Factors Affecting Prayer

February 3, 2010

Dr. Bruce Bauer, a seminary professor at the Andrews Theological Seminary shared the notes below with his students. You may want to review and discuss with others in your group or in your home: what are the factors that help make prayer a powerful spiritual practice,and why it matters.

If you recognize negative factors in your life, don’t loose heart over this. Turn to God and confess your need of His help! He is real and He cares for you. Consider joining a group of Christians who can pray with you and for you. Here’s the list…

Sin in the life– Ps 66:18 “If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.” A relationship with God enhances one’s prayer life.

Insensitivity to the needs of others– Pro 21:13 “If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered.” Prayer involves God speaking to the heart, sensitizing one to the needs of others.

Opposition to God’s Will– Pro 28:9 “If anyone turns a deaf ear to the law, even his prayers are detestable.” Prayer is a two-way street in relationship with God that produces a willingness to make God Lord of one’s life.

Unwillingness to listen to God– Zech 7:13 “When I called, they did not listen; so when they called, I would not listen.” Unwillingness to follow the leading of God in the life can result in God not responding to one’s prayers.

Asking selfishly– Ja 4:3 “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.” This principal is in direct opposition to the prosperity model advocated by some. We are to ask for things that are for the glory of God and the benefit of others.

God’s goodness– Ps 103:13 “As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.” God has compassion on His creation, and doesn’t need to be begged or bargained with in order to respond to the needs of His people.

God’s pity and compassion– Matt. 20:34 “Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him.”

Satan is the ruler of this world– John 12:31 Satan is the ruler of this world so God has limited Himself in what He can do. If He would intervene every time His people face sickness, death or problems Satan would call foul and accuse God of taking over his kingdom.

The overlapping kingdoms– The Kingdom of God has come, but not in its fullness, God’s power has broken in on the present evil age, but not completely. We taste and see the goodness and power of God, but only partially, therefore, while we can experience healings, miracles and the power of God here and now, it is not complete or in all cases.

Satan is the designer and spreader of evil, sickness and death–
Mt 13:38, Job 1:11, 1Pe 5:8. Since Satan is the ruler of this world and it is he who brings every kind of misery, sickness and disease, we must always remember that it is not God withholding His goodness, but rather Satan working the results of his kingdom that cause the problems in life. Therefore, if anyone is to be blamed for suffering in this world it is the devil, and not God.

We receive little because we ask for little– Ja 4:2 “You do not have, because you do not ask.”
If we do not bring our petitions to Christ it also shows a lack of trust or understanding of God. In 2Chron. 16, when Asa, king of Judah was sick and only consulted the doctors, God was not happy with that. God and medicine are not mutually exclusive. We need to trust in God, ask Him for healing and also make use of medical knowledge and science.

SVatel