Is there ever a time when God wants us to stop praying about something? And how would we know if He does? Dr. Charles Stanley responds to a viewer email. In Touch Ministries, 2012. For more messages from Charles Stanley, including this week’s broadcast, go to www.intouch.org/watch
Jesus taught that we should always pray
and not give up do you remember the
parable of the persistent Widow she
sought justice from a corrupt judge and
it was only because of her constant
pleading that the judge grudgingly ruled
in her favor the lesson was this God
will surely give justice to his chosen
people who cry out to him day and night
but is there ever an instance when God
might tell us to stop praying that’s the
question we’ll examine with today’s
viewer email it reads if I’m persisting
in prayer about something how will I
know when it’s time to quit praying for
instance could there be things of people
I’m praying for that ought to stop
praying about and how will I know well
let’s consider a number of other
scriptures before we get into that
because Jesus talked about we aren’t
always to pray and to faint not in Luke
18 and then for example Paul said in
first Thessalonians chapter 5 verse 17
praying always so these verses imply
that we ought to be always praying and
so to say that we should cease praying
about anything sounds unreasonable and
unscriptural but if you go back to
Joshua chapter 7 and you recall that
Joshua and the nation of Israel were
doing well in their war in the new land
until they came to AI and somehow
instead of seeking God’s direction and
wisdom they just decided to go ahead and
attack and as a result they were
defeated and one of the reasons they
were defeated was because someone
violated God’s law about taking for
themselves what they found in AI and
here in the 7th chapter of Joshua we
find Joshua on his face crying out to
God because of their defeat in the
battle of AI and here’s what you’ll read
Joshua tore his clothes and fell to the
earth on his face before the Ark of the
Lord praying through the evening then
the scripture says he cried at Oh Lord
God why did you ever bring this people
this far Oh Lord what can I say since
this world has turned their back on you
so on and on and on he goes until
finally the scripture says that God came
to him why
he was praying and said to him Joshua
rise up why is it that you have fallen
on your face and what he’s saying is why
you keep praying it’s time to act you
need to deal with the issue while you’re
where you are so in this particular
instance God was saying to him doesn’t
mean that he should never pray about it
anymore
but it means what he was asking God for
God was revealing to him what the issue
was and it was time for him to correct
the problem so when the Bible says pray
without ceasing it doesn’t mean that we
just stop praying all together it means
that we have to stop praying maybe about
a particular thing we’re praying about
sometimes because we are to know the
answer all of us have found themselves
in that situation crying out to God
praying him about something he’s out
adult is what to do or what not to do or
while we in the situation we are in so
there are times when we have to act not
simply pray sometimes the reason we keep
pray it’s because we’re afraid to act
and it’s easier to keep talking to God
about it than to stop and do what God
has called us to do we cease when the
request is not God’s will and our faith
is wavering for example if you’re asking
God about something and it’s not his
will and he shows you and brings to your
mind and heart
that there’s something wrong about what
you’re asking that’s the time to stop
but it doesn’t mean stop praying but
rather change your course God what are
you saying to me now how do you want me
to pray what is your will what is your
design this situation and I think all of
us have been at that point there been
times in my life when I would be praying
about something asking God to give me
something or show me something there was
his will and it deep in my heart I knew
exactly what I was supposed to do then
there have been other times when I would
pray about situations and circumstances
there was not the will of God and
finally it’s almost like I just ran out
I thought oh Lord what’s happening and
then he shows us what the issue is when
God removes the burden is another time
for example you to stop praying about
something and I’m suddenly sure
my own heart I prayed about things and
prayed and prayed and finally the burden
was gone which said to me that was
another Lord that’s what I thought would
be the right thing to do but God is
involved in our prayer so what does he
do he lifts the burden for us to pray
and so therefore we cease if something
is not the will of God he’s not going to
stir your heart to pray he’s not going
to encourage you in that prayer and the
Spirit of God is not going to be there
with a sense of victory and awareness of
God’s presence and you’re going to get
the answer it’s not that way that times
that we have to change our prayer that
times for example in our situations
circumstance is not what God wants us to
do what he wants us to pray for and then
of course when we ask him to show us to
give us direction and he does you say
well how long do you keep praying for
the same thing
when you know that you have the answer
you change your prayer then you start
thanking God and praising him and asking
him to to show you his will and how to
walk through this whatever it might be
the Spirit releases us from the burden
and the desire disappears when we are in
the sin of God’s will and pray
Thanksgiving is a vital part of our
prayer and what it says is thank you
Lord I’ve heard you and I’m grateful
well thank you for joining us today
friend touch God tells us in psalm 32
that he will instruct us and teach us in
the way we should go he will counsel us
with his eye upon us and if necessary he
will move heaven and earth to show you
his will