So, The Lord Said "NO" Huh?

  1 JN. 5:14-15; 1PET. 3:7; PROV. 28:9; JS. 1:6-7; MATT. 5:23-25

SUBJECT: HINDRANCES TO PRAYER

                                                           

God Truly Does Desire to Say “Yes” to You and me When we Pray to Him. We must Recognize the “No” and “Wait” Answers from the Lord as Opportunities to Grow in our Prayer Relationship with Him.  

When our prayers aren't answered in the way we want—generally speaking, when we receive a wait or a no answer—we sometimes become discouraged, perhaps even resentful. What we fail to recognize is that “wait” and “no” answers are tremendous teaching tools. Any serious student will admit that he or she has learned a lot from mistakes made on an exam. Our failures in life are very often our greatest teachers. So, to, with God's wait and no answers. They can reveal to us what actions we should take or how we should grow in our relationship with the Lord. (Stanley)

In this article we will focus on God's no answers to see what they might tell us. Again, I am assuming that you are in right relationship with God. The person who has not accepted Jesus Christ as Savior or who is in willful rebellion against God is not a person who can expect positive answers from God. God's answer is likely to be a repeated “no” until the person repents believing the gospel of Jesus Christ and surrenders his or her life fully to Christ.

Being a believer, however, and even desiring to live in right relationship with God does not always ensure that we will have all of our prayers answered with a "yes". There are certain practical and specific reasons why God does not always say “yes” to Christians.

CONSIDER GOD'S “NO” ANSWERS TO OUR PRAYERS.

When we hear about someone receiving an answer of “no” from God, our first impulse may be to assume that there is some deep dark hidden sin in that person's life. Likewise, when we are the ones receiving the “no” answer, we may assume that sin is the cause, and we may try to argue that point with God or justify our position and request. Another possibility, however, is that we may be living in ignorance, not necessarily high-handed rebellion, but still sinful. In such instances God may use a “no” answer to sharpen our focus and obedience to Him while correcting our mistakes.(Stanly)

Sin is willful disobedience against what we know God desires. Sin, especially on the part of a believer in Jesus Christ, is a matter of saying, “I know what God requires of me, but I prefer to do what I think is best.” It is a deliberate act of rebellion and defiance to God clear and specific guidelines. When we do this, we break our fellowship with the Lord. We are out of step and harmony with Him and His plan. As a result the Holy Spirit moves to convict us of our sin, usually with increasing intensity to help us confess and forsake our sin.

Ignorance, in contrast, is not knowing God's requirements; or an inadvertent act that violates God's standards of morality. These are not willful acts or feelings of disobedience. We do not know we are making an incorrect choice or engaging in unrighteous behavior because we have not been taught that our actions are wrong in God's eyes. We desire a relationship with God and will be quick to amend our ways once we realize our failures...but at present, we do not know that we are erring. God's “no” answer is a means of bringing us to the point where we recognize our error so we can correct our behavior. Once we correct our behavior, God's answer to our same prayer request may very well be “yes.”

There are at least six areas of error that evoke a "no" answer from God. So, God sometimes says,

A.  NO, BECAUSE OUR RELATIONSHIPS ARE NOT RIGHT BEFORE HIM.

Matthew 5:23-25, Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; [24] Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. [25] Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.

One reason God gives us an answer of no is that our relationships with other people are not right.  Conflict with others will always hinder our prayer life and worship.

    1.  Examine Your Relationships With Others.

Matthew 6:14-15, For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: [15] But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Our heavenly Father always forgives, is merciful, and desires the best for us.

         A.  Are You Unforgiving?

He will not answer our prayers as long as we remain unforgiving, unmerciful, or self-centered and demanding of those He has given us as marriage partners, family members, and friends.

         B.  Are You Mean Spirited?

We cannot be caustic, sarcastic, cynical, mean-spirited, resentful, or selfish to other people and then come to the Father and expect Him to answer all of our petitions. He has clearly said that we must forgive if we are to be forgiven.

         C. Are You a Giver?

We must be givers before we expect to receive. (See Luke 6:37–38.)

