Dealing With Unanswered Prayers — Shane Idleman

So, with that said, I'm going to end healing tonight, God willing, part three on healing. And I've been talking about, does God heal anymore? Can He heal a person as we read about in the Bible, or is that gone and that really no longer happens anymore, good for the early church, bad for us, right, or does it still happen?

Well, I'll encourage you to go online and listen to part one and part two, because then part three is going to make a lot more sense, as these messages are married together on this issue of healing. So, if you have your Bibles, we've been in Matthew, as you can tell by this big thing behind me.

Faith, Sovereignty, and Unanswered Prayer

It's kind of the reason for that, is we're encouraging Matthew, Matthew 8, verse, actually we read chapter 1 last week, but we're in verse 5. So, if you have your Bibles, chapter 8, verse 5, but before I get to that, what we've been talking about so far is faith, how faith plays a role in healing, and also how sovereignty plays a role, or a lack of role in healing.

Sometimes we forget that God's not like a genie in a bottle, give me three wishes and everybody's healed according to what I want, but according to what his sovereign plans include, and that's a hard one for us, isn't it?

How can this be of you, God? This is so difficult. How can we lose a child? God help me understand this or not heal me, Lord. Where are you in the midst of this confusion and this chaos? Why is this happening?

And I believe it's okay to be frustrated. Those are normal human emotions, but what do you do with that frustration? You take it to God, and you seek him. You don't become bitter and angry and leave him, because that'll get you nowhere, and that'll get you nowhere fast.

I've got a lot of confusion before, why, Lord, why? Why aren't you, what's going on, show me, Lord, and as my prayer in that area begins to change, my heart begins to change. Does it not? As you're seeking him, I like what R .C. Sproul said there, actually, it should be in your, I don't know if it's on the bulletin, but it's actually in your sermon notes.

Most Christians salute the sovereignty of God, but they believe in the sovereignty of man. And minimizing of sovereignty is directly related to a magnifying of worry. And the more I talk to people, especially what's going on in Russia, what's going on this, what's going on in the news, the news, you know, it's a fear frenzy that we're feeding.

We have to be very careful. Because what we're doing is we're minimizing the sovereignty of God and we're magnifying the control of men. And then when that happens, all hell breaks loose and we worry about everything.

What's happening? And we get this. We forget that God is sovereign. Our president still sits under that president, you understand that? Russia sits under him, the Psalms, the psalmist said, let the nations know that they are but men, they are men in the palms of an almighty God.

So we look to him, not to them. We trust in him, not them. Actually, we should be thankful that we even live in a place like America. I mean, I read a lot of books on the mission field and parents will see their children murdered before their eyes.

Can you handle that one? So the next time you want to complain about something here or in California, you might want to take a look at what's happening in the world. People being killed and martyred, we've got pictures we can't show here, moms on the ground, dead with their baby.

Why? Because they believe in Christ. No shoes, rags, wearing rags, rejoicing in Christ. And I read that and go, what is wrong with us? What is wrong with us? We should be the most thankful, but we're the most negative.

We should be the most appreciative, but we're usually the grumblers and the complainers. That's why the people in the mission field, they say, we're praying for America. We say, no, we're praying for you.

They say, no, we're praying for America because your blessing has become your curse. And as I read Isaiah and Jeremiah and I love the prophets Ezekiel and captivity and Daniel, it's very interesting that you'll read that is Israel blessed of God.

Then they succumb to pagan worship and idolatry and possessions and their great blessing actually becomes their curse. So when the children of Israel were blessed by God and became prosperous, God would call them out of that idolatry and that prosperity.

Is money bad, Jane? Of course, I'm not saying that money is a wonderful servant, but a terrible master. And we tip that scale the other direction. So I think it is the minimizing of sovereignty. I see it all the time and maybe just because I talk to a lot of people who are very afraid right now, the economies, we are millionaires compared to the majority of the world.

Some of these people I saw making thirty seven dollars a month working 14 hour days in these these these sweatshops and building things and to them we're complaining over. I mean, that's we spend more than Starbucks.

We need a we need a serious wake up call and I'm hoping to give that in the next few weeks because we're going to discuss this issue of the cost of following Christ. Now, hopefully that doesn't mean half the room is going to show up because we should all want to to follow Christ in that area.

