Unanswered Prayer is a Red Flag of a Potential Heart Problem-Hannah

Many of you have requested the list of hindrances to prayer I mentioned in the sermon.  Here they are...

• Disrespecting your spouse (1Peter 3:7) 
• Wrong motives (James 4:3) 
• Praying against God’s will (1John 5:14) 
• Ignoring the Bible (Proverbs 28:9) 
• A non-generous spirit toward the poor (Proverbs 21:13) 
• An unforgiving spirit (Matthew 5:23-24/Matthew 6:14) 
• Lack of faith (Matthew 17:19-20) 
• Paying unfair wages to employees (Malachi 3:5) 
• Adultery (Malachi 3:5) 
• Divorce (Malachi 2:13-16) 
• Treating illegal immigrants poorly (Malachi 3:5) 
• Cherished sin in our heart (Psalm 66:18) 

QUESTIONS FROM THE "WIRED FOR WORSHIP" SERIES

Do you think society has changed for the worse?  I'm in my 50's and I think we are much more anti-morals, country, and God.  There is no question in my mind our society has changed for the worse.  The more God has been taken out of culture, the worse things get.  It baffles me how certain groups want to push Christianity out of the public forum and yet, Christianity teaches the values that any society should live by in order to obtain the most harmonious situation.  Liberal freedom has become synonymous with progress.  If you listen carefully to news reports or documentaries about our history, they always make it sound like moving past our conservative heritage has been progress.  They make you believe that going back to a more conservative approach to media, movies, entertainment, etc., would be going backwards.  They laugh at how conservative our culture used to be.  Now, we are supposed to be tolerant of everyone regardless of their beliefs.  And by tolerant, I mean accepting.  Our society wants us to embrace different beliefs and gray up the lines of absolute truth.  People don't want to hear black and white truth anymore.  People today want truth to align with their beliefs and lifestyles.  Consequently, people look around until they find someone who teaches what they believe.  But this is not a shocking revelation.  God predicted this through the writing of Paul to Timothy.  In 2 Timothy 4:3, Paul writes, "For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine.  Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear."  Believe me...this day has come!


What is speaking in tongues?  The Apostle Paul talks about speaking in tongues in 1 Corinthians 14.  Speaking in tongues is mentioned elsewhere in the New Testament, but Paul expounds in this chapter.  Paul says "anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God.  Indeed, no one understands him; he utters mysteries with his spirit."  Speaking in tongues is an audible sound coming from a believer's mouth that is unintelligible to most people, but understandable to someone who is capable of interpreting tongues.  We believe speaking in tongues to be a special manifestation of the Spirit that comes over someone.  It is a spiritual gift not given to all.  Unfortunately, some denominations teach that you are truly not saved unless you are baptized with the Holy Spirit, or are able to speak in tongues.  Paul says in verse 19, "But in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue."  Unfortunately, some churches will continue to worship until someone speaks in a tongue, like that's some kind of indication that true worshiping is occurring.  Paul said in verse 4, "He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church."  Unfortunately, many who publicly speak in tongues, do so in order to look more spiritual and draw attention to themselves.  Paul strongly warns against this and says in verse 27 that tongues must be interpreted in a public setting.  In some settings, far too many tongues are spoken with no interpretation.  There is a lot more to this subject that cannot be covered this briefly.  Maybe I'll talk more in depth on this subject in a sermon sometime.

Who is in the 3 heavens?  The Bible refers to three heavens periodically.  The Jews referred to three different sky locations as heaven.  The first heaven referred to the area contained within the earth's atmosphere.  For instance, Deuteronomy 11:17 says, "Then the Lord's anger will burn against you, and He will shut the heavens to that it will not rain and the ground will yield no produce, and you will soon perish from the good land the Lord is giving you."  The second heaven referred to outer space.  Psalm 19:4 and 6 says, "In the heavens He has pitched a tent for the sun...It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuits to the other." The third heaven, then, is the dwelling place of God, or what we would typically refer to as the place where we go when we die.  Paul said in 2 Corinthians 12:2, "I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven."  This third heaven, is currently an intermediate heaven where deceased believers go to dwell until the new heaven and earth are created at the end of time (see Revelation 21).

