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When Prayers Go Unanswered

Isaiah 59:1  Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:

Two things God cannot do because of sin:

1.   Save when sin separates people from Him

2.   Hear when sin separates people from Him. He cannot or will not hear (Psalm 66:18) when sin comes between Him and man; and if He cannot hear, He cannot answer. This is the chief hindrance in the case of the righteous (Matthew 17:20; Matthew 21:22; Mark 11:22-24)

Psalm 66:18  If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:

   Regarding iniquity in the heart is the reason for many unanswered prayers.  The writer says, If I had seen iniquity in my heart and encouraged it; if I had pretended to be what I was not; and if I had loved iniquity while I professed to pray and be sorry for my sin, the Lord (Hebrew: �Adonay (HSN-136), Supporter) would not have heard me.  I would have been left without His help and support in my time of trouble. 

See 1 John 3:20-22; 1 John 5:14-15.

Matthew 17:20  And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting. NOT the demon, but the unbelief!

Fasting and Prayer—The Cure for Unbelief

The disciples asked the Lord why they could not heal a lunatic boy. Jesus said, "Because of your unbelief ... Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting" (Matthew 17:14-21). Faith needs prayer for its development and full growth, and prayer needs fasting for the same reason. Fasting has done wonders when used in combination with prayer and faith. This is a Biblical doctrine.

To fast means to abstain from food—that which caused the fall of man. Fasting humbles the soul before God (Psalm 35:13); chastens the soul (Psalm 69:10); and crucifies the appetites and denies them so as to give the entire time to prayer (2 Samuel 12:16-23; Matthew 4:1-11).  It manifests earnestness before God to the exclusion of all else (1 Cor. 7:5); shows obedience; gives the digestive system a rest (Matthew 6:16-18; Matthew 9:15; Luke 5:33); demonstrates the mastery of man over appetites; aids in victory over temptation; helps to attain power over demons; develops faith; crucifies unbelief; and aids in prayer (Matthew 4:1-11; Matthew 17:14-21).

All believers are supposed to fast, but no regulations or set rules are given as to how long or how often. That is determined by individual desire and needs (Matthew 9:14-15; 1 Cor. 7:5; Acts 13:1-5). Men should fast when under chastening (2 Samuel 12:16-23); under judgment (1 Kings 21:27); in need (Ezra 8:21); in danger (Esther 4); when worried (Daniel 6:18); in trouble (Acts 27:9,33) in spiritual conflict (Matthew 4:1-11); and when desperate in prayer (Acts 9).

Thirty-five Bible Fasts:

Since fasting and prayer are so prominent in the Bible, modern Christians should do more of this until they receive power with God over all the powers of the devil. Many things about fasting and its benefits are not known to modern men, but those through the ages who have been men of great prayer have also fasted much.

Matthew 17:20

^a  [Because of your unbelief] A simple and a complete answer.  This is still the reason for failure to cast out demons and for unanswered prayers of every kind.  God promises answers to all alike on the condition that one is in Christ and doubts not (Matthew 21:22; Mark 9:23; Mark 11:22-24; John 14:12-15; John 15:7,16; Hebrews 11:6; James 1:5-8).

^b  [If ye have faith ...] "If ye have faith" it will be done—whatever you say—but if you do not have faith it will not be done.

^c  [as a grain of mustard seed] Faith—pure and unmixed with doubt—as a grain of mustard seed can even move a literal mountain. 

^d  [this mountain] The Mount of Transfiguration, not some difficulty (Matthew 17:17; Mark 11:22-24; Luke 17:6; 1 Cor. 13:2).

^e  [to yonder place] As if pointing to a particular place.

^f  [nothing shall be impossible unto you] Nothing promised by God's Word or that is good for His children (Psalm 34:10; Psalm 84:11; Matthew 7:11; Mark 11:22-24; John 14:12-15; John 15:7,16).

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

^a  [ask] Used 109 times in Scripture; 44 times of prayer to God for needful things.

