UNANSWERED PRAYER - NYOBS 65.10

UNANSWERED PRAYER

Why are some prayers NOT answered even for those whose lives reflect holiness and virtue?

First Word

·         Sometimes prayers are NOT answered the way we expect; do we mis-understand the scriptures that teach us to pray in faith in the name of Jesus Christ and we WILL receive?

·         Does God demand of us a FAITH that is greater than that of the Faith that Jesus Christ possessed WHEN HIS PETITION WAS DENIED in the Garden of Gethsemane?

·         Ponder that; Jesus Christ, the Son of God was denied one of His petitions; should we not reasonably expect the possibility that one of our prayers of petition could also be denied?

Ockham’s Razor

·         This Word Study looks at the subject of UN-ANSWERED PRAYER and attempts to unpack these thoughts LOGICALLY and in the most simplistic of terms.

·         William of Ockham (circa 1287–1347) was an English Franciscan friar and theologian. His popular fame as a great logician rests chiefly on the maxim attributed to him known as Ockham's razor.

·         The razor's statement was that with all other things being equal, simpler explanations are generally better than more complex ones. -  If a thing can be done adequately by means of ONE, it is superfluous to do it by means of SEVERAL; for we observe that nature does not employ TWO instruments when ONE suffices.

·         The term razor refers to the distinguishing between TWO hypotheses either by "shaving away" unnecessary assumptions or cutting apart TWO similar conclusions.

The Human Predicament- an enigma

·         TWO PATTERNS OF PRAYER have emerged; one is Submission and the other is Petition; both given as examples of prayer for us to follow by Jesus Christ; both plagued with DOUBT.

PATTERN A

·         SUBMISSION; THY WILL BE DONE – This pattern originates with Jesus while He is in prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane concerning his upcoming torture and death by crucifixion on the cross plus the boat load of SIN that will be dumped on Him; and added to this passion, He will also be separated from God which had never happened before. – NYOBS 62.24 – DID GOD FORSAKE JESUS? -- NYOBS 06.14 – DEATH

·         Submission prayer - Jesus petition was that if God was willing, that this cup of horror would be passed from Him, but He concludes by acknowledging “the possibility” that His petition may not be granted and submits in advance to the Will and Purpose of God.

·         God in His Wisdom may NOT see fit to answer our prayer and submitting our own will in advance to God’s will, prepares us to know that the answer is in His hands and it will be just, merciful, and purposeful.  

·         This brings up the question; when the whole church is offering up a petition of prayer and the petition is DENIED; what’s up with that?

·         Do we use the words’ “IF IT BE THY WILL” as a “cop out”; that we really don’t believe we will receive what we are asking for in prayer. – God says if we doubt, we should not expect to receive anything, because we are double-minded.

Luke 22:42 – Remove this cup from me – Your will be done
⁴² saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. (ASV)

James 1:6-8 – If you doubt; do not expect an answer
⁶ But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
⁷ That person SHOULD NOT EXPECT TO RECEIVE anything from the Lord.
⁸ Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do. (NIV2011)

PATTERN B

·         PETITION; FATH – This pattern is taught to us by Jesus concerning the power of FAITH.  We see examples where Jesus DID NOT HEAL some people, but their “FAITH in HIM” healed them. – Some blind men were healed according to their FAITH - A woman with an issue of blood was healed by her FAITH – Ten Lepers were healed by their FAITH – A centurion’s FAITH healed his servant – A mother’s FAITH healed her daughter.  Every time healing occurred in scripture, somebody’s FAITH was in operation. - NYOBS 13.02 - HEALING SCRIPTURES

·         Hyperbole is the use of exaggeration as a rhetorical device or figure of speech. - As a figure of speech, it is usually not meant to be taken literally, but emphasizes and evokes strong feelings to create strong impressions.

·         Such is the case when Jesus teaches with strong emphases on Mountain Moving Faith; those listening to Him were accustomed to hearing teachings with hyperboles. - Mustard Seed faith that “moves mountains” is not about actual mountains, but about the enormous, gigantic, awesome POWER that is contained in unwavering, unhesitating FAITH even when the faith is as small as a tiny mustard seed. – It will allow the BELIEVER to climb, jump over, level out or move the mountains in their life.

·         Ask and receive – We are taught to ask by Faith in the name of Jesus Christ and we WILL receive. – When two or three are gathered together petitioning the Father in Jesus’ name, it WILL be done for them.

