Does God Really Answer Prayer???

 

Let's clarify one thing now, so there's no confusion. God answers prayer. The Bible is very clear about that fact:

 

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be open to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! (Matt. 7:7-11)

 

You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servents, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. These things I command you, that you love one another. ( John 15:14-17)

 

Now this is the confidence that we have in HIm, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we asked of Him. (1 John 5:14-15)

 

These are all inspiring, heartwarming, and encouraging passages, especially when God is answering your prayers in an obvious way. But when it seems that you're not getting any response from Him, you may chime in with David when he asked,

 

How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will You hide your face from me? (Ps 13:1)

 

Even with all the biblical assurance available, life can be pretty frustrating when it seems that you're being ignored by God. That's where faith and silence come in handy.

 

Faith is necessary because you must believe that God answers all prayers. Sometimes He answere, "Yes." Sometimes He answers, "No." Sometimes He answers "Not Yet." But He always answers. It's also important to believe that God's "no" and "not yet" responses are ultimately just as beneficial to us as His yeses. We have to learn to cling to the promise of Romans 8:28: "We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose."

 

What often happens, though, is that people fail to recognize God's "no" or "not yet" responses and they assume that He's not listening to them or not answering them for some reason. To put it another way, some people confuse not getting what they want with not having their prayers answered.

 

With God's Love

Rev. Dr. Edward Slusser