                    [Times Square Church Pulpit Series]

                          How Not to Come to God!

                       Secrets to Prevailing Prayer

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By David Wilkerson
January 30, 1995
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          I believe that most people who call themselves by Gods
          name have learned to go to Him in their time of need.
          Indeed, most Christians believe in the necessity of
          prayer. Many seek the Lord diligently, coming to Him
          with tears, godly sorrow and repentance. They pour out
          their hearts to Him with weeping and heartrending
          supplications, convinced, as David was, of Gods Word:
          When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto
          thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek (Psalm 27:8).

          You probably agree with me that many Christians are
          praying seekers of God. Yet I have a question for you:
          does God hear every child of His who cries out to Him?
          Does everyone who comes to the Lord seeking His
          blessing and favor get an answer? Do all who ask
          receive?

          What of those who come to God with much fasting and
          tears? There are believers who sometimes fast for
          twenty, thirty or even forty days. Some African
          Christians fast for long periods, believing God to
          raise the dead.

          And what of those who spend long, agonizing hours
          calling upon God? Are they heard for their diligence,
          determination or sincerity alone?

          Many Christians have the idea that all they need is
          more, more, more - more time shut in with God, more
          tears, more brokenness, more zeal for His Word.
          Something within urges them: If I could just fast
          more, pray more, cry more, then Id be a better
          Christian, and God would answer my prayers.

          David testified, In my distress I called upon the
          Lord, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of
          his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his
          ears (Psalm 18:6).

          Scripture tells us that because David cried, God came
          down, thundering from the heavens: Then the earth
          shook and trembled... He bowed the heavens also, and
          come down... The Lord also thundered in the heavens...
          He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many
          waters (Psalm 18:7, 9, 13, 16).

          I ask you: Is that all there is to it? You simply go to
          God, cry aloud to Him, and He will hear and deliver
          you?

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          I Believe There Is A Missing Link in Our Prayer Life!

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          There is a crucial link missing in many of our lives.
          And often this is why we do not receive answers to many
          of our prayers - why our unsaved loved ones still
          havent come to Jesus, why we go year after year
          without deliverance or direction.

          Beloved, that missing link is faith! But without faith
          it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to
          God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder
          of them that diligently seek him (Hebrews 11:6).

          James instructs: But let him ask in faith, nothing
          wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the
          sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that
          man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord
          (James 1:6-7). If a person entertains doubt, it doesnt
          matter how many rivers of tears he cries. He wont
          receive anything from God!

          David was heard and delivered by the Lord not merely
          because he came to Him with tears. No - it was because
          David came with a heart full of confidence and trust in
          God! The Psalms abound with this mans testimony of
          total trust: Blessed be the Lord, because he hath
          heard the voice of my supplications. The Lord is my
          strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I
          am helped... (Psalm 28:6-7).

          Of course, God wants us to cry out to Him. He calls us
          to issue up gut-wrenching cries to Him, from our
          innermost being. Yet He hears no such cry unless it is
          accompanied by faith! David said: ...he is our help
          and our shield... because we have trusted... (Psalm
          33:20-21, emphasis mine).

          The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my
          deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will
          trust... (Psalms 18:2). David is saying here, I will
          wait on the Lord - Hes going to deliver me - because I
          trust in His holy name!

          David states clearly that all of Israels fathers -
          those who were delivered from the very beginning - were
          heard by God because they trusted in Him: Our fathers
          trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver
          them. They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they
          trusted in thee, and were not confounded (Psalm
          22:4-5).

          ...I have trusted also in the Lord; therefore I shall
          not slide (Psalm 26:1). David determined never to give
          up, because his trust was anchored in the Lord. Indeed,
          it was Davids unwavering trust that moved God to
          deliver him: For thou hast delivered by soul from
          death: wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling... In
          God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man
          can do unto me (Psalm 56:13, 14).

