Answered Prayer Requires What?

Introduction

If you have your Bibles, take them and turn to Mark 11:25.  This morning, I’m going to reach back a few weeks, and bring some unity to these verses that have had us looking at Monday and Tuesday of the final week of Jesus’ life on earth.

 

Probably everyone in the room has prayed at one time or another.  If you have, you probably also know that answers to prayer are often yes, no, or not yet otherwise known as wait.

 

I don’t want to present today that this some magical formula to getting prayers answered affirmatively.  God is not our Jeanie in a Bottle.  However, the Bible tells us on multiple occasions to pray to God in certain ways, and He will answer.  Therefore, I want us to see this truth this morning. 

 

 

Exposition

In the recent weeks, we saw that Jesus in the Jerusalem area for Passover.  He staying the nights in Bethany but came into Jerusalem each morning.  On Monday, He cursed the fig tree and cleansed the temple.  On Tuesday, He explained why He cursed the fig tree, which goes along with getting our prayers answered.

 

 

1. Answered Prayers require manifesting fruit, Mark 11:20-21.

20 Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. 21 And Peter, remembering, said to Him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away.”

 

Jesus cursed the fig tree because it promised fruit but didn’t deliver.  It had leaves but no fruit. 

 

If we understand that fruit is the outward manifestation of virtues because of our inward reality of being born again, we can know that answered prayer requires demonstrating fruit on our part. 

 

In other words, God blesses our obedience, and God never blesses our disobedience. We see that with this fig tree.

 

However, the Bible tells us that elsewhere.  Consider John 15:7, 1 Peter 3:17, and James 5:16.

 

7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.

 

7 Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.

 

16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

 

Answered prayers require demonstrating fruit.  By the way, praying according to God’s will would be considered demonstrating fruit.

 

 

2. Answered Prayers require demonstrating faith, Mark 11:22-24.

22 So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. 23 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. 24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

 

If our prayers are going to be answered affirmatively, we must demonstrate faith in God.  Verse 22 cannot be any clearer. 

 

Verses 23-24 say it again.  We must pray and believe and not doubt.  If we do, God will honor our demonstration of faith in Him because it shows our dependence. 

 

We cannot make things happen on our own, but He can.

 

 

3. Answered Prayers require practicing forgiveness, Mark 11:25-26.

25 “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. 26 But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.”

 

Our last two verses for day will most likely be the hardest to receive.  If we want answered prayers, we must practice forgiveness to others. 

 

In verse 25, the context of prayer is certain and applies to believers and nonbelievers alike.  If you are mad at or holding a grudge or harboring bitterness or withholding forgiveness to a Christian brother or sister or a nonchristian neighbor or coworker, don’t expect God to forgive you or answer your prayers. 

 

Dr. Charles Stanley has said that forgiveness means: first, to give up resentment about the wrong; second, to give up resentment toward the wrongdoer; and third, to give up plans for retaliation.

 

And Jesus’ words here were not an isolated occasion.  See Matthew 6:14-15, Ephesians 4:32, and Colossians 3:13.

 

14 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

 

32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

 

13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.

 

And if there was any confusion or misunderstanding about us forgiving others because the Lord has forgiven us, see Matthew 18:21-35.

 

21 Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?”  22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. 23 Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made. 26 The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ 27 Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.  28 “But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’ 29 So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ 30 And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. 31 So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done. 32 Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. 33 Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’ 34 And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him.  35 “So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.”

 

Brothers and sisters, we must forgive others if we want the Lord to answer our prayers, but more than that, we must forgive others if we want the Lord to forgive us. 

 

 

Illustration

The timing of Evelyn Fuller’s funeral was providential for me.  I needed to forgive some others before I was ready to preach a sermon on forgiving others. 

 

 

Conclusion

First, has God forgiven you?  Second, who have you not forgiven?  Third, what is keeping you from that today?  Answered prayers require fruit, faith, and forgiveness.