Unanswered Prayer - God’s
Perspective
Do We Understand His Ways?
“Of all the activities in
which the Christian
engages and which are
part of Christian life,
there is surely none
which causes so much
perplexity and raises so
many problems as the
activity we call prayer.”
Dr D Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Unanswered Prayer - God’s
Perspective
• God’s will for His
people
And
• Unanswered prayer
relating to
o God’s World
o God’s Will
o God’s War
Unanswered Prayer - God’s
Perspective
• God’s will for His
people
And
• Unanswered prayer
relating to
o God’s World
o God’s Will
o God’s War
What do we Believe?
• Our response to
things going belly up!
• Just the will of God?
• What does Jesus want
us to do/pray?
• What does Scripture
tell us about how God
operates in His world?
God’s Will:
Pre-ordained Will
• God determined before
creation
• Nothing in creation can
change
o
o
o
o
o
Birth of Jesus
Death of Jesus
Pouring out of HS
Lord Jesus return
World is judged
Eagle nebula
God’s Will:
Preferred Will
• God would like to
happen in an ideal
world
• But
o
o
o
o
Free will
Cause-effect
Natural laws
DNA
Milky Way
God’s Will:
Preferred Will
Two wills collide!
“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city
that kills the prophets and
stones those who are sent to
it! How often have I desired
to gather your children
together as a hen gathers
her brood under her wings,
and you were not willing! See,
your house is left to you
desolate”.
(Mat 24:37-38)
Earth with full Moon
God’s Will:
Permissive Will
In this evil world with our
free-will, cause-effect,
natural laws, DNA, sin
• God permits every thing
that happens
(he allows)
• God does not arrange. It is
not in his character
Earth with new Moon
God’s Will:
Permissive Will
God permits all of these!
•
•
•
•
•
•
Our own sin
Theft
Sexual abuse of kids
Extortion, drugs distribution
Murder, rape, torture
Genocide
We know this because we know our own
sin – and see/hear about the others
with our own eyes/ears! We may
even have experienced others sin
upon us.
Earth with a Crescent Moon
God’s Will:
Permissive Will
And God permits all of these too!
• The untimely illness/death of
our loved ones
• Road accidents
• Earthquake/Tsunami
• Pandemic illness
We know this because we
experience it and/or see/hear
about it with our own eyes/ears!
Spiral galaxy
God’s Will:
Permissive Will
Jesus permitted both Judas and
Peter to be tempted and to fail
the test of faith
• ‘Then Satan entered Judas called
Iscariot, who was one of the
twelve’ (Lk 22:3)
• ‘Simon, Simon, listen! Satan has
demanded to sift all of you like
wheat, but I have prayed for you
that your own faith may not fail’
(Lk 22:31)
• Both Judas and Peter failed
• Judas hanged himself while Peter
repented and became the Rock
of the Church
Black Hole
God’s Will:
Permissive Will
• Peter, like Judas, or
Job, or everyone has
freedom to pass or fail
the test of faith
• Jesus prayer for Peter
and Judas expresses
God’s unfathomable
respect for human free
will – His permissive will
New Star
God’s Will:
Permissive Will
• But our Lord
sometimes changes
the course of history
• He wept over the
death of Lazarus
• Then He raised him
from the dead
• He still performs
miracles today!
Orion nebula
God’s Will:
Pro-active Will
In the midst of
• Grief, trials,
tribulation
• Affliction, opposition,
heartache
He works for us in rotten
circumstances to make
us more like Christ –
His purpose
Rosette nebula
God’s Will:
Pro-active Will
‘We know that all things work
together for good for those who
love God, who are called
according to his purpose’ (Rom
8:28)
For this (problem), we have Jesus!
So
• There will be a way through it
• We will come out at the other
end with him
• The other end may be in heaven
Ring nebula
Unanswered Prayer - God’s
Perspective
• God’s will for His
people
And
• Unanswered prayer
relating to
o God’s World
o God’s Will
o God’s War
Unanswered Prayer Relating to
God’s World
Jesus cried out to His
Father
‘My God, My God, Why have
you forsaken me’?