          Nearly every time David cries out to the Lord in
          prayer, we hear his testimony of trust: God hears me
          because I trust in Him! I cry out to Him with tears
          from the foundation of trust He has put in my heart.

          Beloved, the Holy Spirit made this matter of faith very
          real to me during a recent season of brokenness in
          prayer. I had a week alone to spend fasting and seeking
          the Lord. There were certain things I wanted to pray
          for - physical needs, more power in my preaching, the
          burdens of the church, an outpouring of the Holy Spirit
          in New York City. I wanted to be open with the Lord
          about all these needs.

          During that week, I quoted all the Scriptures that
          speak of crying out to the Lord and laying hold of the
          horns on the altar. I brought my flesh under
          subjection. I spent several days fasting. And I came to
          the Lord with great crying - with my heart set on Him,
          wanting only to please Him. I paced about the
          apartment, shouting and crying at God, Oh Lord, You
          have to answer me!

          I spent many futile hours seeking assurance that my
          prayers were prevailing. But, finally, the Spirit of
          God spoke lovingly yet firmly to my soul: David, stop
          it! Wipe your face and stop crying.

          The Spirit continued: Stop crying - stop walking
          around this apartment! Go, sit down. I have something
          to say to you: Dont ever again come into My presence
          with unbelief! I will not hear your weeping, crying or
          pleading until you believe My Word. You are begging Me
          to do what I have already promised. You are not taking
          Me at My Word!

          You can weep till there are no tears left - but its
          not going to do you any good. No prayer, tears or
          fasting you offer Me without faith can ever please Me.
          None of your struggles or strivings for answers will
          work, David - until you come to Me in faith!

          But without faith it is impossible to please him: for
          he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that
          he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
          (Hebrews 11:6).

          This brings me directly to my subject: how not to come
          to God! I feel compelled of the Spirit to share with
          you several things not to do when you come to t the
          Lord in prayer:

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                    1. Do Not Come to God Expecting Him
                        to Do Any Good Thing for You
                        Unless You Come to Him With
                     Childlike Faith in His Promises!

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          We hear so much preaching about the need for prayer.
          and we come under condemnation when we neglect to pray.
          So we grapple with our flesh, bring it under
          subjection, discipline ourselves to pray, and get alone
          with God to call upon Him.

          Yet we cannot conceive that God could be displeased
          with our hours spent in prayer, our days of fasting,
          our many tears. It is unthinkable that he would not
          hear us after such great struggles - that all of if
          could be in vain, giving Him no pleasure whatsoever.

          However, the Word of the Lord is clear: But let him
          ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is
          like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
          For let not that man think that he shall receive any
          thing of the Lord (James 1:6-7).

          Beloved, grab hold of this word: It is impossible for
          you to please God without faith! Abraham is one man who
          developed a faith that didnt stagger at what God
          promised him:

          And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own
          body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old,
          neither yet the deadness of Sarahs womb: he staggered
          not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was
          strong in faith, giving glory to God; and being fully
          persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able to
          perform (Romans 4:19-21).

          Now we are talking about impossibilities - believing
          God for what seems humanly impossible. The Lord
          promised a child to these two people who had dead
          bodies. What a challenge to faith! It was a humanly
          impossible situation. Abraham was now ninety-nine years
          old, his reproductive glands were dead, and his wife
          Sarahs womb was dead.

          And God said... Sarah shall her name be. And I will
          bless her, and give thee a son also of her... she shall
          be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of
          her... Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed...
          (Genesis 17:15-19).

          God was saying, Even though your bodies are dead, you
          are going to have a baby boy. And all My promises of
          faith are going to come through this child. Abraham,
          youre going to be the father of many nations!

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                     Why Did God Wait Until Abraham and
                  Sarah Were Too Old to Give Them a Son?

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          Why didnt God give them Isaac thirteen years before,
          when Ishmael was born - when the couples bodies were
          still very much alive? Why did He wait until the
          situation had become humanly impossible - and only
          absolute faith in Him could bring about the promise?