What are other ways you can worship God besides singing?  Expressing words of thanksgiving to God, giving money to God-honoring causes, confession of sin, preaching, teaching, reading Scripture, living a life of discipline, baptism, communion...just to name a few.

Would you recommend reading the book, "How to Become a True Worshiper" that you quoted last week?  Actually, it was Kevin who quoted this book, but yes, go ahead and read it.

When is Kevin's next sermon?  Every other week...say yes!

I think it would be easier to love our fellow members if we knew their names.  I wish everyone wore name tags.  I understand this sentiment and have even considered it.  However, this would not be very guest sensitive.  While there are exceptions to this rule, most guests want to come in and out of a church service virtually unnoticed their first few times.  Anything you do to point them out is considered a huge no-no in the church world.  We want people to feel very comfortable coming into our midst on a Sunday morning.  Requiring a name tag would turn a good percentage of people off.  While there may be outgoing guests that love it, it's not worth the other percentage that would hate it.  One great way to get to know people is to walk up and introduce yourself.  The safest first question to ask is, "How long have you been attending County Line?"  Whether it's their first Sunday, or they have been attending for 50 years, you are safe.

Forgiving others is a daily task.  Will God let the other person forgive us as well for any bitterness or anger they hold too?  I'm not exactly sure I understand this question, but if I'm interpreting the question correctly, God gives us a freewill to respond to Him or not to.  So if someone needs to ask forgiveness from you, God may prompt them, but He will not force them.  I think it would be great for you to pray that God would convict the person and that they would see the error of their ways.  Just be careful, you have examined your own life first.

Is meditation an acceptable form of worship?  My first response to this question was, absolutely!  However, meditation can be interpreted a few different ways.  If by meditation, we mean, quieting ourselves before God and allowing our minds to dwell on Him and His Scripture, then by all means, yes!  But if you are talking about some of the Middle Eastern or Eastern methods of meditation, then I would say no.  The Bible says in Joshua 1:8, "Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.  Then you will be prosperous and successful."  So if you are meditating on God's Word, the Bible, then you are practicing a Biblical form of meditation.

What's the difference between praise and worship?  When you look at the definitions of these terms, they can appear very similar.  Both are a response to God, who is worthy of adoration.  I would more specifically say that praise is a form of worship.  Praise typically focuses on attributes of God.  For instance, "I praise you God for being holy, just, loving, merciful, infinite, patient, etc."  Worship is any active response to God and can include any number of methods, as we saw above.

When should you look for a new church?  I absolutely despise church hopping.  As we talked about in the service, church hopping is a result of our consumer mentality in America.  If we don't like a business, we change to a different one.  If we don't like a restaurant, we don't go back.  If we don't like a certain product, we change to another.  Unfortunately, we have applied this consumer mentality to church.  If we don't like how things are done, we leave and try and find a place that does things they way we would do them.  To me, church is about God first and people second.  Methods are a distant third.  If you are at a Bible teaching church that functions in the way God has outlined in Scripture and you love the people who also attend, then stick with your church.  If something is happening you don't care for, talk to the pastor or a church board member and seek understanding.  More often than not, once someone seeks understanding, they can live with something they don't like, because now they at least understand it.  To answer the question directly, I would only leave a church if I could point to something that was clearly a violation of Scripture.  However, other considerations can be made.  If you are just miserable at your current church, then it is probably hindering your ability to worship and to be fully used by God within that Body.  Hence, I would suggest looking for another church.  I guess if there is anything good to the consumer mentality in America, it is the fact that there is a church out there for everyone.  If you look long enough, I guess you'll find a good one.  But always remember, every single church is made up of imperfect people serving a perfect God.  No church is perfect.

How do I pursue my passions and ambitions in our church if I don't feel loved or welcomed by others in our congregation?  Never forget, your ability to connect in a church is a two way street.  What effort have you made to get connected at County Line?  Have you been intentional about meeting new people?  You cannot rely on other people to pursue you.  Have you been intentional about meeting with Jen Harris and discussing how you can best be used within our church based on your gifts and talents?  Have you taken a spiritual gifts class to discover if you are accurately discerning your gifts?  As a pastor, I have met a number of people that think they are gifted in an area in which they are not.  People who think they can sing, but cannot.  People who think they can teach, but cannot.  People who think they are leaders, but are not.  People who think they are administrators, but are not.  And on goes the list.  This is probably the biggest suggestion I would have.  Talk to Pastor Nate in our office about upcoming spiritual gifts classes and enroll today.

