Why Prayers Aren't Answered - Part I

An Examination on Why Prayers Are Not Answered
Part One: Scriptural Regulations on Prayer

Marshall Brain seems to think that the Bible is clear: ask anything in prayer and you will get it. But in order to hold this opinion, one must forsake a great of scripture verses that say exactly the opposite, giving credence to the idea that the verses Brain cites should not be interpreted as he does. Here are some things that, according to the Bible, will make your prayers not be answered.

You must obey the commandments of God for your prayer to be answered. [John 15:9-10]

You must not refuse to hear the truth when you pray. [Proverbs 28:9]

You cannot refuse to humble yourself and expect to get your prayers answered. [2 Chronicles 7:14]

People who forsake God will not have their prayers answered. [2 Chronicles 15:2]

Provoking God is definitely not a good idea if you are praying. [Deuteronomy 3:26]

Praying with a hardened heart is a sure way to get God to not listen to your prayer. [Zechariah 7:12-13]

If someone doesn't have charity, their prayers will not be answered. [Proverbs 21:13]

If you "cherish sin" in your heart, continuing to commit sins and not repenting, the Lord won't listen. [Psalm 66:18]

If you pray with faulty motives, you won't get anything. [James 4:3]

Treating your spouse or companion with dishonor will hinder your prayers. [I Peter 3:7]

Not having enough faith will ensure that you won't get what you ask for. [Matthew 17:20-21].

Sin in your heart means no prayers for you. [James 4:1-15] [Isaiah 59:2].

Making vain repetitions is a sign that your prayers aren't effective. [Matthew 6:7]

If you don't forgive the sins and mistakes of others, God won't forgive you, and won't answer your prayers. [Mark 11:25-26.]

Being a hypocrite won't help you either. [Luke 18:9-14]

Don't be anxious or worrisome when you pray. [Philippians 4:6]

The Lord won't hear you if you are doubtful and double-minded. [James 1:5-8].

Parading prayers is the wrong method for getting them answered positively. [Matthew 6:5]

Some will argue that this is misleading on God's part by putting in verses like this. But the problem is not with God: it's with Brain for not doing the necessary research. There's nothing misleading about anything Jesus said: his audience would have certainly been familiar with all of those verses, and therefore, none of what he said would have been interpreted as Brain does. The only time one encounters confusion in such a manner is if they read the Bible with a hyperliteral agenda like it was written yesterday in English.

Some may say that all of these regulations make it difficult for prayer to be answered in a positive way. If that's true, then so be it. Was prayer ever intended to be some sort of blank check, where any old Jack could ask for whatever he wants, irrespective of his life? Of course not. We have often lost sight of the fact that prayer is communicating with the all powerful Creator of the Universe, and as such, we must treat it as something sacred.

In the days of the Old Testament, being in God's presence was a very rare thing. It was reserved for very special people in the Temple, where God dwelled. The presence of God was shielded by a curtain, and there were very specific steps that had to be done in order to enter it without literally being killed because of the incredible nature of God. The priest would act as an intercessor for prayers of the people. Since then, the curtain has been ripped. The void between God and humanity has been bridged and made more accessible through Christ. We can now enter the presence of God by simply saying a prayer, with Christ as our intercessor rather than priests of the Temple. But does that give us the right to treat it as something cheap? Certainly not. We must ready ourselves, prepare ourselves spiritually before we come into the presence of God.

Some may even say that these verses aren't taken into account by most Christians. Well, most things aren't taken into account by Christians. Christianity is so far off base from what it should be.

© P-Dunn's Apologetics 2008. All rights reserved.