·         But then we learn that we may ask amiss, that we should ask according to God’s will. – Does that mean that we can only receive what God wants us to receive? – SELAH – PONDER THAT -

Matthew 9:28-29 – Blind men’s FAITH healed them.
²⁸ When he entered the house, the blind men came to him, and Jesus said to them, “DO YOU BELIEVE that I am able to do this?” They said to him, “Yes, Lord.”
²⁹ Then he touched their eyes, saying, “ACCORDING TO YOUR FAITH be it done to you.” (ESV)

Mark 5:30-34 - Woman with the issue of blood FAITH healed her

30 At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothes?"

33 Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth.

34 He said to her, "Daughter, YOUR FAITH HAS HEALED YOU.  NIV

Luke 17:17-19 – Lepers FAITH healed them
¹⁷ Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine?
¹⁸ Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?”
¹⁹ And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; YOUR FAITH has made you well.” (ESV)

Luke 7:48-50 – A woman’s faith Saved her
⁴⁸ Then he spoke to her: "I forgive your sins."
⁴⁹ That set the dinner guests talking behind his back: "Who does he think he is, forgiving sins!"
⁵⁰ He ignored them and said to the woman, "YOUR FAITH HAS SAVED YOU. Go in peace." (MSG)

Matthew 8:13 – Centurion’s faith healed his servant
¹³ And to the centurion Jesus said, “Go; let it be done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed at that very moment. (ESV)

Matthew 15:28 – A mothers faith healed her daughter
²⁸ Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, GREAT IS YOUR FAITH! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly. (ESV)

Matthew 21:21 – Have faith not doubt; you can move mountains
²¹ And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have FAITH and do NOT DOUBT, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this MOUNTAIN, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ IT WILL HAPPEN. (ESV)

Matthew 17:20 – Tiny Mustard seed faith can move Mountains
²⁰ He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.” (ESV)

John 14:13-14 – Ask in My Name and I will do it
¹³ WHATEVER YOU ASK in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the son.
¹⁴ If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it. (ESV)

Matthew 18:19 - If two or you agree in Faith, it will be done
¹⁹ Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, IT WILL BE DONE for them by my Father in heaven. (ESV)

John 16:24 – Ask according to God’s will
²⁴ Ask in my name, ACCORDING TO MY WILL, and he'll most certainly give it to you. Your joy will be a river overflowing its banks! (MSG)

James 4:3 – You ask amiss
³ You ask and DO NOT RECEIVE, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. (NKJV)

Faith & Purpose

·         Moments, Minutes, or Months, even if you only cross paths with someone for just a short period of time God has PURPOSE in that life. - My best friend and I double dated with a girl only once and WE NEVER SAW HER AGAIN, but she brought along with her on that blind date the Girl that I would eventually be married to for some 55 years. - EVERY LIFE HAS PURPOSE.

·         Paul was stricken with something, which we can only speculate what it was; perhaps it was PARKINSON ’S DISEASE, losing the ability to smell, tremors in his legs and hands with his hand writing becoming bad, as well as an inability to tolerate drugs. – Paul prayed and prayed and petitioned God for relief, But the answer was NO. - God told Paul that His grace was sufficient for him and scripture bears out; the rest of Paul’s life was filled with PURPOSE.

·         If you have been stricken with Parkinson’s disease and slowly you are being drained mentally and physically, it is assuring to know that “whatever your infirmity is”, you are in the HANDS OF GOD, His grace is sufficient and your life has PURPOSE. – So whether we are living or dying, both are equally in the hands of God, and however we find ourselves we are to glorify God; WE are all part of His purpose which WILL be completed before we die.

·         Peter was able to walk on Water directly proportional to His Faith and when he began to doubt, he began to sink. – You can’t miss this here; whether Peter walked on the water and lived to tell about it, or sunk beneath the waters and drowned were both equally in the hands of God. – The Believer is in the Hands of God, so let your FAITH and PRAISE soar.

Matthew 14:28-31 – Peter walked on water in FAITH... but
²⁸ And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”
²⁹ He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus.
³⁰  But when he saw the wind, he was AFRAID, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.”
³¹  Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of LITTLE FAITH, why did you DOUBT?” (ESV)

2 Cor 12:7-9 – My grace is sufficient for you

7 To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.

8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.

9 But he said to me, "MY GRACE IS SUFFICIENT FOR YOU, for my power is made perfect in weakness." NIV

Isa 55:11 – Your purpose will be accomplished before you die

11 So shall my word be that goes forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it SHALL ACCOMPLISH that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. KJV

Petition Depletion

·         The Primary reason prayers go unanswered is SIN; God will not be mocked.  “Doubt” is Sin and when Peter doubted, he began to sink in the waters.