This
• Makes it OK for us to ask
‘Why’
• Shows us that the
explanation may not come
when we need it most
Why Unanswered Prayer in
God’s World?
#1 Common Sense?: Meaningless?
• Praying for a petrol station
• To pass exam without work
• To obtain employment without skills
• To win the lottery
• To sing like Catherine Jenkins if you are
tone deaf
Why Unanswered Prayer in
God’s World?
#2 Contradictory?:
• Men at different ends of a sports field
• Bride for the sun, farmer for the rain
• Deliverance from Israeli oppression and
protection from suicide bombers
• Economic recovery for the West and fair
distribution of world’s wealth
• Two drivers circling a crowded car park
• One man running for a delayed train and the
other on it and late
Why Unanswered Prayer in
God’s World?
#3 The Laws of Nature?: Natural order?
Governing principles –infinite complexity
and exquisite harmony. Cause and effect
• We fall off a wall, plane malfunctions
• Storms and prayer against
• Serious genetic diseases
• Some cancers
Why Unanswered Prayer in
God’s World?
#3 The Laws of Nature?:
That God can and does,
on occasions, modify the
behaviour of matter and
produce what we call
miracles is part of Christian
Faith; but the very
conception of a common, and
therefore stable, world
demands that these
occasions should be
extremely rare.
(The Problem of Pain)
C.S. Lewis
Why Unanswered Prayer in
God’s World?
#4 Life is tough?: The chaos of the
Fall?
•
When we are young, we often
believe we have a divine right to
health/happiness
• With experience, we know
differently
• Who messed up?
Free-will, cause-effect, DNA etc
‘Each day has trouble of its own’
(Mat 6:34)
‘Do not be surprised at the painful
trial you are suffering’
(1Pet 4:12)
Why Unanswered Prayer in
God’s World?
#4 Life is tough?: The chaos of
the Fall?
• Can set hopes for prayer high
• And expect them
Paul was not like that. He wanted
‘to know Christ and the power
of His resurrection’ but also
‘the fellowship of sharing in His
sufferings’
(Phil 3:10)
Why Unanswered Prayer in
God’s World?
#5 Unbiblical expectations?:
• God makes all problems disappear?
• Understanding/expectation of God
are wrong!
• ‘We share in His sufferings in
order that we may also share in His
glory’
(Rom 8:17)
• Job, Shadrach, Meshach and
Abednego – Faith for the miracle
- Deeper faith to endure
suffering should
miracle not happen
• Our Lord weeps with us in our
trouble. ‘I will never leave you nor
forsake you’
(Heb 13:5)
Simeon Solomon
1863
Unanswered Prayer - God’s
Perspective
• God’s will for His
people
And
• Unanswered prayer
relating to
o God’s World
o God’s Will
o God’s War
Why Unanswered Prayer in
God’s Will?
#6 God’s best?:
• 6 billion people in the world
• Serious multitasking
• Our destiny in our own hands –
temporal imagination?
• ‘I know the plans I have for
you…plans to prosper you and not
to harm you, plans to give you hope
and a future’
(Jer 29:11)
• No explanation why delays, illness
and God’s refusals
• We have to believe by faith that
He has something even better for
us
Jeremiah
Sistine Chapel ceiling
Michelangelo
Why Unanswered Prayer in
God’s Will?
#6 God’s best?:
Prayer of Thomas à Kempis
‘O Lord, you know what is best for me.
Give me what you will, how much
you will and when you will’
Thomas à Kempis
Why Unanswered Prayer in
God’s Will?
#7 Selfish motivation?:
• We all pray selfishly sometimes
Pass exams, new car, better house,
more power, ambition, appearance,
popularity
• ‘When you ask, you do not receive,
because you ask with wrong
motives…’
(Jas 4:3)
• Jesus did not promise to answer
our prayers unconditionally
‘This is the confidence we have in
approaching God: that if we ask
anything according to his will, he
hears us. And if we know that he
hears us – whatever we ask – we
know that we have what we asked
of him’
(1 Jn 5:14-15)
Why Unanswered Prayer in
God’s Will?
