SPECIAL PRAYERS AND ANSWERS.
By Frank Hope
THE other day a man said to me: "The reason why I have stopped serving God is because out of the thousands of prayers I offered to him, not one was ever answered, and at the same time God has promised to answer prayer. Therefore I consider the whole thing foolishness;" or words to that effect. That man was certainly very hasty in his conclusion, and could not have known very much about faith. But there are a great many persons who are troubled in the same way; they do not see that God has answered their prayers, and they cannot see any reason why he should not. To such the following Bible reasons may be of use:— 1. God will not answer those who are living in rebellion against him. Common sense would tell us that before we can expect God to grant our petition we must submit ourselves to him in willing obedience. But the word of God says plainly: "He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination." Prov. 28:9. If we are cherishing any known sin, we cannot expect God to grant our petition, for if he were to do so, he would be to that extent encouraging us in our sin. He would give some foundation to the oft-heard excuse for duty, "Well, the Lord has blessed me while I was living so, therefore I know it cannot be wrong." The Lord may, in his mercy, bless one who is sinning in ignorance, but he cannot bless those who are living in willful disobedience. Says David: "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me." Ps. 66:18. Therefore before we approach God with any special request, we must search our hearts and seek the Lord for grace to put away every sin. Then we must come to him in that spirit of humble obedience that Christ had when he said: "Not my will, but thine, be done." Then God will hear us, for "the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear." 2. Our prayers are often not answered because we ask with a wrong motive. James says: "Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts." This may seem a little severe, but a man cannot always tell what is in his heart, for "the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?" Many a man would be astonished if God revealed to him the true motive of his request. He would, perhaps, see that selfishness was the main cause of his request. Simon the sorcerer asked for the gift of the Holy Ghost. That was a good desire, but he desired it from a selfish motive, and to use to his own end. Therefore he could not have it, until his heart was right within him. Nothing can be more desirable than to have our motives right in God's sight. Let us pray with David, "Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts; and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." 3. Another reason why we cannot always see a direct answer to a special prayer, is because what we have asked for may be the worst thing we could have. Paul says: "We know not what we should pray for as we ought." This is, perhaps, the most common reason why we think our prayers a failure. We do not know what is best for us. We are in the same condition as a little helpless sick child, who does not know what ails it, or what is good for it, but asks for almost anything that comes into its mind, hoping thereby to get relief. In the same way we oftentimes cry for things that are not best for us to have, but if we ask in faith, God will give us that which will do us most good, just as the nurse gives the little sufferer that which is best for it. So we must not be discouraged if God does not answer our prayers just in the way we think he ought, but must remember that he doeth all things well and for our good. Though the way may be dark for a time, we know that God is working to accomplish an ultimate result. Let us not, like Hezekiah, press any particular request, or undertake to dictate to God, but let us leave it with him to do that which is best for us, and in the words of the Saviour say, "Not my will, but thine, be done."
FRANK HOPE.