·         God knows our every thought and will not hear a heart that is bent on its own passions.  Until our heart is right with God, everything we do is an abomination to Him.  Long prayers do not make up for wrong doings. – It’s not knowing the Word; it’s doing the Word.

Psalm 139:1-4 – God knows our every thought
¹ O LORD, you have searched me and known me!
² You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar.  You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways.
⁴ Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether. (ESV)

2 Chronicles 7:14 – If we humble ourselves He will answer prayer
¹⁴  if 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 and will forgive their sin and heal their land. (ESV)

Psalm 66:18-19 – The Lord does not hear a heart with sin
¹⁸ If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.
¹⁹ But truly God has listened; he has attended to the voice of my prayer. (ESV)

James 4:3 – You ask wrongly; for your own passions
³ You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. (ESV)

Proverbs 15:8 – The wicked offerings are worthless
⁸ The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, but the prayer of the upright is acceptable to him.

(ESV)

Mark 12:40 – You make long prayers and oppress the poor
⁴⁰ who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.” (ESV)

James 1:22 – Don’t just hear the Word – Do the Word
²²  But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. (ESV)

Drawing out Faith

·         Another reason Petitions seem to go unanswered is to expand our faith, deepening our reliance and faith in God.  It brings out humility, love and gratitude for what we have already received.

·         Persistence in prayer builds our faith - Humility gives us grace and favor with God

James 4:6 – He gives grace to the humble
⁶ But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” (ESV)

Proverbs 3:34 – He gives favor to the humble
³⁴Toward the scorners he is scornful, but to the humble he gives favor. (ESV)

Matthew 15:21-24 – Persistence builds faith - “Lord Help Me”
²¹And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon.
²² And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.”
²³ But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying out after us.”
²⁴ He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

Matthew 15:25-28 – Lord Help Me – Ockham's Razor 3 word Prayer
²⁵ But she came and knelt before him, saying, “LORD, HELP ME.”
²⁶ And he answered, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”
²⁷ She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.”
²⁸ Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, GREAT IS YOUR FAITH! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly. (ESV)

Dispensations

·         Dispensations refer to a distinctive chronological successive period of Time in history in which God related in different ways to mankind using different men. – Jesus Christ is the DISPENSATION OF THE FULLNESS OF TIME whom we have obtained an inheritance, according to His purpose. – There are SEVEN dispensations; seven is the Biblical number for completeness. 

·         Mankind is currently in the SIXTH DISPENSATION which is what I want to discuss here, but I felt a need to at least touch on the other six.

·         First Dispensation is called INNOCENCE – Adam – Replenish the earth - Subdue the earth –Have dominion – Care for the Garden – Salvation message; don’t eat from tree of Knowledge.

·         Second is called CONSCIENCE – Cain – Curse on the serpent – Pain in child bearing – Curse on nature – Toil to produce from the soil – Promise of the Messiah to crush Satan’s head.

·         Third is HUMAN GOVERNMENT – Noah – Noah replenish the earth – Dominion over animals – Permission to eat meat – Capital punishment law – Promise not curse the earth with a flood.

·         Fourth is PROMISE – Abraham – Make him a great nation – Make his name great – Bless his descendants – Covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob - Circumcision; sign of the covenant

·         Fifth is the MOSAIC LAW – Moses – God’s Covenant and Laws for Israel – Priest and Prophets Temple Worship – The Promised Land – Disobedience – Bondage – Deliverance.

·         Sixth is GRACE – Jesus – Began on the Day of Pentecost – Holy Spirit came – Believe and be Saved - Lasts for 2,000 years - Ends at the rapture of the saints – Judgement of Christ -

·         Seventh is The MILLENNIUM KINGDOM of Jesus Christ – Rules for 1,000 years – Satan bound 1,000 years – Ends with the final judgment – New Heaven and a New Earth – Eternity -

Genesis 2:16-17 – FIRST – Innocence –
¹⁶ And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden,
¹⁷ but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (ESV)

Genesis 3:22-23 – SECOND – Conscience –
²² Then the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—”
²³  therefore the LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. (ESV)

Genesis 6:16-18 – THIRD – Civil Government -
¹⁶ Make a roof for the ark, and finish it to a cubit above, and set the door of the ark in its side. Make it with lower, second, and third decks.
¹⁷ For behold, I will bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life under heaven. Everything that is on the earth shall die.
¹⁸ But I will establish my covenant with you, and you shall come into the ark, you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you. (ESV)