Intercession and Standing in the Gap

And we talked about intercession as far as healing and parents interceding for their kids, people interceding. You can intercede and God will move the hand of the father because of our intercessory prayers.

I believe intercession is vitally important. You remember Ezekiel, right? God said, I look for a man from among them. I look for a man from among them to stand in the gap and to build a wall before me on behalf of the land that I might not destroy it.

But I found no one. God is looking for people to stand in the gap. That's where that phrase comes from in Christianity, stand in the gap, stand in the gap. Well, that's what it comes from. Usually Ezekiel.

God said, I saw it for a man. Would you stand in the gap? Would you plead for your church? Would you plead for your children? I need an intercession, not a five minute devotional. I need somebody on fire for God that's going to get on their hands and knees and seek me with all of their heart, with all of their strength, with all of their soul.

Then I'll turn the tide of that situation. But I'm not going to bless an arrogant church who doesn't want to have anything to do with prayer. And they'd feed me, feed me, give me, give me these hands of giving me have got to be hands of blessing.

We've got to intercede, and I often talk to people, their kids have gone, you know, prodigal and the wayward daughter, and I'm going to have to go through that myself and my kids get older. Who knows?

I'm not putting that down. But I am saying, when was the last time you fasted and spent a few hours praying for them? Oh, I'm too busy for that. Your kids on drugs and down in Hollywood, you're too busy for that.

What? What am I missing?

The condition of our family, the condition of our nation, the condition of our church should drive us to our knees. The heart condition of the receiver can hinder healing. And that's where we left last week with with self-examination or the week before.

The heart condition of the receiver can hinder healing. And I truly believe that many people are not receiving what they could from God because of the condition of their heart. That's why the Bible comes against strongly against pride and idolatry and selfishness and arrogance and all these conditions of the heart.

The Centurion’s Faith in Matthew 8

That's why. Because it can it can hinder the blessings of God. So with that as our backdrop, Matthew eight, chapter chapter eight, verse five. You remember earlier, if you're reading chapter one or I'm sorry, chapter eight, verse one, he just healed the guy with leprosy.

He said, Lord, if you are willing, would you heal me? Jesus said, I am willing. And then it goes right into this. Now, when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion who's over 100 soldiers came to him, pleading with him, saying, Lord, my servant is lying at home, paralyzed, dreadfully tormented.

And Jesus said to him, I will come and heal him. The centurion answered and said, Lord, I'm not worthy that you should even come under my roof. Now, we have to remember, Jews had no dealings with Gentiles, let alone go in the house.

So this man understood that he respected that. But there goes Jesus breaking division, breaking denominational lines, breaking race, racial lines. He said, I'll come. I don't care what you are, what color of skin you are, what the church should be the most loving, welcoming, affirming, not sin, affirming sin, but affirming distinctions and differences than any place on the planet.

It crosses all those we want all types of nationalities worshiping here. That's the true the true bride of Christ, the true body of Christ, all nationalities, all people coming for the same reason. The truth of God is pulling me.

The truth of God is drawing me. I need to spend more time with God. So I don't know if this is contextually correct, but I glean that from this that Jesus said, hey, I'll come. I don't care if you're Gentile.

I don't care if you're part of the Roman authority. I'm coming to your house. But then he said, no, Lord, this guy had so much faith. He said, no, Lord, I'm not worthy that you should come under my roof, but only speak a word and my servant will be healed.

For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say, go. And this one goes and he does this and does that and to another come and he comes and to my servant do this and he does it.

When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel. And I say to you that many will come from the east and west and sit down with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.

But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. And that is saying basically is other people are going to come in, these people who think they're children of Abraham, we're children of Abraham.

We don't need to bow to you, Christ. We're children of Abraham. Jesus said there'll be sons of this kingdom who will sit outside. They'll be weeping and gnashing of teeth just because you're of the lineage of Abraham.

If you do not bow to the Savior, just because you're an American, if you do not bow to the cross, that's the only way to enter heaven is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. He is the only way, the only truth, the only life.