Luke 6:37-38, Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: [38] Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

Matthew 18:19-20, Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. [20] For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

    2.  Examine Your Relationship With Your Spouse.

1 Peter 3:7, Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.

         A.  In 1 Peter 3:1–7, we find a balanced approach to the relationship that God desires for a husband and wife to have. Peter says that if this relationship is not in right balance, our prayers are hindered.

         B.  Your relationship must be right with your spouse for God to answer your prayers, because in marriage, two people are made one and are regarded as one flesh by God.

         C.  God will not answer your prayer unless He is fully assured that His answer is going to be a blessing that you are going to share fully with your spouse. Your request to God must be one that honors and considers your spouse and is generous toward your spouse.(MacDonald)

         D.  Feelings of resentment, growing from selfish conduct in the home, make effective prayer impossible. Effective prayer must be "without wrath" (1 Tim 2:8).

1 Tim. 2:8, I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.

Ephes. 4:30-32,

And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. [31] Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: [32] And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. 

B.  NO, BECAUSE OUR MOTIVES ARE SELFISH.

James 4:3, Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

A second reason why God gives us answers of no is that our request is totally self-serving. The epistle of James informs us that these believers asked and did not receive, because they asked amiss, that they might spend it all on their personal satisfaction and pleasures.

   1.  All of Our Actions as Christians Are Either Aimed at Self or God.

Our motive is either to exalt ourselves or to bring glory to God. In serving others, we bring glory to God, so we might say our actions are motivated either by a desire to serve self or others.

Proverbs 16:18, Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.

Proverbs 21:17 He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man: he that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich.  

   2.  God Gives Us a “No” Answer So That We Can Confront Our Own Motives.

       A.  Why are we asking God for a certain thing or situation?

       B.  Is it so that we will look better, feel better, or get more praise from other people?

       C.  Or is it so we might help others better and be better able to fulfill the destiny that God has laid before us?

Isaiah 47:8, Therefore hear now this, thou that art given to pleasures, that dwellest carelessly, that sayest in thine heart, I am, and none else beside me; I shall not sit as a widow, neither shall I know the loss of children:

Isaiah 47:11, Therefore shall evil come upon thee; thou shalt not know from whence it riseth: and mischief shall fall upon thee; thou shalt not be able to put if off: and desolation shall come upon thee suddenly, which thou shalt not know.

   3.  God Will Not Answer Our Prayers Unless He Is Certain That We Will Be Good Stewards. 

        A.  That is with the things He gives to us and that we will be generous to others once we receive them of His generous hands.

        B.  Problems in prayer are often clues that wrong motives are at work.

        C.  James mentions the most common problems in prayer: not asking, asking for the wrong things, asking for the wrong reasons.

                — Do you talk to God at all?

                — When you do, what do you talk about?

                — Do you ask only to satisfy your desires?

                — Do you seek God's approval for what you already plan to do?

        D.  Your prayers will become powerful when you allow God to change your desires so that they perfectly correspond to His will for you. 1 John 3:21-22, Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. [22] And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.

   4.  God Gives to the Generous Believer, but Not to the Selfish.

Proverbs 21:13, Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard.

        A.  Very specifically, God expects us to be generous to those who are in need. Many of God's blessings in the Bible are reserved for those who take care of the poor, the widows, and the orphans.

        B.  We must use what God gives us to bring about justice and equity for those who are lacking the basic essentials of life. No, we cannot meet every need, but what about the ones you can meet?

C. NO, BECAUSE WE HAVE WAVERING FAITH.

James 1:6-7, But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. [7] For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.

Another reason why God says no to our prayers is because we are wishy-washy in our faith. God has little regard for faith that wavers—a faith that says, “Maybe God will, maybe He won't.” Such faith is unstable and unreliable.

    1.  Is Your Relationship With God Based on Emotions?

         A.  God sometimes gives us an answer of no so we will reevaluate our opinion of Him and also come to grips with our own emotions.

         B.  Many people are driven by their emotions. One day they claim to feel God's presence and they have joy and peace.

         C.  The next day, when they are a little down or discouraged, they say they don't feel God's presence; therefore, God must not care about them. They become resentful and bitter toward God.