How do you feel about those that 'over worship?' Put on such a fake front that it is detrimental to their message?  It ruins a message when someone fake cries.  Again, I'm not sure I fully understand the question, but if you are talking about someone in the congregation, I would say, be careful not to judge someones heart.  Someone may be more demonstrative in their worship style than you.  Most people who are demonstrative in their worship have a love language of touch in their earthly relationships.  Those who do not have this love language, cannot understand for the life of them, why people would act the way they do.  I agree there are people who like drawing attention to themselves.  However, that may just be my interpretation.  Only God knows for sure.
If you are referring to pastors who shed tears during a sermon, I challenge you to give a sermon sometime in your life.  So much more goes into a sermon than people will ever know.  We are pouring out our souls to the congregation on any given Sunday and sometimes, the power of the Spirit moving through us is so powerful, you cannot help but get choked up or actually start to cry.  Again, there may be some pastors that never get emotional.  That again would go back to their personality or emotional intelligence.  Yes, some pastors seem to cry every Sunday.  I question how sincere that is, but at the same time, I know people I talk to that seem to cry every time I talk to them.  Some people are just very emotional.  I typically get the most emotional when speaking of lost people or hurting people.  My heart goes out to people that don't know God and how much He loves them.  I also get emotional when God moves in ways that are unexplainable in human terms.  So bottom line.  Don't be too quick to judge.  Just because you may not be an emotional person, doesn't mean everybody is the same or that people are faking it.  I would suggest assume the tears are real rather than assuming they are fake.

Questions from the 12:12 Series

How do you explain to someone that God may not answer every prayer the way they want?  Probably the best passage in the Bible for this answer is found in James 4:2-4.  In this passage, James says, "You want something but don't get it.  You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want.  You quarrel and fight.  You do not have, because you do not ask God.  When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.  You adulterous people don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred to ward God?" This passage reveals that our motives must be in the right place when we pray.  Are we setting our hearts on earthly things, or are we trying to mirror the heart of God?  As difficult as it is, we really need to check our motives and ask, "Why am I honestly asking God to grant this request?

How much should one pray about sickness?  I believe Jesus was clear that we are to persist in our prayers, no matter what the subject.  Again, as long as we believe our motives to be pure and of God.  God is the Healer God and desires to bring healing to His people.  Jesus said in Luke 18:1 to "always pray and never give up."  So be encouraged and keep praying!

How important is it to confess your sins during prayer, because He already knows what you have done?  1 John 1:8-10 says, "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.  If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and His word has no place in our lives."  We see here that confessing our sins is very important to God.  If we say a blanket prayer like, "Lord, please forgive me for all the bad I've done today." we lack sincerity of heart.  It would be like going to your spouse and saying, "I'm sorry if I did anything against you today."  Our spouse would be like, "What did you do to me?"  Now contrast that with, "Honey, I'm sorry for when I snapped at you when you asked me to take the trash out."  When you name the sin by name, you and your spouse connect at a deeper level.  The same goes for our relationship with God.  Yes, He already knows what you have done, but there is something very healing about talking it out with God.  King David is famous for saying in Psalm 139:23 and 24, "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.  See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."  Very transparent and very open to God revealing even more sin.  How many of us are willing to do that?

What is important for small children to pray for?  Obviously, I think sky is the limit on what children can pray for.  However, I would try to guide them a bit.  When they are very little, they will probably thank God for mom and dad, brothers and sisters, for food, family, friends, etc.  They will also probably pray for people who are sick.  I think it is good to teach your children to pray the ACTS prayer.  I do this with my kids from time to time.  "A" stands for adoration.  So I'll say, "Logan would like to praise you for being..." and then I let my son finish it with his own words.  During this time of praise, it's important to teach your children to praise God for who He is, not for things He's done for us.  So focus on His attributes. "C" stands for confession.  So I'll say, "Logan would like to ask forgiveness for when he..."  During the confession times, it's important to teach our children to name their sins specifically (see above question).  "T" stands for thanksgiving.  So I'll say, "Logan would like to thank you for..."  Finally, "S" stands for supplication, which means, requests.  Here I'll say, "Logan would like to ask you to..."  I would also talk to your kids about motives (again, see above questions).  But for prayer to be important to your children, they have to see it being important in your life.  So be sure to model a strong prayer life and talk about your prayer life openly with them.