Twelve Things to Ask For:

1.   Help from God (2 Chron. 20:4)

2.   Things to come (Isaiah 45:11)

3.   The old paths (Jeremiah 6:16)

4.   Spiritual rain (Zech. 10:1)

5.   Needs and wants (Matthew 6:8; Psalm 23:1; Psalm 34:9-10; Psalm 84:11)

6.   Good things (Matthew 7:7-11)

7.   Any thing (Matthew 18:19; John 14:14; 1 John 5:14)

8.   Whatsoever (Matthew 21:22; John 14:13; John 15:16; John 16:23; 1 John 3:22)

9.   The Holy Spirit (Luke 11:9-13)

10. What you will (John 15:7; Mark 11:24)

11. Wisdom (James 1:5-8)

12. Life (1 John 5:16)

Mark 11:22-24  And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.

23For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

24Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

^a  [That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea ...]  Such passages as Mark 11:23-24 are considered merely as promises, but they can also be considered as conditional prophecy to be fulfilled when certain terms are met.  Here, faith without doubting is the condition to meet if one wants the fulfillment of the benefits.  The prediction or promise is that everyone who meets the condition will be answered, even to the moving of mountains (Matthew 17:20; Matthew 21:21-22).

^b  [whosoever shall say] Everyone without exception is promised everything he asks in prayer, provided he qualifies for an answer.

^c  [shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass]

Ten Conditions of Answered Prayer

1.   Have the faith of God (Romans 4:17; Hebrews 11:3; Galatians 5:22-23).

2.   Pray:  say in no unceratin terms what you want (Mark 11:23-24; Matthew 17:20; Matthew 21:21-22; John 15:7).

3.   Have unlimited faith without qualifying and limiting God's will or what you want (Mark 11:23-24; Matthew 17:20; Matthew 21:21-22; Mark 9:23; John 15:7,16).

4.   Refuse to doubt in the heart (Mark 11:23; Matthew 17:20; James 1:5-8).

5.   Believe that whatever is asked will be given (Mark 11:23-24; Matthew 7:7-11; Matthew 17:20; Matthew 21:21-22; Hebrews 11:6).

6.   Believe that whatever is asked is already granted (Mark 11:24; Matthew 17:20; 1 John 5:14-15).

7.   Be authoritative and command to come to pass what is asked (Mark 11:23-24; Matthew 17:20; Mark 9:23).

8.   Believe that what you want is God's will (Mark 11:24; John 15:7; Matthew 17:20; Matthew 21:21-22; Hebrews 11:6; James 1:5-8).

9.   Never say "if it be Thy will" concerning anything you ask that is definitely promised of God in His word (Mark 11:23; Psalm 84:11; 2 Cor. 1:20; 2 Peter 1:3-4).

10.Have a clean heart and life with God and man (Mark 11:25; John 15:7; 1 John 3:22-23).

"Whatsoever," "anything," "all things," "what ye will," "what things soever ye desire," "Whatsoever he saith," and other unlimited terms are found in Scripture, assuring the possibilities and absolute certainty of answered prayer.

Many prayers go unanswered because of “unforgiveness”.

Mark 11:25 (KJV)  

And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.

Ephes. 4:32 (KJV)  

And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

God does not forgive us because we forgive others, but out of his great mercy. As we come to understand his mercy, however, we will want to be like him. Having received forgiveness, we will pass it on to others. Those who are unwilling to forgive have not become one with Christ, who was willing to forgive even those who crucified him.

Luke 23:34 (KJV)  

Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. 

Matthew 6:12 (KJV)  And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

Note the joining word, as . We might paraphrase this verse saying, And forgive us our debts, as we are in the process of forgiving our debtors! Think about it for a minute…

Matthew 6:14-15 (KJV)  

For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: 15But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Col. 3:13 (KJV)  

Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

1 Peter 3:7 (KJV)  

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.

In conclusion; when it seems that our prayers are going unanswered, we need to do a “check-up” deep within our spirits, to be sure we are not harboring un-forgiveness or unbelief. Remembering always to let Christ’s loving forgiveness be our model for forgiving others.

“Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do”. 

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