Genesis 12:1-3 – FOURTH – Promise -
¹ Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I WILL show you.
² And I WILL make of you a great nation, and I WILL bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.
³ I WILL bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I WILL curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

Exodus 19:5-6 – FIFTH – Law -
⁵ Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine;
⁶ and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.” (ESV)

Romans 10:9 – SIXTH – Grace -
⁹ because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (ESV)

Revelation 19:11-21 – SEVENTH - Millennium Kingdom of Christ
¹¹ Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war.
¹² His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself.
¹³ He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God.
¹⁴ And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses.
¹⁹ And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army.
²⁰ And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur.
²¹ And the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh. (ESV)

Ephesians 1:10-11 - The Dispensation of the fullness of time
¹⁰  that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth--in Him.
¹¹ In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, (NKJV)

The Sixth Dispensation

·          The Sixth Dispensation is the age in which we now live in.  It is called the “Age of Grace” or the “Church Age”.  It started on the day of Pentecost with the coming of the Holy Spirit and will end with the Rapture of the Saints which will include both the Jew and Gentile. – In Bible prophecy, it occurs (in time out) between the 69^th and 70^th week of Daniel’s 70 weeks, which is another Word study all into its own self.  – NYOBS 07.083 – 70 WEEKS OF DANIEL

·         Paul in his letters to the churches revealed that in the sixth dispensation, answers to prayers are handled differently than in the Fifth dispensation of the “Age of the Law”. –

·         SO GET READY TO GET UPSET -

The Post Office – FOUR GOSPELS

·         Concerning Answered Prayer and to get you UPSET right off the bat, THE FOUR GOSPELS of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John were letters sent to different postal zip code than ours; they were for the JEW Zip Code; NOT for the GENTILE Zip Code.

·         In the Four Gospel letters Jesus was addressing ONLY the twelve tribes of Israel which Jesus Himself said “I was sent ONLY to the lost sheep of THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL.” James the half bother of Jesus supports this in his opening letter addressing just the twelve tribes of Israel.

·         The followers of Christ were sent to THE JEWS and taught that whatever they asked for in the name of Jesus, it would be granted. – “ASK anything and you will RECEIVE” –

·         2000 years later, although it was not their mail, the GENTILES Hi-Hacked these letters that eventually gave birth to the “Prosperity Message” of NAME IT AND CLAIM IT or BLAB IT AND GRAB IT. -  NYOBS 27.02 – PROSPERITY MESSAGE REVISITED

James 1:1 – This mail was intended for the 12 Tribes of Israel
¹ I, James, am a slave of God and the Master Jesus, writing to the twelve tribes scattered to Kingdom Come: Hello!

(MSG)

Matthew 15:22-24 – Jesus sent ONLY to the 12 Tribes of Israel
²² And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.”
²³ But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying out after us.”
²⁴ He answered, “I was sent ONLY to the lost sheep of THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL.” (ESV)

John 14:13-14 – Ask whatsoever in my name, I will do it
¹³ 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 anything in my name, that will I do. (ASV)

John 16:24 – Ask and you WILL receive
²⁴ Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. (ESV)

New Zip Code - ACTS

·         Beginning in the book of Acts which is after the death and resurrections of Jesus Christ, we enter into a new era; “The Dispensation of Grace”. - Nowhere in this and other letters do we find anything that is remotely connected to “Ask and you shall receive” – Hold that thought, you will need it.

·         Jesus had preached the coming of the kingdom of God; repentance of sins and forgiveness, but we find instead of acceptance by Israel, His Evangelist were arrested many times, threatened and finally murdered. – In the book of Acts we find that if Israel would repent, God would give them a SECOND CHANCE, and graft them back into the vine where they have been broken off and would send Jesus Christ back to them again, BUT…

·         The Nation of Israel rejected Jesus and the kingdom of God, so God CAST THEM AWAY for a period of time and the kingdom of God was put “On Hold”. – It was then that God reached out to the “Chief of Sinners”; Saul of Tarsus known as Paul and revealed to him the MYSTERY of the “Dispensation of Grace” that had been hidden for ages in God who created all things.

Romans 11:15 – The Nation of Israel is cast away for a time
¹⁵ For if their being CAST AWAY is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?

(NKJV)

Acts 3:19-21 – If Israel would repent – Jesus would return
¹⁹ Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,
²⁰ and that He may SEND JESUS CHRIST, who was preached to you before,
²¹ whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.

