Disappointed in Prayer - Is It Me?

Summary

The video script explores the concept of unanswered prayers, often referred to as the 'Dark Side of Prayer.' It delves into the reasons why prayers might not be answered, suggesting that it could be due to the individual's lack of righteousness, the nature of their prayers, or God's will. The speaker encourages viewers to reflect on their faith, righteousness, and self-righteousness, emphasizing the importance of living a life aligned with God's teachings to experience the power of prayer and receive what is asked for.

Takeaways

• 🙏 Jesus emphasized the importance of prayer by repeating the promises of receiving, finding, and having doors opened when we ask, seek, and knock.
• 🕊️ Despite the promises, there are times when prayer seems unanswered, leading to feelings of emptiness and questioning the efficacy of prayer.
• 🤔 The 'Dark Side of Prayer' refers to the struggle with unanswered prayers, which can hurt and even damage our faith.
• 📖 Proverbs warns that God may not hear the prayers of those who do not follow His counsel or despise His reproof.
• 💔 Unanswered prayer can lead to questioning God's integrity, the power of prayer, and even one's own salvation.
• 🙅‍♂️ The lack of righteousness in our lives might be a reason why our prayers are not answered; we must examine our relationship with God.
• 🩸 The concept of righteousness is tied to blood (forgiveness through Jesus' sacrifice), belief, baptism, and living by the Bible.
• 🌱 Faith, as illustrated by Abraham's example, is crucial for righteousness and thus effective prayer.
• 🔍 We must consider whether we are self-righteous, which can hinder our prayers, as Jesus taught in the parable of the Pharisee and the Publican.
• 🔄 The process of examining our faith involves looking at our actions, beliefs, and how we live our lives in accordance with God's word.
• 📚 The Bible teaches that faith comes by hearing God's word, which is essential for a righteous life and effective prayer.

Q & A

What is the key message behind Matthew 7:7?

The key message of Matthew 7:7 is that those who ask, seek, and knock will receive, find, and have doors opened to them. Jesus emphasizes that persistent prayer and faith will be rewarded.

What is the ASK acronym mentioned in the script?

The ASK acronym stands for Ask, Seek, and Knock, representing the three actions Jesus mentions in Matthew 7:7. It serves as an easy way to remember the verse.

Why does the speaker refer to a 'Dark Side of Prayer'?

The speaker refers to the 'Dark Side of Prayer' when discussing times when prayers seem unanswered, which can lead to doubt in God's integrity, the effectiveness of prayer, and even personal faith.

What reasons does the speaker suggest for unanswered prayers?

The speaker suggests three reasons for unanswered prayers: it could be due to the person praying, the nature of their prayers, or God's will.

How does Proverbs 1:28-30 relate to unanswered prayers?

Proverbs 1:28-30 suggests that God may not answer prayers because people have rejected His counsel and guidance, meaning their hearts may not be aligned with His will.

What role does righteousness play in prayer according to the script?

According to the script, righteousness is crucial in prayer. The prayers of a righteous person are powerful, as seen in James 5:16. If someone is not living righteously, their prayers may not be heard.

What does Psalm 66:18 say about the condition of the heart in prayer?

Psalm 66:18 states that if a person cherishes sin in their heart, the Lord will not listen to their prayers, emphasizing the importance of inner purity when approaching God.

How does self-righteousness impact prayer according to the parable of the Pharisee and the Publican?

In the parable of the Pharisee and the Publican (Luke 18), self-righteousness prevents effective prayer. The Pharisee prayed to himself and not to God, while the humble Publican was justified because he recognized his need for God's mercy.

What does the speaker suggest we do when prayers seem unanswered?

The speaker suggests examining our lives and relationship with God, as stated in 2 Corinthians 13:5, to ensure we are living in faith and righteousness before questioning God's response to our prayers.

What four words from Romans are highlighted to describe the path to righteousness?

