Why Won’t God Say Yes ?

Do you pray ? Most believers do. 1. Why do you pray ? 2. When do you pray ?

Why and when are often related. Psalms 4: 1 Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have relieved me in my distress; Be gracious to me and hear my prayer.

God wants for His people to pray. I Thessalonians 5: 16-18 Rejoice always; 17 pray without ceasing; 18 in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4: 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. I Peter 5: 6-7 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, 7 casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.

James 5: 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. I John 5: 16 If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask and God will for him give life to those who commit sin not leading to death.

Even though we believe in prayer, pray in many circumstances and pray for many different reasons, we may not get what we pray for.

Luke 22: 41-44 And He withdrew from them about a stone's throw, and He knelt down and began to pray, 42 saying, "Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done." 43 Now an angel from heaven appeared to Him, strengthening Him. 44 And being in agony He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground.

II Corinthians 12: 7-9 … for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me — to keep me from exalting myself! 8 Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. 9 And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." …

prayers will be answered are correct, they won’t be. I. Those who don’t believe their prayers will be answered are correct, they won’t be.

James 1: 5-8 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, 8 being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

Mark 11: 22-24 And Jesus answered saying to them, "Have faith in God. 23 Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him. 24 Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you.

II. Those who have rejected the word of God will not be heard by Him.

To their own destruction, those who do not believe God’s word view it as foolishness.

I Corinthians 2: 14 But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. John 12: 48 He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day.

God will reject those who have rejected Him. Matthew 10: 32-33 Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. 33 But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.

Proverbs 28: 9 He who turns away his ear from listening to the law, even his prayer is an abomination. Proverbs 1: 24-28 I Called and you refused, I stretched out my hand and no one paid attention 25 and you neglected all my counsel … 25 I will laugh at your calamity … 28 then they will call Me, but I will not answer.

harbors evil in his heart. III. God will not answer the prayers of anyone who harbors evil in his heart.

God has plainly stated this principle. Psalms 66: 18 If I regard wickedness in my heart, The Lord will not hear; Isaiah 1: 15 So when you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; Yes, even though you multiply prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood.

God can hear the wicked, but He will not respond to them. John 9: 31 We know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is God-fearing and does His will, He hears him.

Isaiah 59: 1-2 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.

Psalms 34: 15-17 The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and His ears are open to their cry. 16 The face of the Lord is against evildoers, to cut off the memory of them from the earth. 17 The righteous cry, and the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. 18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. The is quoted in – I Peter 3: 12

IV. Discord with others will prevent one’s prayers from being granted.

Matthew 5: 23-24 Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering. Romans 12: 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.

I Peter 3: 7-8 – You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with someone weaker, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered. 8 To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit; 9 not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead

I Corinthians 7: 4-5 The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does; and likewise also the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. 5 Stop depriving one another, except by agreement for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer, and come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

Prayer is something deeply personal which requires deep concentration. Mark 1: 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.

God wants us to pray, but He will not grant just any prayer. 1. Prayers must be offered in faith ? 2. One must accept God’s word ? 3. May not harbor evil in one’s heart ? 4. Discord can hinder one’s prayers ?

For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes. I Corinthians 11:26

II Chronicles 7:14 My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from Heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.