MY SERMON NOTES
* This Sermon was delivered by a Freelance Preacher in a Commercial Bus en-route Owerri to Enugu, Nigeria. (and YES, I took notes in the bus!)
* Preacher: Evangelist Tobias (Peace Park Owerri)
* Topic: Why Prayers are not Answered
* Date: 28th August, 2014
→ Prayer is the avenue of converting God's promises to reality
* Matthew 7:7 - "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."
* John 14:14 - "You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it."
- Any prayer made outside the name of Jesus will not be answered. Such a prayer is incomplete
* Matthew 7:7 - "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."
* John 14:14 - "You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it."
- Any prayer made outside the name of Jesus will not be answered. Such a prayer is incomplete
1. Sin
- Sin is a destroyer
* Isaiah 59:1-2 - "Behold, the LORD’S hand is not so short that it cannot save; nor is His ear so dull that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear."
- Sin puts God off
- If you really want God to intervene in your case, you must avoid and hate sin
- Anything that is wrong in God's sight is sin
- Sin is a destroyer
* Isaiah 59:1-2 - "Behold, the LORD’S hand is not so short that it cannot save; nor is His ear so dull that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear."
- Sin puts God off
- If you really want God to intervene in your case, you must avoid and hate sin
- Anything that is wrong in God's sight is sin
2. Unbelief (Lack of faith)
* Hebrews 11:1 - "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see."
* Hebrews 11:6 - "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."
* Mark 11:24 - "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours."
- Unbelief and doubt affects your prayer
- we please God through faith
* Daniel 3 (the 3 young Jewish men trusted God even in the face of danger)
- Faith provokes God to action
- Don't allow the enemy to have the final say
- When your faith is alive, you don't have to struggle in prayers
* Hebrews 11:1 - "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see."
* Hebrews 11:6 - "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."
* Mark 11:24 - "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours."
- Unbelief and doubt affects your prayer
- we please God through faith
* Daniel 3 (the 3 young Jewish men trusted God even in the face of danger)
- Faith provokes God to action
- Don't allow the enemy to have the final say
- When your faith is alive, you don't have to struggle in prayers
3. Un-forgiveness
- Until you live in the realm of forgiveness you are not yet a mature Christian
* 3 people you must forgive
(a) God (some people blame God for the unfavourable circumstances they had experienced in life)
(b) Yourself
(c) Others
- Until you live in the realm of forgiveness you are not yet a mature Christian
* 3 people you must forgive
(a) God (some people blame God for the unfavourable circumstances they had experienced in life)
(b) Yourself
(c) Others
* Bitterness is a tool used by the devil to frustrate your life
* Matthew 18:21 - "Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times? Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times"
* In other words, you don't have any reason to retaliate until you are wronged 490 times by the same person!
* It is not biblical to pray for your enemies to die
* Mark 11:25 - "And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins."
* Mathew 6:9-13 → Jesus taught his disciples to forgive
* Matthew 18:21 - "Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times? Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times"
* In other words, you don't have any reason to retaliate until you are wronged 490 times by the same person!
* It is not biblical to pray for your enemies to die
* Mark 11:25 - "And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins."
* Mathew 6:9-13 → Jesus taught his disciples to forgive
4. Matrimonial disputes
* Genesis 1: 24
- God places premium On matrimonial unity
* Ephesians 5:22-25
- The devil uses disharmony among couples to hinder their prayers
* 1st Peter 3:7 - "Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers."
- Many men don't know how to give honour unto their wives
* Genesis 1: 24
- God places premium On matrimonial unity
* Ephesians 5:22-25
- The devil uses disharmony among couples to hinder their prayers
* 1st Peter 3:7 - "Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers."
- Many men don't know how to give honour unto their wives
5. Praying without the word of God
- Everything you need is already in God's word
- You have a duty to research and find out the Scriptures that is in line wits your desire
* 2nd Tim 2:15 - "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth."
* Put God in remembrance as you pray.
* Isaiah 43:26 - "Put me in remembrance; let us argue together; set forth your case, that you may be proved right."
- Everything you need is already in God's word
- You have a duty to research and find out the Scriptures that is in line wits your desire
* 2nd Tim 2:15 - "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth."
* Put God in remembrance as you pray.
* Isaiah 43:26 - "Put me in remembrance; let us argue together; set forth your case, that you may be proved right."
6. Praying according to the will of God
- When you do not pray in accordance with God's will, You will not receive any answer
*1 John 5:14 "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us."
- When you do not pray in accordance with God's will, You will not receive any answer
*1 John 5:14 "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us."
7. Not praying in the Holy Ghost
* Jude 1:20 - "But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit,"
* Jude 1:20 - "But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit,"
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