Jesus' Shared Wisdom

11: Praying is Not In Vain, See What We Can Obtain

Decided to move this lesson also! I'm terrible at organization. Like always, please comment to ask questions or give feedback. Thank you for reading this far!

-Arkada

Perhaps you know what to ask for when you pray. You can pray for Jesus to help you overcome obstacles or sin in your life. You can pray for the well-being of other people, trusting that Jesus will guide them as well. It seems as long as we don't wish for the deaths of those who we don't care for or to become the ruler of all mankind for example, we can see the fulfillment of our prayers.

A common argument I've seen against Jesus is the fact that we cannot pray for whatever we want, like for cancer to be cured or for world peace for example. People using this argument refer to Mark 11:24, which states, "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours."

So is our freedom to pray a lie? Do we have restrictions on what we can ask for during prayer? Although gifts from Jesus such as a cure for cancer or world peace to become a reality would make a positive impact on the world, why doesn't it seem like Jesus fulfills these requests?

The problem with this argument is that people believe Jesus is some kind of Santa Claus. These miracles simply won't happen due to two reasons.

First, prayer requires faith in Jesus. Atheists argue how prayer doesn't yield results, but how would they know? Have they prayed with faith and trust in Jesus? Perhaps they prayed with the expectation that Jesus wouldn't answer their prayers. However, that same Bible verse states that we need to "believe that we have received" what we pray for. This means when someone tries to prove the existence of God by testing His ability to answer a prayer, they will not see the fulfillment of their prayers. Testing God in prayer is an action that does not bring the change a person desires.

"Do not put the Lord your God to the test as you did at Massah."
(Deuteronomy 6:16)

Second, as I stated before, Jesus does not answer prayers immediately. When people ask the question, "If God is real, why doesn't He bring world peace or cure cancer..." Jesus actually answers those prayers. However, this doesn't mean that the results you desire will occur immediately. Often when we pray, we have to wait for the changes we asked for. Our prayers could take any amount of time to be fulfilled. We must wait patiently for Jesus to answer our prayers in order to see their fulfillment. As for a cure for cancer or an establishment of world peace, we must be patient and allow Jesus to act upon our prayers in a way He sees as the best way.

"But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently."
(Romans 8:25)

Overall, we truly can pray to receive whatever we want, as long as it is fueled towards a positive purpose. Jesus doesn't always act on our prayers immediately, but that doesn't mean they won't be fulfilled. Our prayers are not in vain, since Jesus is able to hear every prayer to Him and has the capability to fulfill them all. Don't be discouraged from praying, since Jesus truly understands your needs.

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Take a break here if you would like to. This is a longer lesson and I don't want you to feel rushed to absorb all the information. Take some time to really understand what you have learned so far.
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In addition to receiving what we ask for, Jesus uses prayer to teach us new lessons that fortify our relationship with Him. Through prayer, we can understand the importance of talking to Jesus and how important it is for our patience to be tested in prayer.

What would you do if you wanted to make a new friend? Would you only talk to them for a few hours on one day and ignore them on the other days? This is similar to how some people treat Jesus. These actions don't truly establish a strong relationship with Jesus, just like how we won't become good friends with a person by rarely speaking to them. Strong relationships with both other people and Jesus are created through frequent conversations. When you  create time to talk to Jesus and hear His voice through prayer, you can learn more about Jesus and allow Jesus to help you understand yourself.

Earlier in this lesson, you learned how patience is required for our prayers to be answered. This patience that comes from waiting for Jesus may seem like a annoying wedge that weakens trust in Jesus. On the contrary, through this waiting period we can develop hope and trust in Jesus. The hope that we have in Jesus to fulfill our prayers develops a clear sense of dependence on Him, which is necessary for a healthy relationship with Jesus.

If Jesus answered our prayers immediately without testing our patience and will to trust Him, would we ever grow? The answer is no, since we wouldn't have to be dependent on Him when we are going through difficult times. We would focus only on His gifts, instead of the Giver. We wouldn't improve our relationship with Jesus, since we would simply claim our gifts and desert Him.

Instead of worrying about when your prayers will be answered, you can put your worries into  Jesus. He knows how to comfort you and guide you. By doing so, your trust and faith in Jesus improves throughout each prayer. You will soon find Jesus as someone who you can turn to in any situation.

This is how Jesus meant for us to be. When we seek independence in a relationship with Jesus, we find ourselves alone and susceptible to sin. Instead when we submit to Jesus and show that we need Him, we are guided and positively changed by His unfailing love.

When you pray, don't forget Jesus's life-changing gifts of trust and faith. When your patience is tested in prayer, your faith in Jesus shines the brightest. Don't see the patience required for prayers to be answered as a downside. Instead, focus on how your relationship with Jesus can be fortified due to the new lessons of trust and dependence that come with patience.

Thank you for reading this lesson! Please share your new knowledge with whoever you can. Teach others who doubt Jesus, since they need His guidance the most. Remember that Jesus is always with you!