How empty and pointless are the prayers of those who reject the true and living God. They will never see an answer to prayer, unless, it’s a prayer of repentance and belief in Jesus. They may see some random instances where it seems like their prayer was answered, but the Bible says, “Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.” (John 9:31) Many people pray, but never see any answers to their prayer. They feel the act of praying helps them in some nebulous way, but if God never answers, where is the help?
John 15:7 – “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” God promises answers to prayer to those who abide in Christ and pray according to His will. This begs the question; how often do we see our prayers answered?
E.M Bounds noted: “It is answered prayer which brings praying out of the realm of dry, dead things, and makes praying a thing of life and power. Unanswered prayers are training schools for unbelief, an imposition and a nuisance, an impertinence to God and to man.”
Answers to prayer are the only surety that we have prayed aright. What marvelous power there is in prayer! What untold miracles it works in this world! What untold benefits to men does it secure to those who pray! Why is it that the average prayer by the million goes a begging for an answer? The millions of unanswered prayers are not to be solved by the mystery of God’s will. We are not the sport of His sovereign power. He is not playing at “make-believe” in His marvelous promises to answer prayer. The whole explanation is found in our wrong praying. “We ask and receive not because we ask amiss.”
“Answered prayer is the convincing proof of our right relations to God.”
When we abide in Christ and He in us, we will ask according to His will and see God answer our prayers. This strengthens our faith and glorifies God. If we are not seeing God answer our prayers, we must ask ourselves if we are really praying according to His will.
(By Josh Wilcox)