                                   

    2.  Is Your Relationship With God Based on Scripture?

          A.  God, however, has not changed. Their emotional temperament is being tossed about like wind-driven waves.

          B.  Our relationship with God must be based squarely on what the Bible says God desires for us and has given to us through Jesus Christ.

          C.  We are not to base our relationship with God on how we feel on any given day. Feelings come and go and change like the weather.

          D.  God's Word remains the same all the time. Our prayers must be grounded in the Word, not in ourselves.  Hebrews 13:8-9, Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. [9] Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein. 

                                                                                   

D.  NO, BECAUSE OF OUR FAILURES TO TITHE OUR INCOME.

Malachi 3:10, Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

   1.  One of the Most Common Yet Unrecognized Errors That Can Bring about a “No” Answer from God Is Our Failure to Tithe. God does not tolerate stinginess—whether toward Him or toward other people.

   2.  If God Does Not Seem to Be Answering Your Request for Things, Money, or Material Goods, Check Your Giving. It may be God is seeking to teach you a new set of priorities in your handling of money. He may be attempting to give you a new understanding of stewardship.

   3.  God Will Not Violate the Cycle of Giving That He Established for Humankind: Giving, Receiving, Giving, Receiving. His law is one that requires reciprocation.

Leviticus 27:30, And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord's: it is holy unto the Lord.

E.  NO, BECAUSE OF OUR INDIFFERENCE TO HIS WORD.

Proverbs 28:9, He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.

Sometimes God gives us an answer of no so that we will get serious about reading His Word and applying it to our lives. You cannot live with a closed Bible and expect to have an open line to Heaven.

    1.  The Bible Is God's Manual for Right Living.

        A.  It contains His promises related to prayer and the meeting of our needs.

        B.  It holds God's commandments for how to receive and use God's blessings and defeat the enemy of our souls.

        C.  We cannot turn a deaf ear to God's Word and then approach God with our requests.

ILLUSTRATION:  That would be like a college student telling his professors, “I don't need to attend classes or study any courses. Just give me a degree and I'll be on my way.” Can you imagine the response that student would receive? (Stanley)

    2.  The Bible Has Both Information and Inspiration That We Need for our Daily Walk with God.

Psalm 32:8, I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.

A.     David urged us to follow his example of honesty before God! Rather than being like a beast of burden that has to be harnessed into submission, we can choose to be led by the gentle touch of God's hand (Ps 32:6-11).  Thus he affords us information and through David’s example, inspiration. Especially the truth, that the Lord will tell us which way we are to take in order to reach a certain destination! God promises He will watch us, or will keep an eye on us; He will not let us go wrong.

B.     I also remember John was also a prophet seeking a response to the Word. The prophets often held out hope for the present—hope that God's judgment could be delayed if people would repent and turn to God in faith and obedience. That does not mean that the prophets offered an easy way out of all difficulties, as if somehow all problems would vanish if people would just profess their faith in God. Instead, like Winston Churchill standing amidst the bombed ruins of London, the prophets offered “blood, sweat, and tears” for those who would follow God. It would not be easy to serve God and fight against the evil of this present dark and sinful world, and yet the prophets knew that God would be victorious in the end and His people would share in that victory.

C.     So John was a prophet, calling his generation—and ours—to repentance and faith and action. He knew that we could never build the kingdom of God on earth, no matter how hard we might try. Only God can do that—and someday He will, when Christ comes again. But John also knew that God's judgment on this world could be delayed if we would repent and turn to Christ.

D.     To some, John's message of the future may have sounded gloomy and depressing. John knew, however, that the worst thing he could do would be to assure people that everything was alright and that there was no need to be concerned about the evil in the world or God's judgment. But John's message is ultimately a message of the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ.

   3.  Read and Study the Word for Daily Inspiration for Zealous Christian Living.

Avail yourself of it. You'll gain important insights into how to pray so that you get yes answers from God.

Psalm 119:105, Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. (Once again see Isa. 1:11-20; Zech. 7:11-14; 2Tim. 4:3-4).

