The Efficacy of Prayer - Part 4

Wrong Praying

Jas. 4:2-3 You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.

1 Jn. 5:14 This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.

I. THE PURPOSE OF PRAYER

   A. Since the purpose of our lives is to glorify God (the true purpose driven life) in ALL things, then the purpose of prayer must be this also.

   B. God is glorified when we show due gratitude, respect and honor to Him as our Creator, Sustainer and Redeemer.

   C. God is glorified when we seek to extend His kingdom into all the world.

   D. God is glorified when we honor His Son the Lord Jesus Christ by proclaiming Him and His kingdom in all the world.

   E. God is glorified when we give His Word the honor He Himself gives it.

   F. God is glorified when we trust Him implicitly and completely.

   G. Therefore, the purpose of prayer is to glorify God by seeking those things from His Word and promises which extend His kingdom in all the world through faith and by faith in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

II. PRAYER THAT WILL NOT BE ANSWERED

   A. The context of unanswered prayer is worldliness Jas. 4:1-10

   B. Worldliness is characterized by the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life. See 1 Jn 2: 13-17

   C. These things are illusory and temporary; the things of this world are here for our use, not for our obsession according to 1 Tim. 6:17. Put this on in your conscious thinking that we have all things given by God for us to enjoy, NOT to obsess over.

   D. When we are so consumed by the pleasures the things of this world can bring that we are asking God for them, He will not answer us!

   E. God sees them as destructive to faith (1 Tim. 6:9,10; Phil 3:19)

   F. He will not answer prayer for things that will destroy the one who asks.

   G. He tells us not to pray for those caught up in unrepentant, obsessive habitual sinfulness, because even for believers there is a sin (s) leading to death. (1 John 5:16)

III. PRAYER THAT WILL NOT BE HEARD

   A. If we keep iniquitous behavior in our heart God will not hear us. Psa. 66:18. What do you think, does this include all the unsaved?

   B. Those who turn their heart away from the Word of God, He will not hear. Pro. 28:9. But, He answers and hears sincere or true prayers of repentance and faith to believe. Even this is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.