How Can I Keep Praying When God Doesn’t Seem to be Answering?

JD Greer, looking back on my life.

Now I can see how some of God's greatest times of blessing in my life happened during seasons of waiting when it felt like you wouldn't even listening was listening. There were some things that God wanted to do in me before he did those things that I was asking for my guys. It's 2021 day and new year with new mercies every single morning. Let's start this year, giving thanks to the Lord for all he's done and we look forward to all.

He's gonna do. Amen today, Pastor JD Greer is wrapping up a short series called the world upside down. Pastor JD answers. One more question that you might be asking after the year you had to keep praying when God doesn't seem to be answering the perfect way to start the new year by jumping into God's word. Let's get started. Where arguably the primary thing God calls the church to do your time like this to other things after we pray, but we should never do anything before we pray and prayer ought to be the first in the middle and man in the end of everything that we do. We see this in the book of acts when the church early church was about an upside down time ask for persecution really broke out they felt overwhelmed. They were totally unsure what to do.

They gather themselves to prayer. God answered from heaven by shaking the room they were in men, ultimately shaking the whole world through them and asked Wellwood Peter who was the leader of the early church been put in the prison of the church in Jerusalem gathered together pray all night and God released him and asked 13. It was during one of their all church prayer meetings that God raised up Paul and Barnabas and set them apart for the worldwide expansion of the gospel in acts six the apostles described in fact their ministry. Their primary ministry is prayer and the ministry of the word. Most churches like ours.

We understand the importance of the ministry of the word, but but not always as much the ministry of prayer in the Old Testament the center of Israel's worship. The temple, it was called by God, a house of prayer for all nations. God promised Israel that this is exactly what he would do when they prayed to him at this temple, he says, second Chronicles 713 when I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain or command locus to devour the latter sent a plague among my people if at that point, my people, who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways that I will hear from heaven, I will forgive their sin, and I will heal their land. Verse 15 my eyes will be open to my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place you talk about the temple for 16.

I have chosen to consecrated this temple so that my name my eyes and my heart will be there forever. Now we are not the nation of Israel. We don't have the temple anymore, but we the church we been given the name of Jesus and all these promises for us, are fulfilled in Jesus, and Jesus told us that if we the church would pray in his name, he would hear our prayers on the world's behalf just like he heard Israel's prayers at the temple so conviction of the one behind this message is that one of her primary roles in this moment is to pray, but commission number two behind the need for this additional message on prayers is to be frank and honest with some of us are just not sure how effective her prayers are right. Some of you if you're honest usually started praying when when the coronavirus crisis began.

But after a few days you stop. Why can't you stop caring about the crisis just that in your heart of hearts, you are actually convinced that praying about it was actually changing things. I know you felt that, and if I can be totally candid with you I felt that also sold one guy on line say keep your thoughts and your prayers. What we need are masks and ventilators. The point is because we don't always see direct, immediate answers to prayer. Some of us struggle to maintain the motivation to do it continually, not talking to anybody out there I come, I don't try to hide national spiritualist is very they are there in your house. Be honest, listen, Jesus taught a lot about prayer.

He taught us that there were four things that that should characterize our prayer lives. These four words show you not only how to pray, but they teach you what to expect from God when you pray and help you keep the motivation to pray when you're not seeing instantaneous results.

They all come from Luke chapter 11 Luke 11 verse one. Now Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished one of his disciples said to Lord, teach us to pray hey first to say it interesting that after everything the disciples of seen Jesus do at this point what they want Jesus to teach them is how to pray not to just preach or teach as I cast out demons or teachers to do miracles but teach us to pray. They understood that for the powerless. Verse five Jesus says to them which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him for him and me three loaves for a friend of mine just arrived the long journey and I've nothing now set before him. You will answer him from within. Do not bother me. The door is now shut my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything that you're asking hey were quite a few details of the story make it make it make sense in our context. First, in a country without electricity. Midnight is really the middle of the night.

They were like I stayed up till 1130 every night or 130 binging on Netflix. They went to bed right at sundown so by midnight.

This guy's been asleep for probably about four hours east well into REM right second notice it says that he is in bed with his children.

In those days people live mostly in one room houses with one big bed area so literally he's in bed with his family and his kids and what that means is that in order to get this guy. Bread is enough to wake up everybody in the house that is massively inconvenient as your family react when you wake them up in the middle of the night verbally noticed that that the man making the request here doesn't have an emergency. He's not like a my wife is Paula. She's bleeding out of the years are my guess is a peanut allergy allergy.

