INTRODUCTION
Why do you pray? I suppose there are any number of reasons why we pray. But when it comes right down to it, we pray because we need God’s help.
But the sad fact of the matter is, not all of our prayers are answered by God. We pray. And pray. And pray. Yet Heaven remains deaf to our cries. The help that we earnestly seek doesn’t appear anywhere on life’s horizon.
This deafening silence stands in stark contrast and contradiction to God’s promise to answer our prayers. He beckons us in Jeremiah 33:3 to call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not. He reiterated the promise in John 14:13-14, And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. (14) If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
So how do we reconcile the promise of answered prayer with the cold, harsh reality of unanswered prayer? How can God promise to answer our prayer, then turn right around and not answer it?
Brethren, there’s more to the Bible than just Jeremiah 33:3. You’ve got to read the rest of the Bible. When you do this, you’ll see that the same God who promised to answer our prayer also taught us how to pray. He told us what we’ve got to do to get answers to our prayer. THERE ARE CONDITIONS THAT WE MUST MEET IN ORDER TO RECEIVE ANSWERS TO PRAYER.
WHEN WE DON’T GET ANSWERS TO PRAYER IT’S GENERALLY BECAUSE WE HAVEN’T MET GOD’S REQUIREMENTS FOR ANSWERED PRAYER. Brethren, JUST BECAUSE WE PRAYED DOESN’T AUTOMATICALLY MEAN GOD’S OBLIGED TO ANSWER. When we meet God’s requirements for answered prayer, then—and only then—will our prayers be answered.
So when our prayers go unanswered, then the key question that we must ask and answer is, What condition/s haven’t we met? What are God’s requirements for answered prayer?
Just so you know, I’m a very organized sort of fellow, but I’m not into formulas, steps, or secrets. I learned a long time ago that no one is going to put God in a box and make Him do things when we follow a prescribed method of action. All I’ve done is read through the Scriptures and saw God telling us in so many verses what He’s willing to do for us if we’re willing to do what He’s telling us to do. In this series of posts on GETTING ANSWERS TO PRAYER I’d like to share these verses with you and encourage you—as only the Lord and the Bible can—that God’s still in the business of answering prayer! We do not pray in vain! We just have to know how to pray the way God wants us to pray.
Coming Up On My Next Blog Post In This Series. Being right has everything to do with whether or not our prayers are going to get answered. Drop by and I’ll show you what I mean.
Gaylord Diaz's Blog 
queenlorene said,
April 5, 2013 at 10:26 PM
Great idea for a series, and sorely needed. At least on my end anyway. I never know what to say or how to ask, so I just plod along as best as I can and simply ask for a grateful attitude and strength to keep on.
gaylorddiaz said,
April 6, 2013 at 6:44 PM
Gratitude is a great attitude to have even when it seems as if God let us down. My sister-in-law ended up dying. That was a very hard thing. We don’t always understand His ways, but by faith we know that God’s ways are always best and He always does what is best for us. Sometimes, like you, I just have to plod along as best I can. Thank God for the grace to do that.
queenlorene said,
April 5, 2013 at 10:35 PM
Reblogged this on RePrEsSeD ExPrEsSiOnS and commented:
Don’t miss this great series on Prayer and why prayer isn’t answered.