Section Two: Foundational Issues of Prayer
Expectations Regarding Answers to Prayer
At the end of his third missionary journey, Paul prayed and asked the Roman Christians to pray for safety (Romans 15:30-33). What Paul got was a riot, arrest and imprisonment. Two years of waiting for a trial, an attempted assassination and a ship wreck. Paul did not get what he prayed for or expected. When Paul was arrested and placed in jail, he prayed about his imprisonment and the church prayed. But Paul remained in prison many years because God had other purposes. God used Paul’s imprisonment to advance the church, to expose the palace residents to the Gospel, and to encourage many formerly silent Christians to become bolder to speak the Gospel/witness (Philippians 1:12-14). This time in prison also gave Paul the opportunity to write the epistles we value today. In our prayers, we must take into account that we do not know or understand all that God is doing. We need to consider that God’s timing in bringing the answers to our prayers involves not only our prayer but also His purposes. God may answer our prayers in a way that moves beyond our request and greatly advances His purposes. We are to incline our hearts to God and bring our requests to God with open hands. We are to let God be God, working and answering according to His will, timing and purposes (Philippians 4:6-7). With regard to the timing of answers to prayer, we realize there is an adversary at work. The Scripture gives at least one example showing that the answers to our prayers can be delayed due to spiritual warfare in the heavens. Daniel was involved in an intense time of prayer and fasting. Satan was hard at work, seeking to block the answer from getting through from the throne of God to the praying, waiting servant (Daniel 10:12-13). Satan seeks to discourage us from praying by delaying answers to prayer. But God is sovereign, and He uses time to move His purposes forward. A final aspect to remember regarding the timing of answers to
prayer concerns our understanding the need to persevere in prayer. Scripture tells us to “pray without ceasing.” In teaching about prayer, Jesus told a story to illustrate a truth (Luke 11:5-18). Jesus said there was a man who had no bread. This man realized he stood in total need for he had no means of meeting his own basic need for bread or the needs of others. The man boldly and persistently pursued, seeking from one whom he knew had the provision to meet his own needs and the needs of others. The issue is not God’s reluctance but our persistent diligence in seeking from God. Jesus also talked about persistence from the aspect of cultivating a deep dependence upon the Lord in overcoming spiritual adversity. He said, “This kind (of problem) does not go out except by prayer and fasting” (Matthew 17:21, Mark 9:29). The Scriptures remind us, “Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). “Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary” (Galatians 6:9). We are to be persistent in our prayer and not to give up, for God promises there will be a day of reaping. To be persistent in prayer is an act of faith, not in prayer, but in God. Our diligence in prayer is an expression of our faith in God. A final area has to do with Biblical expectations regarding our emotions in prayer. God has created us with emotions. We Christians experience both mountaintops and valleys in our emotions. The valleys between the mountaintops are a reality of the Christian life. It is natural that we rate our prayer times by results, which can include our emotions. Sometimes our prayer times may seem good, and other times they may seem cold and forced. We need to remember, “The prayer of the upright is His (God’s)
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