Nobody comes to the father except through him and by him. Then Jesus said to the centurion, go your way and as you have believed, so let it be done for you. And the servant was healed that same hour. So I was as I'm right, of course, I mean, you read this, you're OK, Lord, what do you want to say?

And usually I just sit and I kind of wait and just I don't want to put my own opinions into it. But I believe that we can pull a lot from this. Number one would be we should ask and we should ask often.

If you want to be healed, if you want your prayers answered, you should ask, I should ask and we should ask often. It's that pleading, it's that petitioning. And that's why I think a lot of times we go into prayer maybe for a day and then we'll forget it.

This is too difficult. But God was testing our hearts many times. I will worship you even if my prayers aren't answered. I will serve you even if my prayers aren't answered, Lord. It's in that waiting and that asking time that we build up strength.

Those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. It was interesting with Samson when he was taken by the Philistines, right? They gorged out his eyes and the Bible says that he was at the at the grinding with the oxen.

He was pulling this thing with the oxen, a blind grinding and grinding. He could not see. They took out his eyes. But the Bible says as he was doing that, as he waited on the Lord, his hair grew back and his strength grew back and he was able to defeat the Philistines with the final blow as he pulled down the whole temple.

Now, of course, the power wasn't in his hair, it was in his consecration to the Lord and that waiting time, his strength came back. Some of you need to sit and you need to wait on God. I truly believe we are so busy in our culture.

I went on. Sometimes I try to go to jogs early in the morning sometimes. And in this one yesterday, I think I was. I told my wife, I'm just leave my phone here. And I thought it was like I kept checking.

I mean, every 10 minutes, I'm sure I hope everything's OK. You know, we're so glued to that thing. It's an addiction. I can't somebody, you know, we just know, OK, Lord, I just need to take time. I need to seek you with all of my heart.

I need to take a drive. I need to put on worship and seek him. Listen, coming to Westside Christian Fellowship, standing up and worshiping and hearing this isn't going to change anything. This is just the ignition, the switch to I've got I've got the fire and I've got the match, but I can't light it until you take part in what God is calling you to do and seeking him with all of your heart.

I would restructure my entire lifestyle around seeking God. Oh, Shane, that's fanatical. Call it whatever you want, but that's seeking God with all your heart, with all your mind, with all your soul, with all your strength.

Something's got to give. Something's got to change. If he's not a priority, then our priorities are misaligned. I have no problem saying that if he's not a priority and seeking him. If he's not a priority, then our priorities are misaligned.

And I believe that one thing that can hinder healing is we're not asking. We're not asking often. We're not seeking him again. I don't want to minimize people who have been seeking and pleading and praying and nothing happens.

I'm not minimizing that. I'm not saying, well, you just have you just need a little bit more faith, brother. You just got to pray a little longer. No, I don't think so. But if God uses that to draw me closer to him day in and day out, he's using that.

He'll say, my grace is sufficient, Shane. I'm using that to draw you closer to me, because if I didn't use that to draw you closer to me, you would be leaving me. You would be you'd be the prodigal son.

You would be the wayward daughter. You would be walking away because I know your heart and I've got to keep you close to the father. Those are areas which we cannot, cannot discount. Ignore the little baby in the back.

That's my daughter. Oh, that's OK. Oh, I don't mind. The kids are coming in. It's funny because they say, dad, you're so boring. Can we go in the kids class? So I've got a complex coming in tonight. Right.

Anyway, I wonder this on this whole question of healing, would they be healed if they didn't approach Jesus? With these people, would they have been healed if they didn't approach him? I don't know how.

So that's something I saw there that there's an approaching there's a there's a there's a like I said before, there's a seeking after and a cross reference, Luke 18, one to eight there. I think that's where that woman came in, that widow.

And she kept bugging the judge and kept bugging the judge and kept bugging the judge. And he said, I don't care about God and I don't care about, man, but I'm tired of this lady bothering me. Give her what she wants.

And Jesus uses that, though, what's going on here, Lord, can I just pray once according to that scripture? Of course we can. But according to that, there's a there's an earnestness there. There's a desire.

There's an ongoing communication. There's Lord, I was here yesterday morning. I was here last week and I was here last month and I'm going to be here again tomorrow. But Lord, I need you to move. I need you to stir my heart.