#7 Selfish motivation?:
• Prayers, even if spiritually
sounding, may not be answered
because they are selfishly
motivated
We learn with experience, that when
we know our Lord, what he likes
and dreams – then we know what
his will is.
• Jesus said
‘My Father will give you whatever you
ask in my name’
(Jn 16:23)
Temptation of Christ
Ary Scheffer
Why Unanswered Prayer in
God’s Will?
#8 Relationship?:
• Why does our Lord often delay our
most fervent wishes?
• Why the silences of unanswered
prayer?
• Frustrating ++
• No doubt that hard times bring us
closer to God in prayer
‘Afflictions quicken us to prayer’ – John
Newton
We can grow to prefer what He wants
for us and deepen our relationship!
• ‘If you abide in me and my Words
abide in you, ask whatever you wish
and it will be done for you’
(Jn 15:7)
Why Unanswered Prayer in
God’s Will?
#9 Free Will?:
• God will not force a person to do
something that he/she does not
want to do
• Jesus wept over Jerusalem
• He gave us the divine capacity for
creativity, generosity, restraint,
relationship
• Voluntary submission versus
disobedience
• Power of human choice that can
release purposes of prayer can also
resist God’s will
Jeremiah
Why Unanswered Prayer in
God’s Will?
#10 Power of Influence:
• God’s power is about influence, not
control
• He works relationally through and
with us
• Jesus re-defines power as
gentleness, sacrifice and even
suffering
Power is nothing
without control:
Pirelli Tyres
Why Unanswered Prayer in
God’s Will?
#10 Power of Influence?:
• Prison (classic control mechanism)
solves little while
education/counselling (models of
influence) more effective against
the roots of criminality
• Parent has to use physical force –
their authority is weak not strong
• Prayer power has relational influence
in peoples lives rather than control
• Importance to us of perseverance in
prayer for a person/community
allowing Holy Spirit to guide
Power is nothing
without control:
Pirelli Tyres
Unanswered Prayer - God’s
Perspective
• God’s will for His
people
And
• Unanswered prayer
relating to
o God’s World
o God’s Will
o God’s War
Why Unanswered Prayer in
God’s War?
#11 Power of Satan?:
• We all experience battles with
temptation, sickness, injustice
and every mutation of
selfishness
• God’s will and God’s world will
harmonise when Jesus returns
• Meanwhile, we experience a
battle, sometimes winning and
other times losing
• The permissive will of God
Temptation of Christ
Ary Scheffer
Why Unanswered Prayer in
God’s War?
#12 Need perseverance?:
•
Jesus taught about
perseverance in prayer i.e the
persistent widow
(Lk 18:1)
• Paul said ‘suffering produces
perseverance; perseverance
character; and character hope
(Rom 5:3-4)
• Difficult in a world of instant
everything
• We may need to learn to wait
patiently and accept the
priorities of Jesus for our lives
Observation
• Sometimes in life, it seems that every trace of God
has vanished – confusion ++
• There is nothing more powerful than faithfulness
expressed in perseverance
• ‘Satan’s cause is never in more danger than when a
human – no longer desiring but still intending to do
(God’s) will – looks round upon a universe from which
every trace of Him seems to have vanished, and asks
why he has been forsaken, and still obeys’
Screwtape Letters C S Lewis
Conclusion
• Life can be tough since we live in a fallen
world. Faith does not take darkness away
• Our prayers may not be answered the way we
ask or would like
• Jesus loves his people and died to remove the
‘falleness’ and fear from us
• The Lord and His people support and comfort
us even as we weep, and look forward to
rejoicing with us when we can celebrate again
References
• Rob Whitacker - ‘From average to
awesome’ at the Men’s Weekend,
Capernwray, September 2009
• Pete Greig in ‘God on Mute – engaging
the Silence of Unanswered Prayer’ 2007