F.  NO, BECAUSE OF UNCONFESSED SINS IN OUR LIVES.

Isaiah 59:1-3, Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: [2] But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. [3] For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness.

  1.  Acknowledging Sin is Not Enough.

God sometimes gives answers of no in response to our unconfessed sins. Just recognizing our errors and sins is not enough.

  2. Confession of Sin is Required.

Proverbs 28:13, He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.

     A.  We must Confess Them to God and Receive His Forgiveness.

It is not sufficient that we recognize that our relationships are wrong, we have failed to tithe, we have wavering faith, we are selfish, or we are indifferent to God's Word.

     B.  We must Actually Confess These Errors to God and Then Repent of Them, Which Means to Make a Willful Decision to Change. Every believer must humble themselves before God in a spirit of repentance trusting God to restore and revive us in Christ Jesus!

Proverbs 15:8, The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord: but the prayer of the upright is his delight.

Proverbs 15:29, The Lord is far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of the righteous.

     C.  God Cannot Give Us “Yes” Answers If We Only Recognize Our Errors, but Do Not Obey Him and Change Our Ways by the Power of His Spirit.  God constantly reminds of this requirement!

1 Peter 3:12, For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.

James 5:16, Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. 

   3.  Confession or Cover-up is the Question?

A.     Honest Confession of Sin Is Always Better than Any Attempt to Conceal an Unpleasant Truth (see Job 31:33; Ps 32:3-5; 1 John 1:9). 

                                                             i.      The individual who covers his sins by denying or extenuating them, (1 Sam 15:20-21) “shall not prosper.”

                                                           ii.      QUOTE:   “To hide a sin with a lie is like a crust of leprosy drawn over an ulcer” (Jeremy Taylor).

B.     Many People Try to Cover Their Sinful Failures by Laying the Blame on Others (Gen 3:12-13; Ezek 18:2).

                                                             i.      They effectively deny themselves the “prosperity” the Lord desires for them. 

                                                           ii.      Some even cry out in anger, “I am not the only one, or the first one who did it, and I shall not be the last.” 

C.     This Is Altogether Different from What We Find in the Account of Acts 19:17-20. 

               1.  The blessings come only after the confession and forsaking of sin!  Acts 19:17-20, And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. [18] And many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds. [19] Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. [20] So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed.

               2.  Ephesus seemed to be a center for black magic and other dark occultic practices. Evidently, the people would create magical formulas to give them wealth, happiness, and success in marriage. Obviously, superstition and sorcery were commonplace. Many of the Ephesian converts had been involved in these dark arts.

               3.  But notice the sincerity of their confessions.  Because of the powerfully demonstrated superiority of the name of Jesus over evil spirits (Acts 19:11-17) many of the new believers in Ephesus did some spiritual spring cleaning. 

·Specifically, they renounced their fascination with all occult practices and their secret spells. Then, taking the left-overs of their pagan pasts, they burned them at a public bonfire.

·Yes, making a clean break with sin is costly -- the magic books alone were worth several million dollars (literally, fifty thousand drachmas). A drachma was a silver coin equal to a worker's pay for one day. 

·But the end result was the Word of God grew and prevailed! (MacDonald)

     D.  The Person Who “Confesseth and Forsaketh” Sin and Refuses to Be like a Dog Returning to His Vomit, (2 Peter 2:22) Shall Have the Sweet Mercy of the Lord.

               1.  In all actuality the sincerity of the confession is proven by our forsaking our sins (Job 34:31-32). Then mercy is sure to be ours (Ps 32:5; 1 John 1:8-10).

               2.  Consider the heart of God and the love in his appeal to return to him and faithfulness.

Jeremiah 3:11-15, And the Lord said unto me, The backsliding Israel hath justified herself more than treacherous Judah.  [12] Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the Lord; and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith the Lord, and I will not keep anger for ever. [13] Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the Lord. [14] Turn, O backsliding children, saith the Lord; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion: [15] And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.

  

God's foremost desire is not to give us answers of "wait" or "no", but to say “yes” to us. Deuteronomy 28 is an important chapter for us to read and study. It tells us that God desires to bless us:

Deut. 28:1-2, And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: [2] And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God.