          It was because this seed was to be one of faith -
          birthed completely in faith. Abrahams faith was not
          yet ripe. He staggered at Gods promise!

          Yet Sarah knew the promise. And after waiting ten years
          with still no children, she got impatient and devised a
          plan. She said to Abraham, I will give you my maid,
          Hagar, as your second wife. Go into her and bear me a
          child by her.

          Abraham agreed, reasoning, After all, the promise is
          to come out of my seed. So he went into Hagar, and she
          bore him a son, Ishmael.

          But Sarah raged at her husband with jealousy: My wrong
          be upon thee (Genesis 16:5), meaning, Its all your
          fault. And she was right! Abraham should have trusted
          the Word of the Lord that Sarah would bear his child.
          But he didnt wait on God - and he bought into the
          shortcut, trying to make the promise come about
          himself. He sinned against the light he had been given.
          And God flatly denied his request that Ishmael be the
          heir.

          You see, Abraham had yet to develop a faith that didnt
          stagger, that was unshakable. And that would come only
          through testing and trial. In the end, Gods Word
          testifies of him: ...he staggered not at the promise
          of God through unbelief... (Romans 4:18).

          Yet the promise God made to Abraham didnt come to pass
          for another nineteen years. This time, however, Abraham
          believed God ...against hope... (Romans 4:18).
          Scripture says, ...he considered not his own body now
          dead... (verse 17) and he had no doubts whatsoever. He
          was ...fully persuaded... (verse 21) that what God
          promised, He would do. He and Sarah were given their
          miracle child - born in the womb of faith alone!

          Have you stopped considering your circumstances, as
          Abraham did? Have you stopped trying to reason and
          figure out how God will meet you need? Or are you still
          bogged down, thinking about all the impossibilities and
          hindrances?

          Do not come to the Lord in prayer until you have
          stopped considering all the impossibilities! Dont
          come to Him until you are fully persuaded: He is able
          and willing to do all He has promised. You dont have
          to live in fear or the bondage of unbelief any longer.
          God has given us everything pertaining to life and
          godliness:

          According as his divine power hath given unto us all
          things that pertain unto life and godliness... whereby
          are given unto us exceeding great and precious
          promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the
          divine nature... "( 2 Peter 1:3-4).

          Beloved, any staggering you have comes from unbelief.
          To stagger means to dispute: - to compute, figure it
          out, argue your merits, debate the issue, The meaning
          of ...staggered not... in Romans 4:20 is this:
          Abraham offered no debate; he raised no arguments or
          reasonings that would have weakened his confidence.

          Having faith means youve settled all your arguments.
          When you come to God, you must leave behind all debate,
          all reasoning, all hopelessness, all questioning, all
          doubt. And you must be fully persuaded He will keep His
          Word. God wants to do the impossible - because the more
          impossible the situation, the more glory He receives!

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                   2. Do Not Come to God With Any Ifs!

                      -------------------------------

          We are afraid to step out in faith to believe Gods
          promises. So we add this phrase to our prayers: If it
          be Thy will, Lord...

          That phrase is mentioned only once in the Scriptures.
          It was spoken by Jesus, in the Garden of Gethsemane:

          ...O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass
          from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt
          (Matthew 26:39).

          Now some say God did not hear this prayer - that Jesus
          did drink the cup. But I believe - as did Finney and
          others - that God did hear Jesus prayer, and that the
          cup did pass from Him. Let me explain: The cup Jesus
          mentions has nothing to do with the Cross. Rather, the
          cup was His fear of dying in the Garden from anguish.
          ...My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death...
          (verse 38).

          You see, Christ always embraced the Cross. For three
          years He told His disciples He was headed there, and He
          never tried to shun or avoid it. He knew humankind
          could not be saved without the Cross and without the
          shedding of His own blood.

          So He could not have been asking to pass the Cross.
          Rather, the cup He spoke of was anguish, a sorrow unto
          death. It was sorrow over humankinds rejection of
          Gods offer of grace - sorrow so deep it caused Him to
          weep bloody tears.

