Notes On The Christian Prayer Life

• Defining The Issues:

          -The fact that God seemingly ignores certain prayer requests has been a major source of discouragement in daily religious life, and has in fact harmed the faith of some. We have all been disappointed from time to time with how He decides to answer our prayer supplications. But this is by no means a valid reason for turning away from God, for we are in no place to question the intentions of our Maker. Neither are we fully able to comprehend His will. There are several biblical principles for a Christian to take into account in his or her daily prayer life.

• Keep In Mind The Possibility That God May Be Trying Our Faith For The Purpose Of Building Our Character:

          -"Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance." (James 1:2-3)

• Keep In Mind That In Order To Have A Deep Relationship With God We Must Pray To Him On A Regular Basis:

          -"Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

• God Will Not Answer The Prayers Of Somebody Who Has The Wrong Motives:

          -"You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures." (James 4:3)

• God Will Not Answer The Prayers Of People Who Have Doubt In Their Hearts:

          -"But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways." (James 1:6-8)

• God May Refuse To Answer The Prayers Of People Who Are Not Fulfilling Their Duties As A Christian Or Have Cherished Sin In Their Hearts:

          -"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 the things that are pleasing in His sight. This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us. The one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. We know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us." (1 John 3:21-24)

• Other Points Worthy Of Consideration:

          -Even when God says no to a prayer request, that is still an answer to prayer.

          -God can answer our prayers in totally unexpected ways.

          -Maybe God wants us to wait for a period of time before He answers a prayer.
          -The forgiveness of sin does not entail the undoing of negative consequences.
          -God wants us to pray according to His will (1 John 5:14).

• There Are Different Types Of Prayer:

          -If the conscience of a person is burdened by sin, then he or she can pray and meditate on Psalm 51.
          -If a person does not know what to say or how to pray, then he or she can always recite from the heart the Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6:6-14).

          -If a person even needs encouragement, then he or she can pray and meditate on Psalm 23.