God's desire is for blessing, but if we, His people, turn to follow other gods and do not obey His Word, then we will find ourselves in a position in which the “heaven that is over thy head shall be brass, and the earth that is under thee shall be iron.” (v. 23). In other words, the heavens will be closed to our prayers, and nothing we attempt to do on earth will prosper. When we know what to do, we are responsible for doing it. Then, and only then, can God trust us with His 'yes' answers and His greatest blessings.

Deut. 28:23, And thy heaven that is over thy head shall be brass, and the earth that is under thee shall be iron.

What we fail to recognize is that “wait” and “no” answers are tremendous teaching tools. Therefore, learn as much as possible from your mistakes!  Always bear in mind that our failures in life are very often our greatest teachers.(Stanley) So, too, with God's “wait” and “no” answers. They can reveal to us what actions we should take or how we should grow in our relationship with the Lord. Use this article to examine your own life. Allow yourself time to be completely transparent and open with the Spirit of God. Confess all known sin so that your fellowship with the Lord is restored and strong. Continue praying in faith knowing the Lord does indeed hear you and will answer positively in His precious time and according to His will for us. Beloved, do not allow yourself to become discouraged in your prayers. Examine the heart and make things right with the Lord. Then...keep talking to Him!  

Have Faith In God!

Mark 11:20-24

Have you ever needed God to come through in some huge way? Can you recall the last time you cried out to God for great things? During those prayer challenges, did you wonder how you could increase your chances of a positive answer? Well, God responds favorably to our requests when we appeal to Him in faith. When the five primary conditions for “yes” answers are satisfied, (right relationship with God; a method including thanksgiving, specific requests, and persistence; petitions based on God’s promises and respectful of His will; prayers submitted in the Name of Jesus; and faith,) we will receive positive answers from the Lord more frequently.

You see the prayer requests we submit to God, must meet His qualifications for a positive response. Not only must we avoid the hindrances to prayer, but we must also satisfy the qualification for positive responses. When our desires and requests meet these conditions, our Father is happy to grant us our requests. In the Scriptures our Lord has outlined prerequisites for receiving ‘yes’ answers to our pleasure. Be assured that His responses always reflect our best interests and our eternal welfare.

Not only are a right relationship, method, requests, and framework required, but the attitude must be right also. Yes, we must have the outlook of faith as we pray. We must take our Lord's counsel seriously and "have faith in God" (Mk. 11:22). So how do we exercise faith in God as we pray? What steps should we take? 

I.       Choose God as the Object of Your Faith (Mk. 11:22) “…Have faith in God.” 

A.     Avoid the Mistakes Often Associated With Faith And Prayer.  Do not merely believe in yourself.  Do NOT place faith in your faith or even faith in prayer.  Do not waste your time trusting people beyond what is reasonable—they are only human.

B.     Pray Effectively in Faith.  This requires "faith in God," not faith in the object of your request.

                                                1.      If you focus only on your request, you will be left with nothing if your request is refused.

                                                2.      You see, faith believes God and is a confident attitude toward Him; a persuasion that God’s statements are true; and it involves commitment to His will for your life (Phil. 1:27; 2 Thess. 2:13).  The primary idea is trust and there are many degrees of faith all the way up to full assurance of faith –being fully persuaded and absolutely free of doubt (Heb. 10:22).

                                                3.      Faith is the belief that God is real and that God is good. Faith is not a mystical experience or a midnight vision or a voice in the forest.… It is a choice to believe that the one who made it all hasn’t left it all and that he still sends light into the shadows and responds to gestures of faith.… Faith is not the belief that God will do what you want. Faith is the belief that God will do what is right. –Max Lucado

C.     Place your Faith/Trust/Belief/Confidence in the Lord God.

                                                1.      Remember Jesus Emphasized Faith (Mk. 11:12-14, 20-22).

a.       Why was the fig tree both cursed and withered? The passage emphasizes the power of true faith. No doubt the fig tree represented ‘faithless’ and therefore, ‘fruitless’ Israel, who would soon face the judgment of God. But there would be no limitations in divine blessings for the disciples living in faith!

