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PSALM 66:18

"WHY PRAYERS APE NOT ANSWERED"

Intro: God answers prayer, this is the main incentive to pray. Yet it must truthfully
       be said that many prayers go up that bring nothing down. Why is it that our prayers
       are sometimes not answered?

I. SIN, IN OUR TEXT, "IF I REGARD INIQUITY IN MY HEART, THE LORD HEARETH ME NOT."
        A. Isaiah 59:1-3 - God's hand is not short that He cannot save, neither His ear
           heavy that He cannot hear.
                1. The problem is not on God's side.
                        a. We are so ready to blame God for any problem that comes along.
                                1. I wonder why God did that to me.
                                2. God sure did mess up my life.
                                3. I messed up my life.
                        b. It is not God's inability, His hand is not short
                        c. He has no hearing problem.
                2. Sin has separated you from God.
                        a. Sin always separates you from God.
                        b. Separation from God is spiritual death, the soul that sinneth
                           it shall surely die.
                        c. Prayer is becoming one with God for the accomplishing of
                           His purposes. It is communion, fellowship.
                                1. God can never become one with sin.
                                2. What fellowship hath light with darkness.
                        d. Daniel began his prayer with a confession of sin.
                3. Sin breaks your connection with God.
                        a. It cuts the line.
                        b. All the dialing in the world won't get you through.
                        c. All  the sweet persuasive talk is of no avail.
        B. Prayer becomes deceitful prayer.

II. JAMES 4:2 - YOU HAVE NOT BECAUSE YOU ASK NOT. SOMETIMES, BELIEVE IT OR NOT THE PROBLEM
                IS JUST THAT SIMPLE. YOU'VE COMPLAINED ABOUT IT, YOU'VE CRIED ABOUT IT BUT
                YOU HAVEN'T PRAYED ABOUT IT.
        A. You ask and receive not because you ask amiss that you might consume it on your
           own lusts.
                1. Selfish motivation can hinder answers to my prayers. What I am asking
                   for may be good and proper. But why am I asking?
                        a. Parents praying for their son's salvation.
b. Wife praying for husband's conversion.
c. Pastor praying for revival.
                2. The purpose of prayer is not to get my will done. This positive
                   confession teaching is heresy in it's worst from. They would change to
                   Lord's prayer to "My kingdom come, my will be done on earth."
                        a. In the garden, Jesus prayed, "Nevertheless not what I will, but
                           Thy will be done."
                        b. If I find my prayer is not being answered, it is often wise
                           to examine my motives, it may not always be easy. The heart
                           is deceitful.
        B. But what if my motives are pure and I am asking according to His will and I
           still have not received an answer?
                1. Many times God delays His answers to my prayers and next Sunday we will
                   be looking at the reasons why answers are often delayed.