Powerful Prayers in the War Room: Learning to Pray like a Powerful Prayer Warrior (Battle Plan for Prayer Book 1) by Daniel B Lancaster

Author:Daniel B Lancaster [Lancaster, Daniel B]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2015-12-21T18:30:00+00:00

No

When a Christian shuns fellowship with other Christians, the devil smiles, when he stops studying the Bible, the devil laughs. When he stops praying, the devils shouts for joy. — Corrie Ten Boom

Let’s get the hardest answer out of the way first. Sometimes God says “no” when we ask Him for something in prayer. Jesus gave us an example of this in Matthew 20:20-22:

Then the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus with her sons. She knelt respectfully to ask a favor. “What is your request?” he asked. She replied, “In your Kingdom, please let my two sons sit in places of honor next to you, one on your right and the other on your left.” But Jesus answered by saying to them, “You don’t know what you are asking! Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering I am about to drink?” “Oh yes,” they replied, “we are able!” (NLT)

The mother of James and John asked Jesus to give her sons the most privileged positions in Jesus’ kingdom. Jesus tells her she doesn’t know what she is asking. Then He asks James and John if they are ready to suffer as He is. Of course, they say yes. Of course, they have no idea what they are talking about.

It’s obvious that pride and power motivated the mother of James and John. The other disciples didn’t take her request well. Before we are too hard on her, though, we should remember times we have asked God for something with selfish motives. Let’s be honest with ourselves and confess we would have asked Jesus for something like she did, given the opportunity.

This story gives us an important insight into prayer – God says “no” when we ask for something with the wrong motives. God does not answer selfish prayers based on our whims and not our real needs. We do mental gymnastics to prove that our prayer is not selfish. But if you hear God say “no” it is because you have asked for something to please your flesh.

God says “no” when something we ask is outside His will, as well. Jesus told them the Father alone would decide who would sit at Jesus’ right and left hand. It’s important to remember that God’s will for you is the best plan for your life. Though it can be difficult to hear “no,” rest in the fact that God has your best interest in mind and continue the conversation.

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