3 Reasons For Unanswered Prayers - Luke 18:9-14

Have you ever felt your prayers just bounce off the ceiling? Delve deep into a faith-testing topic with Jai in the latest edition of Eden's Conflict: when prayers seem to go unanswered. Drawing inspiration from the Bible, especially the profound parable in Luke 18 and teachings from Psalms, James, and John, Jai explores three potential barriers that might be hindering our direct line with the Divine. Whether it's cherishing unconfessed sins, a heart self-absorbed with its desires, or a lacking trust in God's power, these are obstacles we may unwittingly put in our spiritual path. Concluding with a soulful prayer, Jai reminds us of the pivotal role of genuine faith, selfless surrender, and humility in our dialogues with the Almighty. Dive into this reflective episode for a fresh perspective on prayer, and stay tuned for another enlightening discussion next week. Rediscover the essence of scripture, reclaim its promises, and let faith guide the way. Join Jai, and let's navigate these spiritual conundrums together on Eden's Conflict.

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Transcript

Jai: 0:00

Not getting an answer, gives us an opportunity to examine our hearts and to look at them and say, am I sending against you God, in a way that I was not aware of, or perhaps I am aware of, and I'm just not willing to confess it welcome back everybody to another edition of Eden's conflict. I am your host Jai. He had to bring you another episode today. We're going to be looking at a very interesting topic. One that has actually struck me recently. And given me much to think about in my own walk with God. And that is the subject of prayer specifically when prayers seemingly are not answered. Now I actually heard a little sermonette about it recently, and it just gave me desire to seek this out and study it more for myself. And so I'm just going to share with you these three points, three reasons that are common mistakes that we might be doing in our lives. And that might actually be hindering us from having a deeper. A true relationship with God and ultimately hindering our ability to receive God's blessings in what we asked for. One story that had a very profound. Impact on my. Understanding of God's cares when it comes to our prayers. is the story found in Luke 18. The parable where the tax collector, the sinner and the Pharisee are at the temple praying.

Alice: 1:52

Jesus spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others. Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector, The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself.

Wisdom: 2:09

God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week. I give tithes of all that I possess.

Alice: 2:20

And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying,

Callum: 2:28

God, be merciful to me, a sinner!

Alice: 2:31

I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other, for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. Luke 18, verses 9 through 14

Jai: 2:46

In this story, the Pharisee is so proud. He's so glad God, thank you for all these things that I do for all the ways that I have been blessed by you, because I do all of these good things for you. And thank you that I'm not like this tax collector. And the tax collector. With nothing to present to God. Could only look up to him and beat his chest, saying, God, be merciful to me. A sinner. Jesus tells us in this parable, that out of the two men who are praying. Only the tax collector. Was heard. so How can I apply that kind of principle to where I say, God, All that you ask all that you want, all that you have. Let it be, as you will.

Callum: 3:34

The righteous cry out and the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. Psalms 34 verse 17.

Jai: 3:42

There's a quote that I heard and I forget where I've heard it from, but it's like, basically God Answers our prayers in such small ways, because we pray for such little things. You see, God loves to answer prayer. He longs to fulfill the requests of our heart. But sometimes. He can't. He can't And the reason is because there are things in our lives. That are. Causing offense to him. There are known sins. Which we are harboring in our hearts.

Lilith: 4:20

I cried to him with my mouth, and he was extolled with my tongue. If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear. Psalm 66 verse 17 and 18.

Jai: 4:30

See the difference between. Sin. And. Cherish sin. This idea of regarding iniquity in my heart. God cannot ultimately answer a prayer. When we are knowingly. Sinning against him. Now. This does not mean that God does not hear the prayers. Of the repentant. Of those who are seeking help from their sin. God will always hear those prayers. And so this is where it is important to know. That when we pray. We must be open and honest about the sin in our hearts. And this is also the first reason why we might not be receiving an answer in our prayers. Not getting an answer, gives us an opportunity to examine our hearts and to look at them and say, am I sending against you God, in a way that I was not aware of, or perhaps I am aware of, and I'm just not willing to confess it This is the part that I need to now pray to you. This sin is what I need to be giving to you. And once we do that, now we can be open. And the reason I believe that God cannot answer prayers while we are sending is because in doing so, if he were to answer our prayers, When we have known sin in our hearts. When we are cherishing the desire. To sin. Without the willingness to surrender it to him. If God were to answer that prayer. He would essentially be saying it is okay to have that sin. It is. Okay. It is acceptable for you to hold that sin in your heart. And sin cannot exist in the presence of God.

Wisdom: 6:17

One who turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination. Proverbs 28 verse 9

Jai: 6:25

So. Having known sin in our lives. Is the first reason we see for why God can not answer our prayers. Reason number two. We find. That when we pray. We must do it. With a selfless attitude.

