Grace Grace Fellowship ChurchFellowship Church

www.GraceDoctrine.orgwww.GraceDoctrine.org

Pastor/TeacherPastor/TeacherJim RickardJim Rickard

Thursday, June 18, 2009Thursday, June 18, 2009

Memory VerseMemory Verse

Heb 4:16, Heb 4:16, “Therefore let us draw near “Therefore let us draw near

with confidence to the throne with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may of grace, so that we may

receive mercy and find grace receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”to help in time of need.”

John 14:13-14John 14:13-14

The Doctrine of PrayerThe Doctrine of PrayerPart 6Part 6

D. Four Categories of How D. Four Categories of How God Answers your Petition God Answers your Petition

Prayers. Prayers.

1. Each petition prayer has 1. Each petition prayer has two parts:two parts:

a) The petition which is a) The petition which is what you actually say; what you actually say;

(including intercessory) (including intercessory) b) The desire, which is b) The desire, which is what you really want.what you really want.

2. God views both parts of 2. God views both parts of your prayer as separate, your prayer as separate, and answers each part and answers each part

either positively or either positively or negatively. negatively.

Petition - DesirePetition - Desirea. Positive - Negativea. Positive - Negativeb. Negative - Positiveb. Negative - Positivec. Positive - Positivec. Positive - Positive

d. Negative - Negatived. Negative - Negative

E. Why Prayer is Not E. Why Prayer is Not Answered.Answered.

1. The believer is under the 1. The believer is under the control of the sin nature. control of the sin nature.

Psa 66:18, Psa 66:18, “If I regard wickedness in “If I regard wickedness in my heart the Lord will not my heart the Lord will not

listen to me.”listen to me.”

Righteo

usnes

s

God (R+)God (R+)

Man Man (R + / -)(R + / -)

Love

Love

Pts. 2. & 3.

4. The love of God 4. The love of God provides the means and the provides the means and the

solution for effective solution for effective prayer through the grace of prayer through the grace of

God. Psa 66:19-20God. Psa 66:19-20

Psa 66:19‑20,Psa 66:19‑20,“But certainly God has heard; “But certainly God has heard;

He has given heed to the He has given heed to the voice of my prayer. Blessed voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, who has not turned be God, who has not turned

away my prayer nor His away my prayer nor His lovingkindness from me.”lovingkindness from me.”

5. Because the believer 5. Because the believer rejects Bible doctrine. rejects Bible doctrine.

Without Bible Doctrine Without Bible Doctrine you have no understanding you have no understanding of the mechanics of prayer of the mechanics of prayer

or God’s will. or God’s will.

1 John 5:14-151 John 5:14-15

6. Indifference to or 6. Indifference to or rejection of Bible doctrine rejection of Bible doctrine produces three categories produces three categories

of ignorance which of ignorance which guarantee the malfunction guarantee the malfunction

of your prayer life. of your prayer life.

a. Ignorance because of a. Ignorance because of indifference to doctrine.indifference to doctrine.

b. Ignorance because of b. Ignorance because of wrong priorities. If wrong wrong priorities. If wrong priorities persist in your priorities persist in your

spiritual life, you'll become spiritual life, you'll become a loser with no prayer life.a loser with no prayer life.

c. Ignorance because of the c. Ignorance because of the arrogance complex of sins: arrogance complex of sins:

jealousy, bitterness, jealousy, bitterness, vindictiveness, vindictiveness,

implacability, etc. implacability, etc.

Arrogant believers never Arrogant believers never get through to the throne of get through to the throne of

Grace.Grace.

7. Failure to execute God’s 7. Failure to execute God’s mandates. mandates.

1 John 3:221 John 3:22

1 John 3:22,1 John 3:22,“Furthermore, whatever we “Furthermore, whatever we have asked, we receive from have asked, we receive from Him, because we continue to Him, because we continue to execute His mandates, and execute His mandates, and we keep on doing what is we keep on doing what is

pleasing in His sight.”pleasing in His sight.”

a. Therefore, prayer is a. Therefore, prayer is related to your fulfillment related to your fulfillment of the Plan of God and the of the Plan of God and the execution of the Christian execution of the Christian

way of life. way of life.

b. To do "what is pleasing b. To do "what is pleasing in His sight" describes in His sight" describes

spiritual adulthood when spiritual adulthood when the believer reaches the the believer reaches the peak in his prayer life.peak in his prayer life.

c. Failure to execute His c. Failure to execute His mandates and to attain mandates and to attain

spiritual adulthood spiritual adulthood impedes, obstructs, impedes, obstructs,

inhibits, and undermines inhibits, and undermines all effective prayer.all effective prayer.

Grace Fellowship ChurchGrace Fellowship Church

Thursday, June 18, 2009Thursday, June 18, 2009

Tape # 09-041

Doctrine of Prayer, Part 6Doctrine of Prayer, Part 6Why Prayers Are Not AnsweredWhy Prayers Are Not Answered

Upper Room Discourse, Part 273Upper Room Discourse, Part 273

John 14:13-14; 1 John 3:22; 5:14-15; Pas 66:18-20  

James H. Rickard Bible Ministries 2009