Most of the people I know are self-professed Christians who own Bibles, read them, go to church, listen to, believe and do what their leaders tell them to do. One of the things they are told to do is to pray often and fervently, to ask the Lord for what they want or are in need of. What is the cumulative result of those billions of prayers? NOTHING. I am being generous when I opine that not more than one percent of all church prayers are answered. Which brings up an interesting question: what is the EXPLANATION employed by church leaders relative to the billions of unanswered prayers that are sent heavenward on a daily basis? NOTHING–THERE IS NO EXPLANATION FORTHCOMING. No church leader wants to answer the “WHY?” question from a Biblical perspective. But they all have a solution to the church-wide problem of multiplied billions of unanswered prayers: IGNORE THE UNANSWERED PRAYERS; PRETEND THAT THE PROBLEM DOES NOT EXIST. In other words, SILENCE IS THE SOLUTION TO THE UNIVERSAL CHURCH PROBLEM THAT HAS BEEN PLAGUING PROFRESSING CHRISTENDOM FOR ALMOST 2000 YEARS. I did hear a t.v. preacher provide a back-door explanation for unanswered prayer: He said: “Don’t even try to be righteous; you’ll just make yourself sick. You are nothing but a society of sinners.” But didn’t Jesus tie answered prayer to righteousness? Through the Apostle Peter He commanded us to “be ye holy as/because your Father in heaven is holy” (1 Pet. 1:15,16). Jesus said that He had to obey God in order to remain in His love (Jn. 15:10).

The above-stated truths stand out in the face of, and in direct opposition to, what is written in the Book that those whose prayers are never answered claim to believe. If a prayer is answered, it is so rare that everyone within phone and mail service hears about it because of the extreme rarity in which such a thing takes place. Does that reflect what is written in the Holy Bible relative to answered prayer? How does the above-stated Truth line up with the following statements made by Jesus Christ Himself and recorded in the Scriptures? “Ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks, to him it shall be opened” (Mat. 7:7,8). THESE WORDS/PROMISES WERE SPOKEN BY JESUS CHRIST. Notice how specific the Lord is relative to what been requested: receive what? WHAT IS ASKED FOR/ find what? WHAT ONE IS SEEKING;/ what door will open? the door one is knocking on. The Lord continues His prayer-answer narrative. In verses nine through eleven He makes the situation personal, asking: “… what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him?” Unanswered prayer is a message from God the one is in trouble. And the trouble is always sin of some kind. Trust me, I know from experience what I am talking about.

At this point it is necessary to point out a Biblical fact that few people accept: NOT ALL OF THOSE WHO ARE IN THE CHURCH ENTERED THE CHURCH THROUGH JESUS–THE DOOR (JN. 10:7-9); NOT ALL WHO MINISTER WITHIN THE CHURCH ARE SENT BY HIM; NOT ALL THE PEOPLE IN THE CHURCH ARE OF HIM. Read Christ’s messages to the seven churches in Revelation 2:1-3:22. In chapter one we are told that these are His churches in the midst of which He stands. Herein is a valuable lesson, the point of which is this. The Lord’s Words: “My people who are called by My name” include everyone in “the church.” However, God’s true, Very Elect saints comprise only a tiny part of that body. Those who are His saints (holy ones) number only a few thousand world-wide. The other 99% are Christians in name only. These are represented by the five foolish virgins of the Matthew 25 parable who were CALLED “VIRGINS” in the church with the five wise (actual) virgins. Note that they remained in the church, were called “virgins,” etc. until the return of Jesus. These are those about whom Jesus spoke in Matthew 7:21-23 and 15:7-9. These are they who were in “the church” but refused to obey God’s Law by which He governs His true saints. Rather, they are those who “work iniquity”–Lawlessness. These are they who claim that Jesus “nailed the Law to His cross.” These make up the vast majority in “the church.” God’s true saints are like the “pearl of great price” that a man found in a field–one tiny jewel in a field of jewels, only one of which was worth selling all he had (Jesus gave His life) in order to purchase it (“bought it with a price”–His life). The field is the world and the pearl is His tiny group (“little flock”) among the billions of churches within the field (the churches in the world). Only one pearl was worth the price He paid. These are those within that church who obey Peter’s command to be holy. These are those whom he described as a peculiar, holy nation of priests (1 Pet. 2:9,15,16). As we continue, bear in mind that the focus of this teaching is prayer, whether it is answered or not, and why.