We need an EpiPen or or or even rotted toilet paper. Nothing like that is like I'm out of bread I meet him this request. Wait a few hours until morning started out in the middle the night for lack of pop tarts.

Finally, what you should notice is that the request is made makes is exorbitant in those days, bread loaves were huge one locally been sufficient for the night, but this guy asked for not one but three that would been enough to feed a family for three days. Jesus verse eight I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence. Some translations a bolus for shamelessness.

There he will rise and give him whatever he needs the man honors the request, not because he is his friend.

In fact, after this man is probably not even his friend anymore know he honors the request because of the boldness and the persistence this man has an asking verse nine and I tell you, asking it will be given to you seek and you will find knock and it will be open to you.

For everyone who asks receives one of six vines of the one who knocks it will be open. By the way, this whole analogy of knocking reinforces the idea of persistence when you knock you don't just walk up to the door and it once. If Veronica and I hear one single solitary thought in the middle the night, we don't assume somebody is knocking at her door with one of her kids falling off the bunkbed know when you knock you eat you wrap repeatedly Jesus goes on verse 11. What father among you, if his son asked for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent appearance your you ever do that, your kids, you get asking for a chicken nugget you're like no I'm a chicken Nuggets but here's a cobra. Of course not.

If he asked for an egg.

We give him a scorpion. Verse 13 if you then you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask this parable teaches us that for things ought to characterize our prayer lives here. The first two number one persistence Jesus parable shows us that some answers are given only through persistent old prayer little 11 verse eight because of his impudence. That's why he got the answer. Impudence is is a great word. It means that a persistence in a forthrightness and asking that that borders on rudeness because this man demonstrated a dogged persistence in asking he got what he came for. Sometimes God grant your request. Only through your persistence in asking what you say. Well if it was God's will get it. Why did you just say yes the first time I asked where he loves us so much, why, why not give it to us immediately.

Honestly don't know the full answer those questions.

I have a few ideas about share with you a moment but it's clear from this parable that God grant some things only through persistence in prayer that there's an idea that's really popular among some Christians that the printer doesn't actually change God's mind about anything, it only changes us have even seen that a little plaques you can buy the Christian bookstore will coffee mugs. Engine situation. It changes me with its quaint but it's ultimately it's not true. Yes, prayer does change you for sure, but parables like this one show you that prayer also changes the situation look 11 nine does not say ask you will be change for the asking. Seek the journey will make you different. Not in your heart will be transformed just by asking the question know what to say.

This is not nobody answers not allowed to keep banging. Don't let God pretend like he's asleep keep hammering on the door until he gets up early church understood this. X12 says they prayed all night for the release of Peter.

They didn't just mention it once and resign themselves to the sovereignty of God. Paul understood this. He asked for relief from from one of his burden so often that eventually God had to send out a message from heaven second gripping 12 nine St. Paul, you gotta let this one go.

I got a greater plan involving this thorn in my not take away from you, but the point is all had to be told to stop asking her what my favorite scenes in the Old Testament. Exodus 17 as Israel goes into battle. God tells Moses to go up on the mountaintop overlooking the battle and raise his hands, which is of course symbolic of of being in prayer.

Moses his hands were up, Israel would win and Moses put his hands down them. Will Israel start to lose.

Makes you wonder what would happen if if Moses started doing jumping jacks out of it chromatic for the Army chaos, but because the picture be any clearer as the churches hands are raised in prayer, God gives the victory. When they cease, so does the victory.

John Wesley was one of our nation's greatest evangelist just finished a book about him. He said EEC was so convinced of prayers agency and bringing the power of God that that he said I am convinced that God does nothing on earth except in answer to prayer, persistent prayer now give you wonder. Well, God was to give us these things one would immediately the first time that we asked for the seven I'm not sure the full answer, but I have learned that there are things that God does in us during times of waiting and Lamentations 325, Jeremiah, who was a prophet that was himself very broken in prison like he was abandoned like he lost everything he said he said. Lamentations 325 it's good for a man, it's good for a man to wait quietly to see the salvation of the Lord.

He called out on got multiple times for his deliverance and God told him to wait times of waiting can have a purifying effect on us. I know from experience that waiting on God in silence can help us see all the false places that we trust God reveals that waiting on God. Waiting on God can help shake us over self-confidence. Waiting is how God tests our faith in his goodness.

Martin Luther said it's like a like a child trying to push against the hand of a parent. The parent gives only enough resistance to test the resolve of the child. Martin Luther said that's what God does with us in prayer. He wants to see our resolve in his goodness. Looking back on my life. Now I can see how some of God's greatest times of blessing in my life happened during seasons of waiting when it felt like you wouldn't even listening. He was listening but there were some things that that God wanted to do in me before he did those things that I was asking him to do for me.