Can prayer be a weapon to fight against the enemy?  Of course.  As I've sometimes mentioned in sermons, remember Satan does not have the attributes of God.  So just in case he cannot read our thoughts, it might be a good idea to pray out loud at times when praying against Satan.  In Ephesians 6, Paul talks about putting on the armor of God.  In verse 16, he writes, "take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one."  Notice Paul said, "all" the flaming arrows and not some.  Tying that into prayer, Paul goes on to say in verse 18, "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.  With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints." No coincidence that Paul finished up his writings on the armor of God with a call to pray.

Does prayer need said out loud, or can God hear us if we say them in our minds?  God can hear your silent words and can also implant His thoughts into your heart and mind.  Psalm 94:11 says, "The Lord knows the thoughts of man."

Do you need to pray on every occasion, even about the smallest things?  Do you want God to be involved in only the big things of life, or also the small things?  While I think there are some prayers that are a bit silly, like, "Lord please allow there to be a parking space up front."  I do believe God wants us to pray, as stated above, "on all occasions."

What are items God doesn't like in prayer? I think going back to one of the questions above, God does not like selfish motives.  While I think He is OK with praying for things that will benefit you, we must check our motives and make sure we are in the right frame of heart.  Are we wanting to prosper in order to have nicer things and go to nicer places, or do we want more in order to do more for His Kingdom?  Also, God would not want us to pray for anything that goes against His character.  For example, God is against adultery, so He would not want you to pray for Him to allow it in your circumstance.

Is there a point at which prayer becomes more powerful?  James 5:16 says, "The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective."  So one answer to this question might be, "Yes, if a person pursues righteousness in their life, then their prayer life will become more powerful."  We are only righteous because of the presence of Christ in our lives.  Romans 3:22 says, "This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe."  So if you are a true believer in Christ and pursue Him passionately, I believe your prayers will be powerful and effective.

God is not bound by time and we pray for things in the future.  Can we pray for things in the past?  I'm not exactly sure what types of issues you would like to pray for concerning the past.  If you are talking about past issues in your life or surrounding your life, I would say, yes.  If you are asking about changing things that have happened in the past, then I would say, no.  Isaiah 43:18 says, "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past."  I may be taking this passage a bit out of context, but I think you could apply it here, depending on the angle of your question.

Is prayer with your eyes open disrespectful to God?  Check this out...Here are the positions of prayer as described in the Bible.  Prostrate with face to the ground, 56 times.  Facing toward Jerusalem, 20 times.  Kneeling, 9 times.  Hands up, 10 times.  Standing, 5 times. Head bowed, 8 times.  And eyes closed, 0 times!  Jesus' most common way to pray was lifting His eyes toward Heaven.  Obviously, praying with your eyes open is not disrespectful to God, however, I would make sure you are in the right frame of mind and not being distracted.

Does prayer prayer have to be a formal occasion, or can it be like conversation with God?  Conversation with God, for sure.  God talked with Moses as a "friend talks with friend."

Is it OK to keep your prayers between you and God, or do you have to ask others to prayer with or for you?  I think it's OK to have prayers that are just between you and God, but the Bible is full of stories of people of God praying for one another.  So while, private prayers are fine, I would encourage you to share some requests with trusted friends once in a while.  Sometimes, there can be power in numbers.

I am only 11 and I need some help on what to say to a person when I want to tell them about Jesus.  Can you help me?  That is a great question and I'm glad you have a heart to share Jesus with others!  I would encourage you to talk with our Junior High Pastor, Steve Schlatter.  He will have materials suited for someone your age.  However, I would suggest you keep it simple and cover the basics.  We have a sin problem that separates us from a Holy God.  God loves us and wants to have a relationship with us, so He sent His Son Jesus to die on a cross to pay the penalty for our sins.  Now, if we choose to love Him and believe in what He did for us, we can live in Heaven forever when we die.  Be sure to see Steve Schlatter.  He would be happy to talk with you.  Good job!

*If your question does not appear in the list above, that means the question was either answered live or did not pertain to the 12:12 series.