In Matthew 7:13-15 Jesus tells us how to be sure that we are hearing His Words and not church doctrine, which is an abomination because it exists. Here He speaks about entering His sheepfold (church) and hearing His messages from His messengers who have heard His Words/voice. These are the Words found in His Holy Book AND IN NO OTHER SOURCE. Notice in this passage that the gate into His sheepfold (church) is “strait,” meaning difficult. His way (path to salvation) is “narrow,” meaning restrictive–trod only by those who strictly obey His Ten Commandment Law. Jesus notes that only a few salvation seekers would “find” and enter His gate leading into His sheepfold. In Luke 13:24 He says that many will try to enter through His door but would not be able to because they refuse to obey Him. However, many would “go in” the wide (come as you are) gate and walk the broad (stay as you are) way that leads to destruction. GOD IDENTIFIES ALL IN THE CHURCH AS “MY PEOPLE WHO ARE CALLED BY MY NAME.” Read the series using the key word–Called. Also read Who are God’s People, key word–People.

In Matthew 7:15-20 we find Jesus warning about the source of the unanswered prayer problem–FALSE PROPHETS. These people are identified by the Apostle Paul in Second Corinthians 11:13-15 where he describes them as self-identified “ministers of righteousness” who are working for a god who calls himself an “angel of light” who is in fact Satan, the enemy of God and His true saints.

Jesus would again warn His apostles about those who would come in His Name and teach Satan’s lies. In Matthew 24:4,5 He warned that just prior to His return to earth there would arise false prophets who would proclaim that He, Jesus was indeed the Christ of God and, having gained the trust of the people, would “deceive many” of them. In verses fifteen through twenty He tells us how to discern who is and who is not His minister who has been appointed and anointed by Him for ministry. He refers to the “proof” of His approval as “fruit,” meaning what they produce that would be “consumed” by others. God’s people produce the fruit of His Word and nothing else. He goes on to say that those who listen to and obey His ministers will build their spiritual houses on His teachings only. To build on anything else is the equivalent to having a chain with a weak link that looks like all of the other links. One weak link makes the chain useless.

Those in the church who go through all of the motions of religiosity but do not obey His Words are weak religious links. These are they who do not have their prayers answered. Though they go through all of the prescribed motions and perform all of the prescribed rituals, their prayers are not answered BECAUSE THEIR PRAYERS ARE NOT HEARD. Read Second Chronicles 7:13-15. Notice that God calls those about whom He is speaking “My people who are called by My name.” Notice that they are sinners (wide gate, broad way salvation seekers). Notice the all-important (but universally hated) word “IF” that would determine whether or not their prayers would be HEARD. Also notice the all-important (but hated) word “THEN” relative to their prayers being answered. WHEN they have “turned from their wicked ways” (permanently), THEN He would HEAR THEIR PRAYERS AND HIS EYES WOULD BE OPEN TO THEM, Also read Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28 concerning the all-important words “IF” and “THEN” in Leviticus 26:3,4 and “IF” and “THAT” in Deuteronomy 26:1.

Satan’s false prophets are directed to steer their congregants away from the IF, THEN, THAT AND WHEN words found in the Holy Scriptures. Why? Because they show that it takes more than faith to get God’s attention. It means that He requires another universally-hated Word found in the Holy Scriptures–“WORKS.” In James 2:10,14,17,18,19,20,24,26 the apostle makes clear the Truth that FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD FAITH. The Word of God tells us specifically that the WORKS HE REQUIRES OF HIS TRUE SAINTS CONSISTS OF OBEDIENCE TO HIS LAW IN BOTH LETTER AND SPIRIT. Church hirelings know that if they tell the Truth about God’s requirements for answered prayer they will be fired. No one in the church wants to hear God’s Truth. It is for this reason that I have not been asked to speak to a church congregation in approximately 40 years.

Occasionally, but extremely rarely, God answers a church prayer. His purpose in doing so is to cause people to study His Word in search of His Truths. Unfortunately, that does not happen. People simply go to church more often, sing louder, pray more, give more, etc. In other words, it is business as usual–only more of it. I do not like being negative, but God put me here to proclaim His raw, sword-slashing, hate-producing Truth to the church, which is my mission field. As Jesus warned, most religious people reject His Truth. which is why church pulpits are filled with ear-scratchers and salvation hucksters. L.J.