I love how the popular praise song puts it, God, if you're not done working on not done. Wait until he comes back until Jesus comes back until I'm dead he's not done. The first word that she characterize our prayer lives is persistence second word is desperation desperation. One thing we do know about the man in Jesus parable that is out of options.

All the stores and Israel were close that time of night. And Amazon didn't even deliver until the morning time and even they want a 7 to 10 day delay the neighbor that provide the bread then this man is out of options. One of the things that keeps us from praying is the subtle belief that we still have other options besides God's provisions that were were not absolutely desperately dependent on the mercy of God to get things done. I would say this is probably especially true for us as Americans is true the whole human race, but trust us as Americans because we are that for the can-do people it's right there in her name with the American ends nonmerit American dance. We assume that with enough time and energy.

We can figure out the solution anything and that's mostly good to me that's a innovative can-do spirit is let us that the great success in many areas, but listen, that's spirit is deadly when you're dealing with the God who says regarding regarding eternal matters. Apart from me you can do nothing in a pandemic like this when we should see that at the most fundamental level, the solutions were looking for are not to be found in our ingenuity, our country's hope is not in Dr. Faucher your Dr. Derek for the Republicans are the Democrats. This pandemic is is to shake us up to show us that our ultimate and our only hope is in God's mercy. If my people, God says my people will humble themselves and pray, humble means admit that apart from from from his grace, we can't survive as a race any fix we come up with is only to be temporary were unable to overcome that the curses of death and even unable to guarantee that the necessities of life without God as a church we are unable to wake our families and our communities up to their spiritual needs. I feel desperate, don't you only God can do that knowing that see we pray with desperation Summit. We are desperate we are desperate for God to awaken people. The reality of their sin into the living hope that they can be. There's only in the gospel characteristic number three, Jesus tells us to pray with boldness you anything about the story. There's one troubling detail to me.

The parable obviously is was represent our relationship to God right right so is Jesus comparing God the one who answers the prayer to a detached and different sleeping neighbor, you know, I'm glad that Jesus made that comparison. Not me and and wouldn't wouldn't that contradict the other pictures. Jesus gave of the father in the Gospels father, who he says knows how many years we haven't had for example, knows what we need before we even ask it now. Now see, you're asking the right question.

Is he Jesus in this parable is not trying to compare God to a sleeping, annoyed neighbor. He is trying to contrast God with one in Jesus's point is this, if even an indifferent neighbor response to this kind of persistence will your heavenly father who knows how many hairs you have in your head and who loves you more than you love yourself, will he respond to you through your persistence.

Listen. Prayer does not produce compassion in the heart of God just releases it.

God is hardwired the universe to run on prayer's power is released into the world through faith.

So pray boldly, Jesus says, knowing that he cares pray boldly knowing how many times he is promised that he will answer when you read your Bible make a list of the promises of God and recite them back to him in prayer. That's what I do when I read the Bible. John Doe promises and pray them back. Pray boldly knowing that God has commanded you to cast your cares upon him to be anxious for nothing because you leave your cares with him, and then lean on him for repose of refuge. You know who naturally makes requests boldly like this are children of my youngest child is now 10 of my oldest is 17 so this didn't happen a lot anymore but but usually quite often that I would open my eyes at 3 AM and there between two little eyes stare me right beside the bed and he can freak me out all Lily would say just words were I need some water. No, excuse me, you're so sorry to bother you, dad, or even introduction about who they are just here's money take care of it now.

Who else but but my kids could get away with that kind of impudence. If you were to do that in my house over Meisner stems on my bed that I probably would call the police, even if it were my wife I would call the police. Least your brother and I but but I'd say listen, you have two legs get yourself right. But what is one of my kids with this kind of request I do what any good dad would do in a situation I say was in your mom's rather than the other side of the bed Jesus. I get up and I hope my kids, my kids approached me with undaunted confidence of my goodness toward them. Was it. It's how the heavenly father wants us to approach him were like children who are welcome right into our daddy's bedroom at whatever hour the night with whatever need we have Yvette look how Jesus rises home in verse 13 he says is as if you were evil love to give good gifts to your children right now evil a bagel word is not why is Jesus using that word in this context is that just like a gratuitous insult to filthy animals, no, it's because most of us are at our most loving when were deal with our kids. OS will our best bet even in that moment compared to the goodness of God were still evil.