I need you to awaken this dead condition like that song said, glorious ruins. Lord, pull me up from the ashes. Renew my life, because without you and you alone, I will not make it. That's powerful. Listen, guys, I don't make all this up.

This comes from worship in the morning. That's this is a byproduct of worship. It's not a byproduct of hermeneutic and homiletic, correct, you know, interpretations of this and that, which I love all that stuff I've said before.

But you can have sound theology and be as dead as a doornail, straight as a gumbarrel theologically, but just as empty. It's the spirit that gives life. Would they be healed if they did not approach Jesus?

Probably not. And that's what I meant by you can come and stand for worship and listen to me and leave out that door no different than when you arrived. Do you realize that? But we think because I heard I felt and was convicted that obviously change will take place, not necessarily.

Those are just the convicting agents that God uses to have the heart break. So it has to be it has to be something on your side as well. And I know I'm talking about healing, but I'm not just talking about physical healing.

I'm talking about does anybody need some emotional healing tonight? Physical healing, emotional healing. God knows we need some spiritual healing. God, get this junk out of my heart and created me a clean heart.

Renew a right spirit within me, Lord, because I need you to move tonight. Those are good things. And I've noticed that God sometimes the blessing is by him refraining from answering my prayers because it's in that dark hour that I go to him for the light.

It's in that depression that he illuminates the scriptures. Without those things, I might not get up. Are you following where I'm going? If life is all cozy and comfortable, don't hit the alarm clock.

I've got tons of money in the bank account. I don't need God. Jesus says it's hard for a poor man to enter heaven. Did he? See, making sure you're paying attention. It's hard for a rich man. Why? Why is it hard for a rich man?

Because you can't serve two masters. The best thing God has ever done for me is I make great money, six figures in my 20s, then nothing. Decent money, construction, then nothing. It's this roller coaster that I keep riding to get back into Lord seeking you.

I need those hits that drives me back to the prayer closet because of everything's going great. We have the tendency to not everybody. I don't want the super spiritual people to come up afterwards and be upset, but we have the I've had a lot of money in the bank before.

And I've lost it all in construction, plummeted, I know there's a tendency to rest on your laurels and not worry about God as much. Maybe it's just me. I don't why I need to pray. We got it, we got it, we got the bill, we got the hill, we got the car, the kids are fine, they're sick, just go to the doctor, do this.

So sometimes I think the things we're praying for can be a blessing if we look at it that way. If they're drawn, if anything's drawing you closer to Christ, that's a good thing. How can it be a bad thing?

But I don't want to dismiss the deep emotional pain that unanswered prayers can bring. We were left, we will be left on this side of heaven asking why to a lot of things. And now with kids, there's some things I can't answer, dad, why can't we do that?

No, we can't. Can you explain why? No. Because the truth will hurt. I need to protect you. I'm not going to tell you why I don't trust the people up the street or whatever it is there. Why? Because they can't handle that.

They're not ready for that. So I think it's important that we should ask. We should ask often and we do have to approach Christ and believing is vital. Faith is essential. You might say, Shane, no kidding.

Why would you even bring that up? Because we need to be reminded. Remember what I said last week? I'm a leaky vessel. I need to sit under the fountain of life all the time. I need to send her to God's encouragement all the time.

And that's what happens to a lot of people. They're not in this. They're in this. So belief vanishes, faith diminishes, and they're left starving. So we need encouragement. God said, Jesus said, as you have believed involves responsibility.

When he told the man, as you have believed, there's responsibility on the part of the here. According to your faith, you've been made well. What do you do with those scriptures? One thing is you don't build theology off of it.

And that's what that's what this the word of faith movement is. And I have no problem with speaking out against it, because I definitely do not agree with it. That your mouth almost has more power than God.

Your words have more power than God. Just say it and claim it. No, sir. I don't know where you come up with that. You can't take this little scripture, make a theology out of you have to read the entire Bible.

Sometimes your faith will stand trial. Sometimes your prayers will not be answered. Sometimes you'll go through hell and high water. Sometimes you'll name it. You will not be able to claim it. I mean, I think we can all say that we've named it.

I want it. Don't give it to me. I'll give it to you. Never happens. Never happens. Right. I told you I still don't have that Dodge thirty five hundred mega cab in my driveway. I've claimed it many times.