The four words highlighted from Romans are Blood, Belief, Baptism, and Bible. These represent the key elements in attaining and maintaining righteousness through Christ's sacrifice, faith, baptism, and continued study of the Scriptures.

Outlines

00:00

🔍 Emphasizing the Importance of Persistent Prayer

This paragraph begins with a familiar biblical verse, Matthew 7:7, and reflects on the neat way to remember the commands: Ask, Seek, and Knock (ASK). The speaker encourages the audience to reread the passage and notice how emphatically Jesus repeats the same idea, reinforcing the certainty of receiving, finding, and having doors opened. However, the speaker expresses personal frustration with prayer, recounting moments when they asked, sought, and knocked but received no answers. This leads to a deeper exploration of the 'dark side of prayer,' where unanswered prayers can shake one's faith, leading to questions about God's integrity, the power of prayer, and personal righteousness.

05:01

🛑 The Possible Reasons Behind Unanswered Prayers

This paragraph delves into the idea that unanswered prayers could be due to personal unrighteousness. The speaker references several Bible passages that warn of God not answering prayers if individuals turn away from His law or cherish iniquity in their hearts. Psalm 66:18 and Proverbs 1:28-30 highlight that prayers can be hindered by disobedience or neglect of God’s word. The speaker emphasizes that being right with God is crucial for prayers to be effective and that unresolved issues between the individual and God could be the reason for unanswered prayers.

📖 Living by Faith as a Path to Righteousness

This paragraph explores how righteousness is defined in the Bible, focusing on four key words from the book of Romans: blood, belief, baptism, and Bible. These represent the steps towards righteousness, starting with God’s grace and Jesus’ blood, which provide forgiveness. This is accessed through faith, like Abraham’s faith, which leads to baptism. Baptism is seen as a spiritual rebirth, marking the point of forgiveness. Finally, living by the Bible sustains a righteous life. The speaker emphasizes that these elements are essential for receiving God's gift of righteousness and the privilege of effective prayer.

⚖️ Self-Righteousness as a Barrier to Prayer

The final paragraph warns against self-righteousness as a possible reason for unanswered prayers. Using Jesus’ parable of the Pharisee and the Publican from Luke 18, the speaker illustrates how self-righteousness can render prayers ineffective. The Pharisee's prayer was not to God but 'with himself,' reflecting arrogance rather than humility. Jesus told this parable to those who trusted in themselves rather than in God. The speaker urges self-examination, citing 2 Corinthians 13:5, encouraging the audience to assess whether they are truly living in faith or merely trusting in their own righteousness. This introspection is crucial before questioning God or the power of prayer.

Keywords

💡Ask

In the context of the video, 'ask' is part of a biblical verse from Matthew 7:7, emphasizing the act of seeking something from God with faith and expectation. The video script uses 'ask' to illustrate the first step in a process of prayer and faith, suggesting that asking is a way to receive from God. However, the speaker also questions why sometimes, despite asking, prayers seem to go unanswered, which leads into a deeper exploration of the 'Dark Side of Prayer'.

💡Seek

'Seek' is another action from the same biblical verse, indicating a more active pursuit of finding something. In the video, it is used to convey the idea that not only should one ask but also actively seek what they desire from God. The video explores the discrepancy between the promise of finding and the reality of unanswered prayers.

💡Knock

'Knock' is the third action from the biblical verse, symbolizing the persistent effort to gain access or receive a response. The video uses 'knock' to represent the act of persistent prayer. It is part of the discussion on the times when despite persistent prayer, there seems to be no answer, which can lead to questioning the efficacy of prayer.

💡Dark Side of Prayer

This phrase is used in the video to describe the experience of prayer not being answered despite one's efforts. It encapsulates the feeling of disappointment and confusion that can arise when prayers seem to go unanswered, leading to a crisis of faith. The video aims to explore and address this phenomenon.