Alice: 6:46

You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. James 4 verse 3

Jai: 6:56

When we pray. We must learn to do it in a way that seeks to align our wills to gods. If we ask for things. Out of a selfish heart. Then God can not answer that prayer. And if you think about it, the heart that is so absorbed with the self is not open. To hearing what God has to say. And in doing so. He can't answer you because you've closed off the way in which he would answer you. John 8 verse 29. Christ says I do these things. That please him. And in Psalms 37 verse 4. Delight yourself in the Lord. That he might give you the desires of your heart. So there is a. Seeking. To make. Our desires. That when we ask they should be in a method and a means that asked to be in alignment with what he wants to give us. An openness to surrender and say, God, Your will not mine. It was a story in this talk that I heard. That. A young girl is praying an impossible prayer. She believes in faith and she believes she must ask for things that are beyond her means. And so the father, as he is walking by his young daughter's room, hears her praying with a passionate heart. This is God. Give me. A pink elephant. And after she finishes her prayer, the father comes in and tucks her in and says, sweetie, I noticed you were asking God for a pink elephant. And she says, yes, dad. I'm so excited. God is going to answer my prayer and give me a pink elephant. And so the dad starts to ask her some questions. He's like, well, honey, pink elephants are big. Where are you going to keep the pink elephant? She says, oh daddy, you can build a barn that will keep the pink elephant in there and he'll have a place to live. He says, well, honey, you know, elephants eat a lot of food. What, where are we going to get the food for the elephant? Oh, daddy, you can buy the food and feed all the food. And the father says, all right, well, honey, you know, pink elephants make a lot of mess. There's a lot of do-do everywhere. Who's going to clean up all the do-do. And she says, oh daddy, you can clean up all the do-do. Now this story is silly and it's for a reason, the fact that we ask God for things and expect him to do everything in it. God give me. The answers to my tests that I didn't study for God helped me to. Get a promotion at work when I have put in no effort to be a good worker. God do these things for me. That required me to do absolutely nothing. And so this is reason number two, why we ask and do not receive. Because we ask for things that. Actually cripple God's ability to use us. And the third reason why we find ourselves without the ability to receive. Is oftentimes when we do pray. We pray with an attitude. That is faithless. We pray with a mindset that says what we ask has already failed. Before we even ask it. And Christ gives a very direct example of this. In the story of the boy who's demon possessed. After Christ comes down from the Mount of transfiguration, he has just had an experience where some of the disciples witnessed him in his heavenly glory. And when he comes down, his other disciples who had stayed behind. Are failing to cast out a demon from a young boy. And the disciples are confused because this isn't something new to them. This isn't them trying something just without the absence of Christ and saying, well, he's not here. Let's figure it out. Let's see if we can do this. No. They're asking. But they're asking amiss. And Christ calls them out on this. He calls out to people. In the story of mark, he calls out the father. Because the father asks him,

Callum: 12:32

If you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.

Jai: 12:35

and Jesus says.

Alice: 12:37

If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.

Jai: 12:41

The father in this realization, repents.

Callum: 12:44

Lord, I believe, help my unbelief!

Jai: 12:47

So it is okay to lack faith when you know that is an issue and you are willing to present that issue in the prayer. But the disciples also come to him. And this has given to us. In Matthew 17 verse 19,

Wisdom: 13:03

Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, Why could we not cast it out?

Jai: 13:08

Why Jesus with all that you've taught us with how long we've been with you with all that we know with the fact that we've done this before, could we not cast out this demon? verse 20. Jesus. Says to them.

Alice: 13:23

Because of your unbelief, for assuredly I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, move from here to there, and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.

Jai: 13:37

Now it's not. That they didn't believe that the boy could be healed. But I think it's because they believed. In their own ability. Why could we not cast it out? God, give me the power to overcome these things. God, give me. The means to take care of my family. God, give me, let me show me. That my power. Be the thing that elevates your glory. Yes. Some might point out, but the Bible says that when the word has come into you, it becomes like a spring of water welling up in you. And that's true. The word of God. Does become a wellspring in our hearts. But we are not the source of the spring. We are simply the earth around which the spring breaks forth from and pours out into the world. Only Christ can be the source. And this brings us to the third reason why our prayers are not answered. Because we pray without faith in the one who we are praying to. And this is where we must be the most careful. Because the moment that we believe the power resides within us. We lose access. To the fountain. That provides the living water. So to recap, the three reasons why we do not receive answers to our prayers. The first being that when we pray, we pray with known sin in our hearts. Something that must first be confessed and surrendered to God. This is the first step. In coming to him. The second reason we do not receive an answer when we pray. Is that we pray with a selfish heart. We pray for God to do things according to our will and not his will. And in doing so. We are making a mockery of who God is. And then the third reason. That we seem to not receive an answer when we pray. Is that we lack faith. Either we pray. Believing that what we ask has already failed, or we pray in a way that we believe in ourselves. And not the one we are praying to. if you want to come before God and surrender. Then let's pray. Our father in heaven. Lord, thank you so much for this time and opportunity to come before you. We surrender ourselves to you, to your Lord. For known sins and unknown sins, we confess and believe that we have received your forgiveness through the gift of your son. Jesus Christ. We humble ourselves before you got. That if there are things we have asked for out of a selfish heart, Were, we have not been willing to be used by you and instead expect you to do everything for us. We repent of that Lord. And submit ourselves. Let our prayers be according to what you will. And if we have prayed with a faithless attitude, We're either. We did not believe in what we are asking for as possible. Or we believe that its possibility is only because what we can do. Either way, Lord. Forgive us for a lack of faith in who you are. And we repent of these things. Father God. Thank you. For hearing us, thank you for providing the means the gift of your son. That he came down and died for us so that we might have assurance. That you hear us, not because of ourselves. For we are what sinful creatures. But because of your son. We are no more. And all that would remain. Is his character in us. This is our prayer and desire. In Christ. Jesus, holy name. Amen. Thank you once again for joining me on this episode a little longer, perhaps than usual, but a topic that I felt needed to be talked about. Tune in next week where we'll be discussing. Hmm. I don't know. But until we meet again. Take care. God bless. And remember dear listeners. The words of scripture are yours to claim. If only you would believe them.