Useless or Invalid Prayers

   Useless or Invalid Prayers

   

            Useless prayers are prayers to which, by their very nature, God cannot respond. Such prayers are not evil, wicked, bad or nasty. They are simply prayers which violate the principles and laws of relationship placing the requests outside the realm of response. Let’s look at some of these useless prayers:

•         Asking God to do or act contrary to His own character (Heb. 6:18).

•         Asking God to do or act contrary to His revealed will– The Word of God (Ps. 138:2).

•         Asking God to do something He has already done or to provide something He has already supplied in the Plan of Redemption (Col. 1:12, 13).

•         Asking Him to do or provide something for you (or others) that will, in His wisdom, prove harmful to you or them (James 1:17).

•         Asking Him to do something that will violate the principles or law of His kingdom (Matt. 22:37-40, Ex. 20).

•         Asking Him to do something that would force or coerce the will and right to choose of yourself or others (Josh. 24:15).

•         Asking God for something out a basically selfish motive, to satisfy your own selfish desires. (James 4:2)

•         The taking-God-for-granted prayer – Refraining from asking because He already knows the need and you expect Him to automatically grant it. (James 4:1)

•          Asking Him to do something He has already told you in His Word to do yourself (James 4:7,8).