WHAT NOT TO PRAY FOR

During world war II the American military used remote islands for landing strips and supply depots.

For the locals who lived on these islands, this was their first exposure to the modern civilization.

Islanders saw planes swoop from the sky, drop their payloads, and then leave.

They saw service people use cigarette lighters to produce fire. To them this looked like magic.

They saw jeeps, modern weapons, refrigerators, radios, and power tools.

They were introduced to clothing and food that they had never before seen.

Those on these islands believed the gods had visited them.

When the war ended the armies went home and the planes stopped coming to the islands.

The island people then built shrines to what they called the “cargo gods”.

From what I understand the shrines were near perfect replicas of airplanes and control towers.

Even shrines representing airplane hangars were made.

It has been said that some of the local people even prayed for more cargo planes and people to come.

Those on these islands came to idolize Zippo lighters, cameras, and ballpoint pens.

These items were considered to be religious relics left by the gods.

Missionaries have gone to many of these islands and initially been greeted with open arms.

Those on these islands believed the missionaries were more gods coming visit.

When the islanders learned who the missionaries were, they were not too interested.

Those on the islands were affected by materialism & they wanted people to bring them more things.

If people came for a visit they expected more gifts and trinkets.

WE DO NOT LIVE ON AN ISLAND AND WE KNOW THAT GODS AIRPLANES DO NOT BRING GODS. HOWEVER, MANY HAVE AN ATTITUDE TOWARDS PRAYER WHICH IS SIMILAR TO THE ISLANDERS WHO SAW PEOPLE AS GODS.

A. Some see our contact with God as little more than a way to get things they want.

B. Just as islanders saw people from the sky bring things, so some have a similar view of God.

C. The Bible teaches us there are some things we should not pray for.

D. There are some prayer requests that are improper.

E. This may sound odd but there are some things that we should not be included in our prayers.

F. My first demonstration of this comes from the book of Jeremiah.

i). Jeremiah worked in Judah (southern Israel) during Judah’s final 40 years.

ii). His job was to announce God’s judgment upon the people.

iii). This man was not the most popular fellow in his community.

iv). He was ridiculed, persecuted, and accused of being a traitor.

v). He was even imprisoned and threatened with death.

vi). Because he was with sinful people God limited his prayers.

vii). God told him that he was not supposed to pray for some things.

viii). Let’s start with Jer. 7:16.

ix). This is a shocking passage.

x). God told his prophet, “Do not pray for the people because I won’t listen to you.”

xi). “I will not hear your prayer if it deals with the people.”

xii). Jeremiah was a servant of God. He was a good man. He was a spokesman for God.

xiii). Yet, God said, “Do not mention these people in your prayers.”

xiv). God made this point more than once.

xv). Jer. 11:14.

xvi). There is also a reference in 14:11.

xvii). Perhaps as these references are considered some will think, “That was the Old Testament.”

xviii). “We are under a different covenant and when we pray things are different.”

xix). This is a thoughtful observation. Let’s test it.

xx). Let’s examine this suggestion in light of 1 Jn. 5:16.

a). In 1 Jn. 5 John speaks of a Christian who sins.

b). A fellow Christian is aware of this matter.

c). Here is what John said we should do. READ 1 Jn. 5:16.

d). There is a “sin unto death.” What is this sin?

e). 1 Jn. 1:7 says that Christ’s blood can clean use from all sin.

f). How can God forgive all sin but there still be a sin unto death (1 Jn. 5:16)?

g). The answer is found in our response to sin.

h). If we are unwilling to turn from a sin—any sin—this is a sin unto death.

i). If we lie and refuse to stop or repent of the falsehood this is a sin unto death.

j). If we steal and do not repent—this sin is unto death.

G. 1 Jn. 5:16 says if we see a brother sin, and he has a good heart, we should pray for him.

H. If the brother is not willing to repent we should not pray for him.

I. We may relate 1 Jn. 5:16 to the references taken from Jeremiah.

J. Why was the prophet forbidden from praying for the people?

K. It was because the people had committed a sin unto death.

L. The people were doing what was wrong and they would not change.

M. Thus, God said, “Do not pray for them.”

N. Both testaments convey the same message.

i). We can apply the principle found in Jeremiah and 1^st John in a variety of ways.

ii). Think of the person who is very sick.

iii). I am describing someone who is too incapacitated to obey the gospel.

iv). Someone comes to us and says, “The end is near and this person is lost. Pray for him.”

v). What someone usually means is, “Pray that God will save him.”

vi). If we pray for an unsaved person who is close to death our prayer must be limited.

vii). We cannot ask God to save someone or forgive someone of his/her sins.

viii). God has given certain conditions in His word to access salvation.

ix). If a person has not obeyed these conditions we have no right to ask God to change His terms.

x). We have no right to ask God to violate His revealed will.

xi). There is no authority to pray that God will save or forgive a disobedient sinner.

xii). Thus, if we were to lead a prayer for such a person we would need to pray about something else.

