Why No Answers When We Pray?

(Isaiah 59:1-2)

(outline by Pastor George Ragsdale)

I. Asking amiss (with wrong motives)
A. James 4:3
Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

B. 1 John 5:14-15
14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, he heareth us:
15 And if we know that HE hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him.

II. Selfishness
A. James 4:3
Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss (wrong motives), that ye may consume (spend) it upon your lusts (pleasures).

III. Unbelief
A. Mark 11:24
Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

IV. Discord with spouse
A. 1 Peter 3:7
…that your prayers be not hindered.

V. Hypocrisy
A. Matthew 6:5
And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

VI. Sin: living an unrighteous life
A. Psalm 34:15-17
15 The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and His ears are open unto their cry.
17 The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.

VII. Ingratitude
A. Philippians 4:6
Be careful for nothing (don’t be anxious about anything): but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

Conclusions:
A. “Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my meditation. Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray. My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.” (Psalm 5:1-3)

B. “Yet the LORD will command his lovingkindness in the day time, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life.” (Psalm 42:8)