💡Righteous

In the video, 'righteous' is used in the context of being morally upright and in right standing with God. It is mentioned in relation to the efficacy of prayer, suggesting that the prayers of righteous individuals have great power. The video explores the idea that if one's prayers are not answered, it might be because they are not righteous, as per biblical teachings.

💡Self-righteous

The term 'self-righteous' is used to describe a person who considers themselves morally superior without justification. In the video, it is contrasted with true righteousness and is suggested as a potential reason why prayers might not be answered. The parable of the Pharisee and the Publican is used to illustrate the concept of self-righteousness.

💡Faith

'Faith' is a central theme in the video, relating to trust and belief in God. It is discussed in the context of righteousness and the power of prayer. The video suggests that faith is necessary to access the forgiveness and righteousness that enable effective prayer.

💡Blood

In the video, 'blood' refers to the blood of Jesus Christ, which is seen as the means of forgiveness and redemption. It is part of the discussion on how one becomes righteous and, by extension, how one's prayers can be effective.

💡Baptism

Baptism is mentioned as a symbolic act of spiritual death, burial, and resurrection, associated with the forgiveness of sins and the attainment of righteousness. The video links baptism to the process of living a righteous life and having one's prayers answered.

💡Bible

The 'Bible' is referenced as the source of faith and guidance for the righteous. The video emphasizes the importance of living by the teachings of the Bible to maintain a state of righteousness and to ensure that prayers are heard.

💡Integrity

Integrity, in the context of the video, refers to the trustworthiness and reliability of God. The video discusses the potential questioning of God's integrity when prayers are not answered, suggesting that it might be more about the individual's righteousness than God's reliability.

Highlights

The importance of Matthew 7:7 in understanding prayer and its outcomes.

The mnemonic 'ASK' to remember the verse: Ask, Seek, Knock.

Jesus' emphasis on prayer through repetition in the Bible.

The contrast between Jesus' teachings and personal experiences of unanswered prayers.

The concept of the 'Dark Side of Prayer' and its impact on faith.

The potential reasons for unanswered prayers, including personal righteousness.

Scriptural references to the importance of righteousness in prayer from Proverbs and James.

The idea that prayer outcomes may be hindered by a lack of righteousness or self-righteousness.

The significance of faith in receiving answers to prayer.

The role of belief, baptism, and Bible in living a righteous life according to Romans.

The necessity of examining oneself for self-righteousness before questioning the power of prayer.

The parable of the Pharisee and the Publican as an example of self-righteousness.

The importance of living a life that aligns with the teachings of the Bible for effective prayer.

The call to examine one's life and faith as a prerequisite for answered prayers.

The encouragement to live a life that opens the heart of God to our prayers.

The significance of self-examination in maintaining a strong faith and effective prayer life.

Transcripts

[Music]

thank you

[Music]

foreign

[Music]