b.      The next morning the fig tree had withered away. Its deadness was now exposed, even as Jesus was about to expose the deadness of Israel’s religion.

c.       Jesus told the disciples the truth. The true power of religion is not found in buildings or ritual, but in a personal relationship with God which is expressed in faith. The person who trusts God completely can move mountains! We are to pray, believing. We can be sure as we focus our trust in God that we will receive what we ask. —Richards, Larry

d.      Our Lord’s answer to Peter, on the surface seems totally unrelated to Peter’s question (11:21, 22).

e.       Swete offers the following explanation: “The answer is remarkable; the Lord does not explain the lesson to be learned from the fate of the tree, but deals with a matter of more immediate importance to the Twelve, the lesson to be learnt from the prompt fulfillment of His prayer.”

f.        This was a lesson in faith then!

                                                2.      Choose to Believe God as a Matter of Habit.

a.       Jesus also used this miracle to teach us a lesson on faith. The next morning, when the disciples noticed the dead tree, Jesus said, “Have faith in God,” meaning, “Constantly be trusting God; live in an attitude of dependence on Him.” –Wiersbe, Warren W.

b.      You see, the first step in prayer must be faith in God. Paul stated this same principle: “But without faith it is impossible to please him; for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Heb. 11:6).

                                                                                                                           i.      Place unwavering trust in God’s omnipotent power and unfailing goodness. Faith rests resolutely in an Almighty God of steadfast kindness (Mk. 5:34).

                                                                                                                         ii.      God is always ready to respond to obedient believers’ prayers, and we can petition Him knowing that no situation or difficulty is impossible for Him.

c.       If you don’t believe in God, friend, then the skeptic is certainly correct when he says that prayer is a madman talking to himself. Having faith in God is the first step.—McGee, Vernon J.

                                                3.      Understand that Christ’s Constant Faith in God is a Model for Us.

a.       This is just another instance in the life of our Lord that brings to view His humanity and His dependence upon God the Holy Spirit, for the words He uttered, the prayers which He prayed, the miracles He performed, and the life which He lived, was as the Man Christ Jesus, doing all this in the energy of the Holy Spirit. Our Lord exercised faith in the cursing of the fig tree. He presses home the lesson of the necessity of faith to the disciples. —Wuest, Kenneth S.

b.      Prayer is not an emergency measure that we turn to when we have a problem. Real prayer is a part of our constant communion with God and worship of God. —The Bible Exposition Commentary

II.    Exercise Mountain Moving Faith (Mk. 11:23)

Not only should we choose God as the object of our faith, but we must also exercise true faith, which recognizes no limitations on the love and ability of God to respond to our requests.

A.     An Illustration. Jesus was using a figure of speech (hyperbole) to show that God could help in any situation if we truly believe without wavering in our confidence in God. 

                                                1.      “This mountain,” refers to the Mount of Olives and represents an immovable obstacle. 

                                                2.      “The sea” is the Dead Sea, which is visible from the Mount of Olives. 

                                                3.      The illustration of casting an enormous mountain into the sea is an extreme example of the absolutely impossible.

B.     An Amplification. God doing the impossible is precisely the point. Having faith in God can accomplish the unfeasible, the hopeless, unrealizable, and unattainable.

                                                1.      Jesus’ point is that in our prayers to God we must believe without doubting that God can do anything consistent with His character and will.

                                                2.      Jesus was encouraging faith as the means to remove extreme difficulties. If we have faith in God, we can deal with the problem of fruitlessness, and remove mountainous obstacles.

                                                3.      Mountain removed:

When William Carey went to India, many well educated men would have said to him, "You may just as well walk up to the Himalaya mountains, and order them to be removed and cast into the sea." I [William Arthur] would have said, "That is perfectly true; this Hinduism is as vast and as solid as those mountains; but we have faith -- not much, yet we have faith as a grain of mustard seed"; and William Carey said, "I will go up to the mountain."

