Sermon Outlines

By Frederick F. Schwindt, Evangelist

THE PRAYER GOD CANNOT ANSWER

1. The words of our text are a strong indictment against some of God's professed people:
   1. It seems incredible that such strong words would have to be directed to church members.
   2. But He, who knows our hearts, would not point out our sins unless they were in our lives.
2. Here is food for serious thought by ministers and members:
   1. There are times when the minister is under obligation to God and His people to give the word of reproof without hesitancy - Ezek. 3:17-21
   2. We who profess Christianity need strong reproof at times.

1. We know from experience that we worship a prayer answering God:
   1. "Call on me and I will answer thee" - Jer. 33:3
   2. "O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come." - Ps. 65:2
2. But our text makes it very clear that there are prayers which God cannot answer:
   1. Prayers motivated by selfishness - "Ye ask and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your own lusts." EXAMPLES -
      1. Balaam was guilty of that sin - Num. 22:1-41
      2. There are many Balaams in the church today.
   2. Prayer for the sake of appearance - EXAMPLES -
      1. The Pharisees were guilty of that sin - Matt. 6:5
      2. There are many such characters in the church today - Rev. 3:14-17; Luke 18:11-14
      3. The idea is some offer a prayer to make an impression upon others without the true motive of prayer; that is sin!
   3. Prayer that seeks to cover iniquity - "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear my prayer." - Ps. 66:18. Please read carefully - Ps. 18:41; 34:15; Prov. 15:29; 28:9; Isa. 1:15; Jer. 9:11; 14:12
   4. Four types of these sins -
      1. Secret purposes of sin - 1 Ki. 22:6-14
      2. Acts of sin in the individual - Acts 5:1-10
      3. Public acts of sin - Isa. 58:1-9
      4. Holding unto certain sins, in spite of our own convictions - Ps. 66:18
   5. Prayer with a sinful attitude toward others - "Ye lust and have not; ye kill and desire to have, and cannot obtain; ye fight and war, yet ye have not."
   6. Our Saviour gave strong emphasis to our need for reconciliation before we pray - Matt. 6:12; 18:21, 22; Luke 15:11-32; 7:41-43
   7. Neglected prayer - "Ye have not, because ye ask not." God looks upon a prayerless life as spiritual bankruptcy.

1. Even though God loves to hear and answer our prayers, there are some prayers He cannot answer:
   1. Prayers motivated by human selfishness, God will not and cannot answer.
   2. Prayers with ulterior motives He will not hear. There are many among us who offer such prayers, which will not be heard in heaven.
   3. God cannot answer prayers that are never spoken. How it pains my heart to think of ever so many professed followers of Christ, who lead a prayerless life - Jer. 10:25
2. Let us search our hearts daily before we enter into prayer:
   1. Are the motives expressed in our prayers pure, or are they the echoes of selfishness?
   2. Is our attitude toward others free and peaceable, or are we at war with our fellow man?
   3. Do we make prayer our first business of the day? or are we guilty of regression in the most important privilege that comes to us?
   4. Let us search our own hearts and profit by this message of the hour.
   5. Let us be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving our own selves.