          And this cup did pass. Jesus came out of His prayer
          agony with a peace, a calm, a readiness to go to the
          Cross. Something wonderful came over Him, and He knew
          he would be sacrificed on the Cross. The cup had passed
          - because God had answered His prayer!

          The apostle John states: ...if we ask any thing
          according to his will, he heareth us (1 John 5:14). I
          believe we may substitute the word promise in this
          verse for will. Why? Any promise of God is a revelation
          of his will!

          Take, for example, Gods promise to ...keep you from
          falling, and to present you faultless before the
          presence of his glory with exceeding joy (Jude 24).
          Why would you go to God asking, If it be Thy will,
          Father, keep me from falling - when He has already
          promised to do this for you? That kind of prayer is a
          disgrace!

          Yet we think we give God an out when we pray this
          way. And later, after weve given up on praying because
          we lack faith, we explain, It must not have been the
          Lords will. We give God a safe exit - an excuse not
          to answer! Beloved, we dare not come to God praying,
          Lord, if it be Thy will, meet my needs. Gods Word
          states clearly:

          But my God shall supply all your need according to his
          riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19).
          And we dare not come to Him praying, Lord, if it be
          Thy will, give me Your Spirit - because God promises
          to pour out His Spirit upon all who ask!

          Indeed, God gives us great and precious promises so
          that we will learn to trust Him with boldness: Let us
          therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we
          may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of
          need (Hebrews 4:19).

          To many Christians it sounds very spiritual to pray,
          Lord, if it be Thy will... But too often this
          attitude is born of unbelief. Such people become weak
          and tentative in their faith. Though they possess a
          great, glorious promise - with Gods will perfectly
          clear in it - they are afraid to take a stand on it!

          The truly spiritual way to pray is to dig into Gods
          Word and find His revealed will in His promises to you.
          Then pray His will, His promise. Hold it up to Him!

          What I have just said may sound like error to some. But
          the truth is we have become very lazy in teaching Gods
          Word to know His will. All I am saying is that His will
          can be known by studying His promises - and in knowing
          them, we will know Gods will and will truly be praying
          according to His will.

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                         3. Dont Come To God Until
                        You Are Ready To Believe For
                         Exactly What You Ask For!

                      -------------------------------

          ...What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe
          that ye receive them, and ye shall have them (Mark
          11:24).

          God is not a tease, a come on God. Hes not like
          those department stores that advertise a huge sale on
          an item but tell you when you arrive, Sorry, were
          sold out - and then try to sell you a more expensive
          item.

          No - God makes no substitutes! if you ask Him for
          bread, He will not substitute a stone. If you ask Him
          for fish, he wont surprise you with a snake (see
          Matthew 7:9-10).

          When the blind man was asked what he wanted, he
          shouted, That I might see! Jesus didnt answer,
          Here, let me do something even better for you. Let me
          give you spiritual insight, so you can read peoples
          minds and know the deep things of God. That will be
          much better. No! The Bible says Jesus gave him
          specifically what he asked for - his eyesight!

          James say that if any person asks wisdom of God, He
          will give him wisdom - not patience, or longsuffering,
          nor discernment, but wisdom! (see James 1:5). When you
          get specific with God, He gets specific with you. Why?
          He wants to answer us exactly as we ask - so that we
          will watch for it in faith!

          Often we reason to ourselves, If God doesnt grant me
          what I asked for, then whatever He does give me must be
          as good or better. A favorite saying of mine used to
          be, If God shuts one door, then He has a better one to
          open. No! This is not right theology. It sounds
          spiritual, but it is based in doubt!

          Jesus tells us:

             * And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in
               prayer, believing, ye shall receive (Matthew
               21:22).

             * And whosoever ye shall ask in my name, that will
               I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
               If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do
               it (John 14:13-14).

             * If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye
               shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto
               you (John 15:7).

          God wants you to be specific with Him. So, I ask you:
          Exactly what is it you are praying for?