The flesh has and the spirit says, do you need it or do you want it? Well, of course, we know the answer to that one. I do need it, right? I want it, but it's OK. Anyway, I'm just trying to be real there with you guys, you understand, I go through a lot of the same struggles and the flesh doesn't like to come into submission to God.

It just doesn't like it throws tantrum tantrums. It throws fits like little kids. I see my little kids sometimes I say, oh, they just do what we all want to do, but we're so mature now we don't want people to see us that way.

Continuing to Believe Through Trials

So when they cry and want their blankie and their binky, we cry, but we can't do it. I see the parallels. Number three, continuing to believe is also vital. Oh, let me go back to believing is vital. You guys need to hear this verse, Hebrews 11, six, and without faith, it is impossible to please God without faith that that that scripture is so profound.

Here's what we do when our study or we just read it and on to the next one. If you don't have it without faith, it's impossible to please God. So as we're bickering, as we're complaining, as we're worrying, as we're watching the nightly news to see if we're going to become the United States of Russia, everybody's paralyzed.

But we have to exercise faith, Lord, you're in charge, you're on the throne, not Democrat, not Republican, not independent, not the House nor the Senate, not the legislation, you're in charge. I have faith in you.

Now he's pleased. I don't know how I'm going to get through this, but I'm going to get through this because you're the CEO, you're the captain, not me. That faith pleases God. You see how this works. Without faith, it's impossible to please God, for whoever would draw near to God.

Must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. Another translation says he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him. You know what diligence is? I heard a good analogy. You ever hear that drop of water, you know, works pretty good with the mic, right?

Well, if you let that go too long in the bathtub, you're going to start seeing that porcelain or whatever it is, start to crack or start to fade coloring. What is that? What's happening? That diligence, that a couple drops, nothing, but over days and weeks and months, he's a rewarder of those who diligently, Lord, I'm not seeing anything.

I don't care. I didn't tell you to see anything. I told you to pray and seek me. I have to see something. No, you don't. That's not faith. Do you realize that faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen?

I'm believing God for things I can't even see. That's faith. If I can see it, I don't have faith. Somebody puts one hundred thousand dollars in your bank account. That's not faith. That's oh, I'm happy that somebody put some money in my bank account.

But faith is Lord, I know you're going to provide. I know you're going to see me through. I don't see it doesn't feel like it. I'm not real happy right now. I'm a little worried. Would you help my unbelief?

Lord, would you help me? See, that's faith. Faith is exercising something that we cannot see, but because we cannot see it, we live in such a way as if it's there. In other words, if I believe God's going to do something, I'm going to live my life in such a way that it will happen.

I'm not going to say I believe this, but it'll never happen. That's not faith. Like with the church, starting the church, I've shared the story a few years ago. It took a lot of faith. People say you're giving up, you're doing your are you out of your mind?

What do you think? Nobody does that Saturday nights with no money, no affiliation, no core team. I think God's leading me to do it. That's all I know. I mean, if he's not, I'll say like a big boy, I was wrong.

But if he is, I've got to lead my life in such a way as to where he'll bless the work. I've got to make certain decisions. I've got to make some. I've got to find a building. All these things that he started to line up.

But had I said no way, that's not going to happen. That's not faith. That's doubt. You see how it works? We're having we're putting our trust in our faith in God. Number three, continuing to believe is also vital.

I'd say Shane, what does that have to do with anything? Oh, it has a lot to do with a lot of things. Continuing to believe is vital because it's easy to believe right now. Right. Some of you, I'm sure, are inspired.

You're motivated. There's some things, OK, I'm going to leave here stronger. But then when Monday morning comes around and all hell breaks loose and things aren't looking good, oh, back to square one.

That's why believing, continuing to believe is vital. You remember everything that happened to Job? This guy lost everything. You think you're having a bad day? Everything, family members killed, resources, everything was gone.

And his wife, you got to love her. Not really. But she said, Joe, curse Job, just curse God and die. This is terrible. Would you just curse God and die? And Job said, though he slay me, yet will I trust him?

