Will God Answer My Prayer?

I've heard it said that God always answers our prayers, but sometimes His answer is "No" or "Not yet." This sounds good and may even be true most of the time. I've probably even provided such an answer to others. But I need to correct that and be very clear here - God does not answer every prayer.

We certainly want to believe that God will answer our prayers. But can we be assured that He will? If we pray within His will, He will undoubtedly answer. Consider one of my favorite passages of scripture:

"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened." (Matthew 7:7-8)

So, why then do I suggest that God will not answer every prayer? When answering this question, let's consider two groups - first unbelievers and then believers.

Some may question whether an unbeliever ever really prays. Fair question, but if you ponder this for a while perhaps you'll recall someone saying "If God really exists, He'll do _____ for me." This is, in essence, a malformed prayer. We might instead rephrase it as "God, if it is within your will, please help me with _____." It is not for us to test God, but to ask Him. But there is a prayer from the unbeliever that God will answer. Wayne Mack, in Reaching the Ear of God, writes, "Jesus was not teaching unbelievers to pray because the only prayer that God will hear from unbelievers is a prayer for mercy and forgiveness." This may sound harsh, but what more do any of us need than God's mercy and forgiveness?

Perhaps more surprising, however, is the notion that God will not answer all prayers of the believer either. What makes me so sure? Consider these scripture verses:

"You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions." (James 4:3)

"If I had cherished inequity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened." (Psalm 66:18)

If our heart is not properly aligned with God, if our motivations are inequity, selfishness or otherwise self-serving, God may simply not answer. Some of you may be thinking, "But I know there is a passage that suggests God will grant all that I ask for." True, but we must always remember the full context of the passage. Consider this from 1 John:

"Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him." (1 John 3:21-22)

The middle of this verse does say "whatever we ask we receive from him." But look at the conditions that surround this - our hearts must not condemn us and we must keep his commandments and do what pleases him.

Take heart, my friends. God desires to answer our every prayer. He only desires that our hearts are aligned with His will. If our motivations are true and we are praying to do God's will, God will certainly answer those prayers.

Most gracious God - I trust that you will answer each prayer that is within your will. I pray that through these simple thoughts, your Word reaches many and you are glorified. Help us all to ensure our prayers will be answered by our remaining true in heart. We ask these things in the name of your Son and our Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

[Note: There is so much more to be said about prayer. I intend for this to be the first in a multi-part series.]