          Is it the salvation of your family? Then lay hold of
          His promise to save you and your household (see acts
          16:31). Go to God boldly with His promise. And dont be
          satisfied until you are heard specifically!

          And entire city may get saved. Unsaved friends all
          around you may come to Jesus. But that cannot be enough
          for you! You must hold on, believing, until your
          request is heard and answered. you must say, Lord,
          thats all wonderful - but its my loved one You need
          to save! Be specific with Him - and keep asking until
          it happens!

          Do you have financial needs, debts? A hundred people
          may testify to you that their needs are being supplied,
          and thats fine. But you have to hold onto God in
          prayer until your needs are met! You have to say,
          Thats not an answer to my prayer, Lord. I want You to
          do it for me!

          Yet you cannot ask with a heart of lust. Ye lust, and
          have not...Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask
          amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts (James
          4:2-3). Gods desire is to have you so walk with Him
          that you seek those things He births in your spirit.
          Over time, youll find yourself seeking His kingdom
          first, praying for lost souls. And suddenly youll see
          other things happening that you havent even prayed
          for.

          God blesses you when you dont ask selfishly - when you
          ask for things close to His heart!

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              4. Let Me Show You How To Come To God Rightly!

                    ------------------------------------

            1. Come to God with a forgiving heart. If you have a
               grudge against someone, you can forget all about
               faith, fasting or prayer. It is impossible for God
               to hear you if you do not forgive. But if ye
               forgive not man their trespasses, neither will you
               Father forgive your trespasses (Matthew 6:15).

               God has dealt with me on this issue. I know what
               its like to be hurt and wounded without any
               provoking. Yet if I go to the Lord while holding
               something against someone, I know my prayers wont
               even rise above my head. Now I dont even try to
               pray until its all settled in my heart.

            2. Obey Gods Word. Do what He says, And whatsoever
               we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his
               commandments, and do those things that are
               pleasing in his sight (1 John 3:22).

               The Holy Spirit will show you anything in your
               life that is displeasing to God. He promises to
               reveal it all to you, if youll simply go to Him
               in faith.

            3. If youre married, treat your mate lovingly,
               intelligently and with honor, ...that your
               prayers be not hindered (1 Peter 3:7).

               If you go to God while fighting with your wife,
               you can forget about ever being heard by Him. Your
               prayers will be hindered by your unjust heart!

            4. Come to God in simple, childlike faith. ...Except
               ye be converted, and become as little children, ye
               shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven
               (Matthew 18:3).

               This verse does not mean you will be lost for
               eternity. Rather, Jesus is talking about the
               kingdom of heaven on earth. Without childlike
               faith, He says, you will never appropriate or
               enter into all the provisions He has made. You
               will never know heaven on earth - the things God
               has prepared for them that love Him - unless you
               came to Him believing as a little child.

          By Gods grace, I intend to go to God every day during
          this new year, taking His promises to the throne of
          grace and laying them before Him. I want to tell Him,
          Heres what You said, Lord - Your revealed will. And I
          believe what You said. So Im going to start thanking
          You for my answer right now. Im not going to beg you
          to do what Youve already promised. Im going to thank
          You for fulfilling Your Word to me!

          Dear saint, let this year be your year of faith, of
          believing. Appropriate Gods promises. Theyre all
          yours! Jesus promises, ...whatsoever ye shall ask of
          the Father in my name, He may give it you (John
          15:16).

          Believe God for your loved ones souls. Believe Him for
          His Spirit to be poured out in your life. Believe Him
          for your physical condition, your financial situation.
          He will not abandon you. Stand on His promises to you,
          though a million people say otherwise. Let Gods Word
          be true and every man a liar! He promises, Im taking
          care of all things. And I will meet your every need.
          Amen!

          Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for
          you... (1 Peter 5:7).

          ---
          Used with permission granted by World Challenge, P. O.
          Box 260, Lindale, TX 75771 USA.

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