The Bible says he was rewarded because why? He held on to his integrity. He trusted God in the midst of a storm. Surely, if Job lost everything and we're worried that our job might not work out, we might have to downscale to a smaller house and drive one car.

Boy, that's a big problem, isn't it? Compared to what he went through, it's nothing. That's why and trust me, many fingers are pointing back just as me. We've become America's become spoiled little brats.

Who has the most toys win is the motto of the church. Because when you take those toys away, that's when people get upset. That call to a life more consecrated. The cost of following him, again, I'm not coming out against material things.

I'm coming against being bad stewards of our material things. God has obviously blessed people so they can be a blessing. It isn't blessed to hoard it. So do you believe in savings and retirement? I think there's wisdom in all of that stuff, but be careful.

Be careful, because there are also a lot of studies that show parents who leave their kids tons of money end up ruining them. Because they never learn how to pick up a shovel and dig a ditch and work hard.

Because they've been given everything. I want my kids to work. I want them to work hard, but at the same time, I want to bless them like any parent does. I got to be careful. I'd be another rabbit trail.

Perseverance, Seasons, and Spiritual Formation

Galatians six, nine, and let us not grow weary of doing good for in due season. We will reap if we do not give up. And I don't know why it was even this notes, but I feel this verse strongly is for somebody tonight.

Do not grow weary of doing good for in due season. You will reap. Do not give up, though, that the blessing is just beyond the struggle. God is seeing your devotion. He's seeing your Lord. What do you want to do in my life?

If you do not grow weary of doing good in due season, you will reap. And that's interesting about seasons there, right? You plant a seed. This is my kids do this all the time. We plant strawberry seeds.

They come out the next day. We're looking for the strawberries. Explain. Oh, yeah. Let's just go to the store and buy some that. Hold their seasons. Why? Because a little seed sprouts begins to take root, that water, those nutrients.

It's a process. And we have there's a process there, you don't see a little tiny apple tree, bare, abundant fruit, it would crush under the weight. So a lot of things what God wants to do in our life is you're not ready yet.

You're not there yet. Get your character ready. Get your mouth in check. Get your heart in check. Because if I do that now, you'll destroy it. If I if I bless you now, you'll you'll be you'll walk away from that blessing.

That will walk. That will cause you to walk away from me even more. Let me build it my time. Character is a process. It doesn't happen overnight. And a lot of times that character process is by God withdrawing or withholding.

That's how he shifts our character. You think you just become a humble person? You just I'm going to start being humble. I'm so humble. Now you're not. You see how that works. And I know myself, God had to take me from from from fitness, managing multiple fitness centers, it was suit and tie, big money.

And then within two months, I'm digging up septic tanks with a digging bar and a shovel living with my mom because it takes broken men to break men. God had to do that to me. I wouldn't have done that to my you think I would do that to myself if I could see what I'm going through, I'd go the other direction.

But he says, no, come on, this is good for you. So when you go, you're humbled, you can do whatever you want. I used to clean those bathrooms 14 years ago and I should hear he humbles me. I can't do it on my own.

Think about that, you think, Lord, I'm going to humble myself. No, you won't. Not the way God will do it. He'll get rid of your reputation. He'll get rid of your haughtiness. He'll get rid of your pride.

He'll get rid of your arrogance. He'll get rid of everything. And he knows exactly how to do it. For some people, it's money. For some people, it's a relationship. He'll allow that marriage to crumble and say, see, you're not all that, are you?

You thought you're all that. No, you just lost your job. You just lost your spouse. Your kids won't even talk to you anymore. He's got to humble us. But the quicker you submit to the process, the less wilderness you have to go through.

Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God, in due time, he will exalt you. Well, Shane, I thought you said we can't humble ourselves. Well, you can humble yourself in regard to spirit and your character and your humbling yourself, but unless God brings you through the furnace of affliction, you don't know what the heat feels like.

You've got to walk through and go, oh, that's hot over there, I'm avoiding, I know these things because God has brought me through it. The devil tries to weary us. The reason is he wants us to give up, give in.

And give up on God, basically, I think that's one of the biggest things I see, people, they're just getting too tired, right? I'm too tired. I'm done. When you come out, when you come out of this church service with strength and power after worship, that's not an opportune time for the enemy to strike.