PRAYING WHEN GOD SEEMS FAR AWAY

 

One of the greatest hindrances to real prayer is found on a lot of Christian Programming.

·         On TV they paint a picture of always getting your prayers answered immediately

·         Always getting healed

·         Always getting the promotion at work

·         Always having the victory

While this may be good programming it is poor theology

Most of us experience something a little different

·         We see people that sometimes struggle with sin

·         We see people struggling financially or they are battling a devastating disease,

·         We see people agonize over a rocky marriage,

·         We see people with concerns for the decisions their children are making.

While people on TV never seem to have doubts that God will answer their prayers the people that I meet have a different experience.

·         They doubt God will answer their prayers

·         They might even doubt whether or not God really does care.

·         They doubt if they are worthy enough for God to listen to them

·         They may even doubt the Bible

This prayer of Habakkuk is one to which I think we can all relate

How long, O Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Habakkuk 1:2a NIV

The book of Habakkuk is all about a guy that doubted God.

·         He asked God,  “Why is it God would not hear his prayer?”

·         He asked,  “Why there was there so much violence in the world and God did nothing?”

·         he asked, “Why does God bless the wicked?”

Then when God would answer Habakkuk would doubt and question some more.

Will you let them get away with this forever? Will they succeed forever in their heartless conquests? Habakkuk 1:17 NLT

There are times when we can pray with little or no belief or hope

In the Bible we read of prayers where the pray-er basically says I keep praying and asking and God does nothing.

O Lord, why do you stand so far away? Why do you hide when I need you the most? Psalm 10:1 NLT

O Lord, how long will you forget me? Forever? How long will you look the other way? ²How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul, with sorrow in my heart every day? How long will my enemy have the upper hand? Psalm 13:1-2 NLT

My God, my God! Why have you forsaken me? Why do you remain so distant? Why do you ignore my cries for help? ²Every day I call to you, my God, but you do not answer. Every night you hear my voice, but I find no relief. Psalm 22:1-2 NLT

Then we watch TV and we hear testimonies from famous preachers of how whenever they go to the mall they pray for God to give them a spot up front near the mall entrance and every time God gives them a spot up front near the door.

In the Bible we read of prayers where the pray-er says God why have you forsaken me when I needed you the most?

Then we watch TV and hear testimonies of how I was late for work and I prayed and God turned every light green.

I think we need to hear the testimonies of God answering prayer but that is not always the whole story and we need to have the courage to tell the whole story and we need to learn why God sometimes seems so far away.

Join us at Faith Fellowship this Sunday at 11:00 AM

Message this Sunday- THE POWER OF PERSISTENT PRAYER

THE POWER OF PERSISTENT PRAYER

"Satan trembles when he sees the weakest Christian on his knees."  

William Cowper

"If the church wants a better pastor, it only needs to pray for the one it has."

"Seven days without prayer makes one weak."  

Allen E. Vartlett

Don’t pray when you feel like it.

Have an appointment with the Lord and keep it.

A man is powerful on his knees."

Corrie ten Boom

"God does nothing except in response to believing prayer."  

John Wesley

"Men may spurn our appeals, reject our message, oppose our arguments, despise our persons, but they are helpless against our prayers."

Sidlow Baxter

Then, teaching them more about prayer, he used this story: “Suppose you went to a friend’s house at midnight, wanting to borrow three loaves of bread.

You say to him, ⁶‘A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit, and I have nothing for him to eat.’

⁷And suppose he calls out from his bedroom, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is locked for the night, and my family and I are all in bed. I can’t help you.’

⁸But I tell you this—though he won’t do it for friendship’s sake, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence.

⁹“And so I tell you,

keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for.

Keep on seeking, and you will find.

Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.

¹⁰For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds.

And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

Luke 11:5-10 NLT

"The prayer power has never been tried to its full capacity.

If we want to see mighty wonders of divine power and grace wrought in the place of weakness, failure and disappointment, let us answer God's standing challenge,

"Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not!'"

J. Hudson Taylor

Join us at Faith Fellowship this Sunday at 11:00 AM