to you seek and you will find knock and

it will be opened Matthew 7 7. have you

seen the cute way to remember that verse

as if we needed help to remember

something so familiar a ask S seek K

knock

isn't that neat ask

but I want you to read the verse with me

again and this time continue reading to

see how emphatic Jesus was with the

point that he was making

ask and it will be given to you seek and

you will find knock and it will be

opened then he puts an exclamation mark

behind this point for everyone who asks

receives and the one who seeks fines and

to the one who knocks it will be opened

he said the same thing three different

ways and then he said it again it's like

he emphatically said the same thing six

times that's Jesus talking I want to say

this with all the love and respect I

have for him in my heart Jesus said ask

and it will be given but there have been

times I've asked and I'm still

empty-handed without that for which I

prayed

Jesus said seek and you will find but

there have been times that I have looked

looked carefully and diligently and I'm

still waiting to find that for which I

prayed Jesus said knock and it will be

opened but I have knocked and knocked

and knocked until my Knuckles wanted to

bleed and I felt like no one ever came

to the door of Heaven to even see if I

was there

sometime prayer just doesn't

seem to work why why does that happen

this is what I call the Dark Side of

prayer and man can it hurt

in fact it can cause prayer to destroy

our faith here's our prayer here's God's

care why doesn't he put them together

we ask seek knock and

nothing happens

it can make us question the Integrity of

God the efficacy of prayer and even the

destiny of our soul I mean if the prayer

of a righteous person has great power

James 5 16. when I pray and nothing

happens does that mean I'm not righteous

not saved

if you're like me you need help with

this

so I'd like for us to take the next few

of our studies to suggest three reasons

why

we don't always get that for which we

pray

it might be because of us

our prayers or God

let's start by getting personal

to begin we might not get that for which

we pray because we're not righteous

we're warned about this repeatedly they

will call upon me but I will not answer

they will seek me diligently but will

not find me God said why

they would have none of my counsel and

despised all of my reproof Proverbs 1

28-30 Proverbs 28 9 if one turns away

his ear from hearing the law scripture

even his prayer is an Abomination wait

what

listen to Psalm 66 18. if I had

cherished iniquity in my heart the Lord

would not have listened

we find the same thing in the New

Testament it's the prayer of a righteous

person someone right with God that has

great power James 5 16 the eyes of the

Lord are upon the righteous and his ears

are open to their prayer first Peter 3

12. that same chapter even tells us if

we're not being considerate at home our

prayers will be hindered literally

cut away

it may be that we're praying and

nothing's happening

because nothing is happening between us

and God

Twice The Book of Proverbs tells us

there's a way that seems right to a man

but its end is the way of death we may

think we're right when in reality we're

not

maybe the New Testament book of Romans

can help us the whole book may be summed

up with its thesis the righteous

shall live by faith Romans 1 17. four

words in the book go on to identify the

righteous blood belief baptism and Bible

first there's the word blood we all sin

but we can be justified by God's grace

as a gift Romans 3 23-25 forgiveness or

Redemption is in Christ Jesus by his

blood to be received by faith God's

grace makes forgiveness available Jesus

blood makes forgiveness possible

but next there's the word believe

according to this same passage

forgiveness is available by the grace of

God

made possible by the blood of Jesus but

it's accessible by faith it won't be

ours until we have faith then the next

two chapters Romans 4 and 5 point to

Abraham's Faith as the kind of faith

that is counted for righteousness it's a

faith that accepts trusts and acts on

What God Says and that brings us to the

word baptism in Romans 6. when we have a

faith like Abraham that that moves us to

the spiritual death burial and

resurrection of New Testament baptism at

the point of baptism we're forgiven and

made righteous by God's grace and Jesus

blood then there's the word bible

we not only come to the blood of Jesus

and baptism because of faith we are to

continue to live by faith the theme of

Romans and according to Romans 10 17

Faith comes by hearing and hearing by

the word of God so it's blood believe

baptism and are continuing to live by

the Bible that allows us to enjoy what

Romans 5 17 calls the gift of

righteousness

and

the privilege of Prayer

but there's one final note before we

close we might not get that for which we

pray because we are self-righteous

remember Jesus parable of the Pharisee

and Publican Luke 18. both went to the

temple to pray the Pharisee as Jesus

told the story stood and prayed thus

with himself God I thank you that I'm

not like other men

note Jesus said he prayed with himself

not to God and in the story he wasn't

Justified his prayer didn't amount to

anything but a speech he made to himself

about himself

the Bible tells us Jesus spoke that

Parable to some who trusted in

themselves that they were righteous and

despised others they were self-righteous

so when it comes to what we're calling

the Dark Side of Prayer

we pray and nothing happens you and I

need to consider whether or not we're

among the righteous or

the self-righteous

before we start questioning the presence

of God in our lives or the power of

prayer for our lives we might need to

question how we're living Our Lives

in the words of second Corinthians 13 5

examine yourself to see whether you are

in the faith man that's an exam we want

to pass if indeed we want to ask and

receive

seek and find

knock and have the heart of God

open to us

Lord