Lonely and weak he walked up towards the mountain, which in the eye of man seemed certainly one of the summits of human things, far above all power to touch or shake it; and with his own feeble voice he began saying, "Be thou removed! be thou removed!" And the world looked on and laughed, a well known clergyman, looking down from his high place in the Edinburgh Review, was much amused with the spectacle of that poor man down in Bengal, thinking in his simple heart that he was going to disturb Hinduism; and from his high place he cast down a scalding word, which he meant to fall just as of old boiling lead used to fall upon a poor man from the height of a tower. He called him a "consecrated cobbler."

All the intelligent world laughed, and said he was treated as he ought to be treated. However, he went on saying to the mountain, "Be thou removed! be thou removed!" And one joined him, and another joined him; the voice grew stronger; it was repeated in more languages than one: "Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the depths of the sea!" and now there is a large company who are uttering that one word, "Be thou removed!"

I ask the living representatives of the very men who first smiled at this folly, "What say ye now?" "Well," they answer, "you have not got into the sea yet." That is true; but do you say that the mountain during the last forty years has not moved? No man can say that it is in the same position as it was when William Carey first went up to it. It is moving fast; and I call upon you to swell that voice, the voice of God's Church, which seems to say, "Be thou removed, be thou removed, and be thou cast into the depths of the sea!"

Cast into those depths it will be; and a day will come when the nations of a regenerated East will write in letters of gold upon the first pages of their Christian history the name of the "consecrated cobbler."—William Arthur. The Biblical Illustrator

C.     An Application.

                                                1.      The kind of prayer Jesus meant was not the arbitrary wish to move a literal mountain.

                                                2.      Instead, he was referring to prayers that we would need to endlessly pray as we faced mountains of opposition to our gospel message. Our prayers for the advancement of God’s kingdom would always be answered positively—in God’s timing when we exercise real faith.

                                                3.      Maybe your mountain is financial difficulties, struggles in marriage, challenging conditions at work, a straying child, loneliness, anger, sorrow, or even confusion about God.  Approach the mountain in faith to see it removed from your path of progress.

                                                4.      Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care? Precious Savior, still our refuge—Take it to the Lord in prayer. Do thy friends despise, forsake thee? Take it to the Lord in prayer; in His arms He’ll take and shield thee—Thou wilt find a solace there. –Osbeck, Kenneth W.: Amazing Grace

III. Beware of the Hindrance of Lingering Doubts (Mk. 11:23) “…shall not doubt in his heart…”

In order to have faith in God as we pray, we must choose God as the object of our prayers, exercise mountain moving faith, and then thirdly beware of the negative power of doubt to hinder positive responses from God.

A.     Always Make Your Petitions Free Of Any Doubting.

                                                1.      The word “doubt” means “to judge between two,” thus, a divided judgment, or a wavering doubt. Don’t tolerate even a single moment of doubt.

                                                2.      Faith And Doubt

Doubt sees the obstacles.

Faith sees the way!

Doubt sees the darkest night,

Faith sees the day!

Doubt dreads to take a step.

Faith soars on high!

Doubt questions, “Who believes?”

Faith answers, “I!” —Gospel Banner

                                                3.      1 Timothy 2:8, I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.

                                                4.      Read Rom. 4:18-21; Heb. 11:17-19; James 1:5-7 for further helpful counsel. 

B.     Always Pray With An Attitude Of Faith In God.

                                                1.      Psalm 27:13, I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

                                                2.      Matthew 21:22, And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

                                                3.      Jesus’ insisted on simply believing God (Mk. 9:23, 24).

IV.  Participate in Believing Prayer to Receive from God (Mk. 11:24)

We must choose God as the object of faith, exercise mountain moving faith, beware of the hindrance of doubt, and finally pray fully expecting God to answer us and honor our faith.

A.     Believe God’s promise of positive answers to our believing prayers!

                                                1.      When we are really living in touch with the Lord and praying in the Spirit, we can have the assurance of answered prayer before the answer actually comes.

                                                2.      These verses do not give a person authority to pray for miraculous powers for his own convenience or acclaim.

B.     Don’t Forget the other Conditions for Prayer.

1.      Every act of faith must rest on the promise of God. If we know that it is God’s will to remove a certain difficulty, then we can pray with utter confidence that it will be done.