Think about it, even if were generally not very generous people, we tend to be generous and loving with our own kids. Yet Jesus says compares that to God's love for his children. Even the best parent of the best day would still be categorized as evil. What you think about the incredible promises that God gives about prayer. Second Chronicles 714 if my people, will humble themselves and pray that I will hear from heaven, I will heal their land.

Libyans 47. Let your requests and your supplications be made known to God. James 516. The prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well the Lord will raise him up if they send, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other. Pray for each other that you maybe yield the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective first John 514 and 15 and this is the confidence we have in approaching God 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 right here in Luke 11 asking it will be given to you seek and you will find knock and it will be open to you. Okay lastly number for your prayers should be characterized by trust. Look again.

Luke 11 what father among you, the son asked for fish was a fish give him a serpent if he asked for now I will give him a scorpion you parents again your kid asking for a chicken nugget unite and anime scorpion will traverse that up. What if your kid asked for a scorpion when you give them a scorpion.

Chances are no John asked for scorpion, the eager probably still going to give them a chicken nugget as a parent C sometimes you tell your kids know not in spite of the fact that you love them, you tell them no because you love them. See God is no different than so sometimes what looks to us like bread he knows is actually a scorpion will looks to us like a scorpion is actually bread anything of the cross that look like a scorpion right but the worst situation ever yet that turned out to be the greatest blessing. The God ever gave us and that's the pattern. See, for a lot of things in the Christian life. What looks like disaster listen to scorpion often turns out to be the bread of blessing. Write this down.

Sometimes God answers our prayers by giving us what we would've asked for if we knew what he knew all of Psalm 8411 what a great promise no good thing does God withhold from those who walk up rightly in him and see what we come to him.

We come to him with that confidence. Memories of God says no to us on some requester gels wait, that sometimes he does. We trust that in that waiting.

He is not withholding goodness from us his goodness to us is guaranteed.

If we trust him. That year the one thing that the Christian should never doubt is the goodness of God toward you. After all, the one who told this parable right is the one who offered up his own flesh to save us from our sin he is telling us that in light of what he does for us at the cross, surely we can trust him.

We come to him for bread.

He didn't give us pop tarts from his pantry. He gave us the eternally satisfying bread of his own torn flesh and see if he gave us that we trust that you'll not withhold any good thing from us.

Now that we are his children. The gospel of Jesus Christ teaches us to pr�cis it shows how desperate we are, for the mercy of God and how willing our God is to give it to us so Summit church.

Yes, let's ask God for miracles. Remember, prayer does not produce compassion in the heart of God. It just releases it is like the electric wire that connects the electricity in your wall outlet to the to the appliance that needs that your prayer connects our community to the power of God. Let's release it into this generation. At this moment late never be said of us what was said of Jesus in his hometown of Nazareth when when he returned, there is an adult. Matthew 1358 one of the saddest verses in the New Testament right many mighty works. Jesus did not in Nazareth because of their unbelief me think about it, of all places, Nazareth was a place for Jesus to do miracles light as were his hometown was where he loved people from relationships right.

He passed them by.

Not because he was unwilling, but because there was nobody there to believe.

Let not that ever be said of our city, our family, our nation, our generation are going to miss the gospel.

Let them not do it because they are simply on prayed for you say well I'm praying that nothing is happening. This parable says to keep praying and don't give up.

See, God has ordained that some things sometimes the greatest things happen only through bold, obedient, persistent waiting prayer.

I don't lay down your listening to Pastor Jeannie Greer and this is Summit life edges are available because friends like you step in partnering with us financially. This past year and were so grateful last month especially, we ask you to help us and be here well and you rose to the challenge. Are you a resolution maker. Have you set spiritual goals for this year. If there's one thing that will transform your walk with the Lord more than anything else and spending one on one time and God's word. If you'd like to take that challenge and read more of the Bible than you ever have before. We have a tool to help you do just that. We've included a year-long Bible reading plan through key passages and only one or two chapters per day. In the 2021 Summit life day planner plus the planner also comes with monthly Bible verses to memorize and remind you of the truth that God makes all things new. We left to get your copy today is our way of saying thanks when you donate to support this ministry suggested level of $25 or more. Give us a call at 866-335-5220 866-335-5224. Give online Jeannie Greer.com. If you sign up for our email list yet. To do that today. The best way to stay up to date ministry you get Pastor Katie's latest devotional blog will also make sure you never knew resource for theory. Sign up today. Jeannie Greer.com Emily that if it's inviting you to join us again next week, you new teaching theory. I don't Jeannie is opening to the vacant units remind that no one can run and hide from ready to get this new year rolling join us Monday on Summit life Jeannie Greer 19