Don't take no for an answer

*Things might break down although you make the effort to work hard

*We might give up

*That includes giving up on spirituality

*Some people do not want to let Him in because we see others give up
*Interesting thing in faith, prayer is the biggest discouragement
*We might be praying and fasted for so long but things might not be how you want it to be
*Prayer can be the biggest faith builder in your life

*The best praying is never giving up until God says yes

Matthew 15:21-28:

The Faith of a Canaanite Woman

²¹ Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. ²² A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.”
²³ Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.”
²⁴ He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.”
²⁵ The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said.
²⁶ He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”
²⁷ “Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”
²⁸ Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment.

*Not my faithfulness but your mercy
*God is silent when you have presented your case
*Jesus did not budge in
*Jesus says to the women that He came for the Israelites, not for her
*When we meet God and He says no, she begs, kneels at His feet and ask Him to help her
*She did not leave, persisted and got her prayers answered God

promise- pray harder
neutral- pray
No- stop praying (but we SHOULD persist to pray)

1. So much of the bible indicate that God will always say yes. Is this true?

Matthew 7:7-8:

Ask, Seek, Knock

⁷ “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. ⁸ For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

Mark 11:23-24: ²³ “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. ²⁴ Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 

John 14:13-14:
¹³ And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴ You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

1 John 5:14-15: ¹⁴ This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. ¹⁵ And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.

Jesus clearly says no
Luke 9:53-55:
⁵³ but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. ⁵⁴ When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?” ⁵⁵ But Jesus turned and rebuked them.

*Base on theology on experience rather than Bible which says more yes than no

2. What if it is outside God's will? Should I keep praying?

God's will- yes
Not God's will- no ..(Not exactly)
*Everyone wants everyone to be saved by God
*Not within God's will for Israelites to be saves- He said yes in saving them after Moses prayed
*It is God's will for everyone to be saved- God says no and die without being saves
*God is a man, not a textbook. 

*If Moses can change God's mind and will, we can change God's mind and will

*Jesus pleaded to change God's will (Your will be done - prayer of submission at the end)
*Jesus would not pray (take my cup of suffering if He knew God can change His will- dynamic not static)

3. How do I know when to stop praying? Do I keep praying forever?

*We may sometimes feel things are going forever so we pray forever
*Jesus prays 3 times "take this cup from me" "remove the thorn from my flesh"

Implication: We should pray 3 times (or more)

Luke 18:1:

The Parable of the Persistent Widow

18 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 

*Pray untill we get a good reason God says no

*God will answer your prayer when you earnestly seek and plead

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**