(NKJV)

Romans 11:17-24 – Israel broken off but will be grafted back in
¹⁷ But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree,
²³ And even they, if they DO NOT CONTINUE IN THEIR UNBELIEF, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again.
²⁴  For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be GRAFTED BACK into their own olive tree.

(ESV)

Romans 11:25-27 – Eventually all Israel will be saved
²⁵ Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.
²⁶ And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, “The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”;
²⁷ and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins.”

(ESV)

1 Timothy 1:14-15 – Paul – Chief of Sinners
¹⁴ and the grace of our Lord abounded exceedingly with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.
¹⁵ Faithful is the saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief: (ASV)

Ephesians 3:8-9 – The Mystery – The Dispensation of Grace
⁸  To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this GRACE was given, to preach to the GENTILES the unsearchable riches of Christ,
⁹  and to bring to light for everyone what is THE PLAN OF THE MYSTERY hidden for ages in God who created all things,

(ESV)

Un-Answered Prayers

·         Sometimes I am quietly stirred in my heart about my own un-answered prayers; why did my prayer not work? – I am a strong believer; why did “whatever you ask in my name” not work for me?

·         As a young man, I prayed OFTEN that God would let me own an FM Radio Station so I could automate it and it would operate with no one there.  I believed I was smart enough to build it in a bed room and put the FM Antenna on top of my house; A ONE MAN SHOW. – This was truly my heart’s desire.

·         Twenty years later God answered my prayer and I remodeled and automated an FM radio station and I didn’t even have to own it. -  I built a control room facility for a Cable TV system and built TWO Full power Televisions stations, one from the dirt up.  What I really wanted to do was to CREATE, not necessarily own it; God’s answer overflowed my cup.

·         The Apostle Paul says that we don’t even know how to pray, so Jesus sent the Holy Spirit who knows the “Will of God” to intercede for us. – He says that for those that love God and are called according to His purpose that all things will work together for good; we don’t know HOW they will work out, but they will. – We walk by Faith, not by what we can see.

·         Paul had a Thorn in the Flesh that he gave personal testimony to; he asked God three times to deliver him, BUT God said NO… that His grace was sufficient for him. – Paul believed that it would all work out for good.  He goes on to say that for the sake of Christ, he is content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities.

·         Listen to what happened to Paul, God’s Chosen Man - Five times I received at the hands of the Jews forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. – It was through suffering that he learned obedience.

·         Scripture teaches that in whatever situation we find ourselves, whether we are brought low, or abound, face plenty with abundance or hunger and need; we are to be content because we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.

·         We learn in the Dispensation of Grace that it may not be the will of God to fix our problem, answer all our prayers, remove our weakness, change our circumstances, or be able to live with difficult people, but His Will is to give us the grace and strength to live through the challenges and be able to rejoice in them. – What is meant for Evil to us, God will use for Good.

·         What is promised is that in this “Dispensation of Grace”, God will provide a way of escape which is that we may be ABLE TO ENDURE IT. – We can turn bitter or turn to God, Pain is inevitable, Misery is optional. – NYOBS 61.10 - BAD THINGS GOOD PEOPLE

John 16:33 - In the world you will have tribulation
³³ I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (ESV)

Hebrews 5:7-8 – Jesus learned obedience through suffering
⁷  In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence.
⁸ Although he was a son, HE LEARNED OBEDIENCE through what he suffered. (ESV)  

Romans 8:28 - All things work together for good for those called
²⁸ And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. (ESV)

2 Corinthians 5:7 - We walk by faith, not by sight
⁷ for we walk by faith, not by sight. (ESV)

2 Corinthians 12:7-8 – Paul prayed three times for relief
⁷  So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, A THORN was given me IN THE FLESH, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited.
⁸ THREE TIMES I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. (ESV)

2 Corinthians 12:9 – The Answer was NO
⁹ But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (ESV)

2 Corinthians 11:24-27 – Whipped, stoned, thirst, hunger, cold
²⁴ Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one.
²⁵ Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea;
²⁶ on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers;
²⁷ in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. (ESV)

2 Corinthians 12:10 – Content hardships persecutions calamities.
¹⁰ For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (ESV)

Genesis 50:20 – You meant if for Evil, God used it for Good
²⁰ As for you, you meant evil against me (Joseph), but GOD MEANT IT FOR GOOD, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. (ESV)

1 Corinthians 10:13 – God provides a way to be able to endure it
¹³ No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be ABLE TO ENDURE IT. (ESV)

Romans 8:26 - We do not know what to pray
²⁶ Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. (ESV)

Romans 8:27 – Holy Spirit intercedes according God’s Will
²⁷ And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. (ESV)

Last Thoughts

·         God may seem silent to us, but in the four Gospels of scripture NO ONE was ever sent away empty handed, they all got what they came for.

