Don’t you wish there was a way to know that God was hearing your prayers? I mean, all of us have had the experience of feeling like our prayers were just going into thin air or hitting the ceiling and not making their way to the Father’s ears. But what if you could be sure He heard your prayers? Would it cause you to pray more? Trust more?

One of the most important acts a disciple of Jesus is to be doing is praying to the Father.

Even Jesus, God in the flesh, prayed to the Father…often going out and praying alone.

One of the hardest things to deal with as a Christian is also prayer…unanswered or unheard prayer.

Even Jesus had prayers that went unanswered.

Unanswered prayer is often cited as a reason for unbelief. Just this morning I read this:

The past two years has been really hard on me and my family, and here lately I’m feeling my prayers are going nowhere, or the opposite of my prayer happens.

Have you been there? 

How can we make sure our prayers are heard by God?

The Heart of Prayer

An insincere or selfish heart can hinder prayers.

Often we overcomplicate prayer…

Jesus lays it out pretty clearly in Matthew 6:5-8

“Whenever you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by people. Truly I tell you, they have their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your private room, shut your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 7 When you pray, don’t babble like the Gentiles, since they imagine they’ll be heard for their many words. 8 Don’t be like them, because your Father knows the things you need before you ask him.

Jesus tells the disciples – WHEN YOU PRAY – Not IF

Don’t do it to be seen – What’s your heart when you pray?

Don’t babble – Prayer can be simple, no special wording, or length is needed.

Do it privately

Who do we pray to? Pray to the Father

Jesus gives a warning included in this “how to pray” teaching:

They have their reward – babbling won’t help you

It’s an act of the heart

Aligning with God’s Will

Regarding our hearts in prayer, we always have to evaluate our motives and desires.

Why are we praying to God, and what are we asking for Him to do?

Did you know the bible teaches us to do one thing to be sure that God hears our prayers?

1 John 5:14-15

This is the confidence we have before him: If we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears whatever we ask, we know that we have what we have asked of him.

If we ask anything according to his will…Whose purpose are we here for?

Prayers that go against God’s will may not be answered as we desire.

Prayers you’ve asked that you know now weren’t His will.

Do we really want things to happen that aren’t His will?

Faith and Persistence

When it comes to our prayers, often another question of evaluating our prayer is to examine our faith in making the request to God.

James 1:6-7

But let him ask in faith without doubting. For the doubter is like the surging sea, driven and tossed by the wind.

James goes on to add: That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord, being double-minded and unstable in all his ways.

We are not “word of faith” people. Explain

Just because we want something and don’t doubt does not guarantee we will receive it.

In context, James is talking about wisdom…not everything we ask of God.

He is speaking of wisdom through trials.

It is often our trials that cause us to pray in the first place.

It is in the trials that, when we ask for wisdom, God can teach us the most.

An elderly lady was telling her nephew about the efficacy of prayer. ” With sincere and fervent prayer, you can achieve anything, ” she said.

” Will prayer help me find my marbles? ” asked the child. His aunt assured he would.

The next day, the boy was playfully and happily moving around. “So, you got your marbles?” asked the lady.

“No,” said the child. “But God taught me not to want them anymore!” was the boy’s reply.

The little boy found solace in God’s wisdom instead of what possessions he had desired.

Knowing God’s will and seeing Him make it happen is the most refreshing answer to prayer.

But we must remember to keep faith when the answers do not come quickly.

Matthew 7:7-8

Ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

Jesus says: Ask, Seek, Knock.

In Luke’s Gospel, He tells a parable of a widow who kept bugging a judge with her request for justice. She continued until she annoyed him to the point that he gave in to her request just to get her to leave him alone.

The annoying child

How badly do you want what you are praying about? Will you take a no answer?

Forgiveness and Relationship.

One of the biggest hindrances to our prayers is a sin-infected life.

Sin keeps us out of a right relationship with the Father…so I want to make sure you have a right relationship first…then we will proceed to the next great hindrance to our prayers being answered.

Do you know Jesus as your personal Savior?

The next hindrance

Are you praying and yet have a broken relationship with someone else? Does someone legitimately have something against you?

Matthew 5:23-24

So if you are offering your gift on the altar, and there you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled with your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift.

First, be reconciled!

Are you living a life of forgiving others? Or are you holding onto past hurts unwilling to forgive someone that wronged you?

Matthew 6:14-15

For if you forgive others their offenses, your heavenly Father will forgive you as well. 15 But if you don’t forgive others, your Father will not forgive your offenses.

How much has God forgiven you?

How can you withhold forgiving someone else?

A salvation issue?

Praying in Jesus’ Name

You hear many folks promise you that if you pray this way, your prayer will be heard. Even Jesus teaches:

John 14:13-14

Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

This isn’t like asking a genie. Jesus isn’t promising that His Name is like a grab bag for our requests.

One Scripture doesn’t make a theology. Context always matters.

The context: John 14:12

Truly I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do. And he will do even greater works than these, because I am going to the Father.

Whose works? 

It goes back to Whose will are we seeking? Ours or God’s?

Like our lives when we come to Christ, our prayers shouldn’t be about us…our will.

Make your requests known, but understand that it’s His will we are to seek.

Understanding Unanswered Prayer

If you do all of what we’ve talked about up to this point in making our prayers to God, and your prayers seem unanswered let me remind you of a few things we spoke about last week.

We have to trust in God’s plan and purpose, and His wisdom. 

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways”, says the Lord. Isaiah 55:8

God’s timing and our patience

Unanswered prayer doesn’t mean unheard or a no answer.

Remember the persistent widow but also remember to trust in His will, plan, purpose, and wisdom.

Conclusion

In conclusion let me remind you, that if you want to make sure your prayers are heard by God, do these things:

Pray with a sincere heart

Seeking God’s will not your own

Pray in faith with persistence

Check your relationship with Him and others

Always ask in Jesus’s Name

Do this and trust that He knows what you need. He is Jehovah Jireh, the Lord our Provider.

Our greatest need is salvation and a restored relationship with God the Father. And Jehovah Jireh did provide that for you and me.

Application

This week remember, prayer isn’t overly complicated. Just check yourself and your motives.
Keep a prayer journal, so that you can gain strength and faith in your prayer life as you see the answers and even come to an understanding of why some prayers may have been unanswered in your life.