O. In thinking about this type of prayer and those who are very ill we can make a point about death.

i). Someone dies and those left behind are pretty sure the deceased died in a lost state.

ii). Perhaps prayers are sent to God on behalf of the deceased.

iii). People say to God, “Please save Him and let him be home with you.”

iv). Or we may be asked to pray for someone who has died.

v). This types of prayers should not be sent to God.

vi). The Hebrew writer said (2:3), How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?

vii). The answer is we shall not escape if we fail to obey the gospel.

viii). Jesus illustrated this truth with the rich man and Lazarus in Lk. 16.

ix). The rich man was lost and nothing could help him.

x). People could not pray for him and redeem his soul.

xi). Because there is no escape from disobeying God we ought not to pray for those who die unsaved.

xii). Yet, at times, Christians are asked to do this very thing.

xiii). Someone is concerned about the resting place for a loved one and they ask us to pray for them.

xiv). If a person has died with little to no spiritual hope we have no right to pray for their salvation.

xv). Someone says, “That’s cruel. That’s being mean spirited and unkind.

xvi). If someone wants us to pray that God will save their deceased loved one we should do that.”

xvii). Paul once said, “Am I your enemy because I tell you the truth”? (Gal. 4:16).

2. Most who would ask us to pray for a deceased person probably do not know this prayer is useless.

A. Should we give false hope to a grieving person by promising to pray?

B. Should we even imply there is hope and a reason for prayer when the Bible says there is none?

C. Either of these choices is in essence lying to someone who is grieving.

i). If we agree to pray or imply that prayer will help, we are deceiving someone.

D. Shouldn’t we say that we cannot pray for the deceased because this violates God’s will?

E. Is it better to lie or tell the truth to someone who is already suffering?

F. We must tell people that praying for someone after they die is something we cannot do.

3. THERE ARE SOME OTHER TYPES OF PRAYER TO BE AVOIDED.

A. Before citing some examples I want to mention a principle from 1 Cor. 13.

B. In describing spiritual gifts Paul spoke of a time when he was like a child.

C. He talked, thought, and spoke as a child.

D. When he became a man he put away childish things.

E. In a similar way prayers can be childish.

F. Some pray for beauty, a big house, a new car, a prestigious job, fame, $ or something else.

G. Some pray for things that are juvenile and self-indulgent.

H. The Bible says that prayers for these things need to be avoided.

I. James 4:3 says that some people prayed but they didn’t receive what they wanted.

J. James then tells his readers why their prayers failed. Verse 3.

K. People prayed for things that would give them personal pleasure.

i). If a man needed a boat to do the work of God he could pray for a boat.

ii). What about the man who simply likes to fish?

iii). He is tired of his John Boat and his 5-year-old motor so he prays for a new 20’ bass boat.

iv). How responsive, in light of Jas. 4:3, will God be to this man’s prayer?

v). This man is praying a prayer that is self-indulgent.

vi). God’s word tells us to not ask for these kinds of things.

vii). Thousands of prayers must be sent to God that are juvenile and self-indulgent.

4. Most of us receive junk (scrap) mail that gets tossed in the trashcan.

A. It would be interesting to see what God does with self indulgent prayers.

B. We know that these prayers are not honored (Jas. 4:3).

C. We know people can pray about some things that God will not listen to (Jer. 11 & 14).

D. If we are like a spiritual prayed and have prayed for the wrong things it is time to change.

E. There must come a time when we “put away childish things.”

F. We must stop praying for items that are self-indulgent.

G. Christians are not to pray for things that are selfish or self-seeking.

5. THERE ARE SOME OTHER THINGS THAT SHOULD BE EXCLUDED FROM THE PRAYERS WE SENT TO GOD.

A. We should not pray for things that violate God’s will.

B. Sometimes those in our day and time pray for a miracle.

C. Some want to see natural law suspended like it was in the first century.

D. The time for suspending natural law has passed.

E. Asking God to do what He no longer does is asking Him to violate His will.

F. Any request that violates God’s will must be avoided.

G. Any request that contradicts His will must also be avoided because God will not answer it.

H. Earlier I read 1 Jn. 5:16.

I. A related thought is found two verses earlier – 1 Jn. 5:14.

J. If our requests are inconsistent with God’s will they need to be removed from our prayers.

K. Perhaps the most important thing to not ask for comes from passages like Ps. 66:18.

L. The Psalmist said that if we hold sin in our heart God will not listen to our prayers.

M. If we think about sin, cherish sin, downplay or excuse it, God will not listen to us.

N. If God did listen to us He would be fellowshipping us while we were in sin.

i). Spurgeon said (p. 553) If we listen to the devil God will not listen to us.

O. Also, If we refuse to hear God’s commands he will surely refuse to hear our prayers.

P. This principle teaches us that if we are immersed in sin, don’t pray.

Q. Though many wallow in sin and still pray for God’s help and blessings, God says don’t bother.

R. Only pray if you are trying to leave a way that is wrong.

Conclusion

1. We live in a time when people seem to think that God will respond to any kind of prayer.

2. We may live as we want and God will listen to us.

3. We can pray for whatever we want and God will hear.

4. The Bible teaches there are some things that must be excluded from our prayers.

5. If you are a Christian, strive to put away childish things when you pray.

6. You will better your relationship God and you will be stronger in the Lord.

7. If you are not a Christian and you would like to learn more about prayer and Christianity…