·         The Hyperbole of Mountain Moving Faith paints a picture of the awesome nuclear POWER that is contained within the smallest seed of FAITH. – The Holy Spirt was given to us; using the Will of God, to focus our prayers like a laser beam on the Mountains in our life; making them MOVE. – Pray about everything as often as it comes to your mind. - The prayer of Faith is the Believer’s SECRET WEAPON.

·         If we pray for something and God’s answer is NO, is that an answered prayer or an un-answered prayer?  Fair Question. - To the JEWS who prayed this prayer during the time of the four gospels, NO it would be an un-answered prayer, but if it was prayed after the Holy Spirit fell on the Day of Pentecost; to the Church (the Believing Jews and Gentiles) it would be an answered prayer; NO is an answer.

·         We are taught that we are not alone in our un-answered prayers of petition and submission.  Paul petitioned God to remove his “Thorn in the Flesh” but was denied.  Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane was there too when requesting that the cup of horror would pass Him by; but HIS PETITION WAS DENIED. – All prayers are not answered the way we want them. – Sometimes we do not know how to pray, that’s why the Holy Spirit was sent to us on the Day of Pentecost; He was sent to intercede for us in our prayers incorporating the Will of God.

·         Ockham's razor would reduce these thoughts to the simplest of terms; the answers to our prayers whether YES or NO are both equally in the hands of God and all answers work together for good for those that love the Lord and are called according to His purpose. –

·         Even when your answer is NO and you might be dying, you are still in the PURPOSE of God. Every life has purpose and the purpose will be accomplished before you get to go HOME.

·         Do we pray a prayer of Submission or Petition or both? – If we pray “If it is God’s will”, are we praying in doubt that we will receive or are we submitting in advance to God’s Will?

C.S. Lewis says “Petitionary Prayer is a problem without an answer”.

We walk by Faith, not by sight.

Philippians 2:12 - Work out your salvation with fear & trembling
¹² Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, WORK OUT your own salvation with FEAR and TREMBLING, (ESV)

Philippians 4:11-12 - Be content in whatever situation you are in
¹¹ Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.
¹² I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. (ESV)

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 – Pray without ceasing
¹⁶  Rejoice always, PRAY WITHOUT CEASING,
¹⁸  give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (ESV)

Philippians 4:13 – We can do all things through Christ

¹³ I can do all things through him who strengthens me. (ESV)

2 Corinthians 5:7 - We walk by faith, not by sight
⁷ for we walk by faith, not by sight. (ESV)

In the multitude of counselors,

there is wisdom.

Proverbs 11:14

I am grateful to those that went before me providing concepts, ideas, historical

information, and scripture verses.  Because of them I can stand on their shoulders

and see further that I otherwise ever could have.

                                                                                                                                     

A Commentary; Critical, Experimental and Practical - Eerdmans

Antiquity of the Jews – Flavius Josephus Matthias

Apocrypha – Goodspeed

Baker Commentary on the Bible – Elwell

Berean Bible Society

Bible Almanac; The – Packer-Tenney-White

Bible Commentary – F.B. Meyer

Bible Dictionary – Harper and Row

Dake’s Annotated Bible – Dake

English Standard Version Bible – ESV

Expositor’s Bible Commentary – Frank E. Gaebelein

Illustrated Bible Dictionary – Nelson’s

Illustrated Bible Dictionary; The – Tyndale

Interlinear Greek-English New Testament - Baker

King James Version Bible – KJV

Matthew Henry’s Commentary - Zondervan

Mere Christianity – C.S. Lewis

Mysteries of the Bible – Readers Digest

Nave’s Topical Bible - Zondervan

New International Dictionary of the Bible; The – Douglas - Tenney

New International Version Bible (2011) – NIV

NOTE: The “new” NIV has been corrupted and made gender neutral.  AVOID IT.

Reasonable Faith – William Lane Crag

Seeing Eye; The – C.S. Lewis

Thru the Bible – J. Vernon McGee

Vincent’s Word Studies of the New Testament – Mac Donald

Who’s Who in the Bible – Paul D. Gardner

Wycliffe Bible Commentary; The – Pfeiffer & Harrison

Wikipedia –

Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible; The – Tenney