and govern the nations upon earth. Selah. Let the people praise Thee O God, O let all the people praise Thee. Then shall the earth yield her increase, and God, even our own God, shall bless us, and all the ends of the earth shall fear Him."

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Introduction:

"WHY SHOULD GOD BLESS US?"

This morning I would like to ask us, what I consider to be a very important question, "WHY SHOULD GOD ANSWER OUR PRAYERS?" If God says "YES" to our prayers, What does He receive from His acts of mercy and kindness to us? Does He receive anything? Or, do we just continue to go our own way, never taking the time to give Him praise and honor for what He has done, as IF -- HE OWED IT TO US? Would we be like the ten lepers Jesus healed but only "ONE" returned to offer Him praise?

Before looking at this psalm, I want to just remind us that God does STILL ANSWER THE PRAYERS OF HIS PEOPLE! This past week as I prayed and studied for this sermon, I began to think of some of the prayers I know God has answered for many within this congregation this morning. You prayed alone at home, You came to church and we prayed one for another, and God answered our prayers. Some here today have been touched physically and the surgery you thought was inevitable was not needed after all. "PRAISE GOD!" Some of you here this morning, after being out of work for months, found a job making more money then ever before. Others have found BETTER JOBS with better pay and better benefits. Some of you have been in automobile accidents. Your vehicles were totaled but yet you came out with only a small scratch and some sore muscles. The other day when the fierce tornadoes came through our county, God watched over us and kept us safe. And then there are the numerous times when we knew nothing about the dangers around us and God watched over us and kept us safe in His arms. Church, God has been good to us and He has answered so many prayers. Are we giving Him the glory and the praise He deserves to receive from us?

Sometimes we tend to listen to the lies and the cunning craftiness of Satan more than we listen to the postive promises of God. Satan is a liar and the father of all liars. But Jesus’ words are TRUTH and we can stand upon them, even when the storms around us are raging.

Listen to His Promises: They Are True Today!

Matthew 7: 7-8 ’Ask and ye shall receive, seek and ye shall find, Knock and the door shall be opened unto you. For everyone that asketh receiveth, and he that seeketh findeth, and to him that knocketh the door shall be opened unto him."

John 15:7 "If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what you will and it shall be done unto you. Herein is My Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit,so shall ye be My disciples."

And listen to the words of James, leader of

the New Testament church.

James 5: 16 b "....The effectual fervent prayer

of a righteous man availeth much."

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God Does Answer Prayers: That We Are Not Questioning. The question before us this morning is this: "WHY, SHOULD GOD ANSWER OUR PRAYERS?" What’s in it for Him?

I am referring basically to prayers that are prayed mostly for our own needs and our own desires.

What causes God to answer those type of prayers when there are multitudes of people all about us who are in a much worse need of God to bless them rather than blessing us?

But look at the prayer request found in Psalm

67: verse #1:

"O God BLESS -- "US" --- Be Merciful to "US" and

Cause His Face to Shine Upon -- "US."

Doesn’t that sound a lot like our praying at times, "O God, Bless Our Four and No More?" How many times do we pray, "O God bless me and mine, watch over ME, Heal Me, Make a way for ME, Provide for ME--" Its Me-Me-Me-Me-Me-& Me!