2.      In fact, we can pray with confidence on any subject as long as we are confident it is according to God’s will as revealed in the Bible or by the inner witness of the Spirit.

3.      Nor should we interpret Mark 11:24 to mean, “If you pray hard enough and really believe, God is obligated to answer your prayers, no matter what you ask.” That kind of faith is not faith in God; rather, it is nothing but faith in faith, or faith in feelings. True faith in God is based on His Word (John 15:7; Rom. 10:17), and His Word reveals His will to us. It has well been said that the purpose of prayer is not to get man’s will done in heaven, but to get God’s will done on earth. —Wiersbe, Warren W.

C.     Be Confident in God’s Desires to Meet Your Need. On what do we base our faith?

                                                1.      On the promises of Scripture and the fact that God wants only what is best for us. If we ask for what we are certain God desires for us, we must ask as if we are already in the process of receiving it.

                                                2.      The Pastor’s Text

In the early years of his ministry, Dr. George W. Truett took the following verse as his text for a morning’s message: “If two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of My Father which is in heaven” (Mt. 18:19). Having quoted his text, Dr. Truett asked:

“Do you believe it?” Of course he did not expect an answer, but one was forthcoming nevertheless. As he paused for a moment that his question might be understood, a very poor member of the congregation, poor in this world’s goods but rich in faith, rose to her feet. “I believe it, pastor,” she said, “and I want you to claim that promise with me.”

“It staggered me,” said the pastor. “I knew I did not have the faith to claim the promise, but before I had time to answer, a big, burly blacksmith in the congregation rose to his feet; “I’ll claim that promise with you, Auntie,” he said, and together the two, the poor washer-woman and the blacksmith, dropped to their knees in the aisle and poured out their hearts in prayer for the salvation of the woman’s husband.”

Now it happened that this man was a riverboat captain on the Rio Grande, a swearing, foul-mouthed drunken sot, and he was at that moment sleeping off a drink at home.

That night, for the first time in many years at least, the old riverboat captain was in the church and while the pastor preached the woman prayed, not for the salvation of her husband, rather she was thanking God for it, for she seemed to know it would happen that night.

And of course when the invitation was given this old foul-mouthed captain came to give his heart to the Lord and he became one of the most dependable and faithful workers in that church. —Baptist Standard

D.    Trust God to Direct Your Faith. You may say, “But what if I am asking for the wrong thing?”

                                                1.      If you are, and you are asking in the context of a right relationship and framework, being specific and definite and thankful, and asking to the best of your understanding of God’s will … then the Lord will show you if you are asking in error.

                                                2.      You aren’t omniscient and God doesn’t expect you to be. What He does expect of you is that you operate in the fullness of your present level of understanding and faith, and also with an open heart for Him to correct you and guide you into the precision of perfection that He desires for you. If you come to Him with that attitude, He will grant you many yes answers, and He will lead you to ask only for those things that He can answer with a yes!

                                                3.      Contrary Answers

In his Confessions, Augustine relates that when as a young man, having expressed a purpose to visit Rome, his mother protested, and prayed earnestly that he might be prevented from going, her reason being that she feared the effect upon the young man of the temptations and vices with which the great city overflowed.

He went, however, and during his stay there was converted to Christianity under the preaching of St. Ambrose. Augustine writes that her prayer was answered, though not in its outward form, but in its inward heart. What she really prayed for was that he might be saved from the ways of sin. —James Freeman Clarke

In conclusion consider this healthy and final bit of biblical counsel. Do it All for God’s Glory. When we voice our prayers out of an attitude of faith… to a very great extent we can be assured that we are praying in Jesus’ name and that our requests will be in keeping with God’s will.

The reason God says yes to our prayers is not only that we might find fulfillment and meaning and joy in our lives, but also that God might be glorified. Jesus said, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” (Matt. 5:16). The primary goal of every believer is to glorify our heavenly Father. When non-believers see us living in right relationship with God and God answering our prayers, they are drawn to God. They desire to know Him better, even be saved, and to receive more fully from Him.

God desires to say yes to you when you pray. We must make it our desire to pray in such a way that He is free to say say "yes" to us.