Do I have to be baptised in order to receive prayer answers?

[Deborah_]

33 minutes ago, LPTSTR said:

Thanks for clarification. I would like to know, what about sin that you dont justify but still do over and over again? For example drunkard could come to faith. He would understand that drinking is sin. But he is addicted heavily. He tries his best to stop. He prays to God for forgiveness and help. He tries different tactics to quit. He has even tried AA. But nothing had managed to free him. Altough that drunkard condemns that sin and does not justify it he doesnt have enough strength to quit it either.

Would such sin be willful unrepentent sin? Or would God take into account that person is trying at least?

I hope you can see that there's a distinction between happily living in sin (and justifying it to people who challenge you) and fighting it but failing. If we fail, we go back to God and ask His forgiveness again (and again, and again...) If we are living wilfully in sin we don't even see the need to ask.

37 minutes ago, LPTSTR said:

Like in my case one of my sins that I struggle is that I have negative thoughts of God. For example, I struggle to believe that God still loves me if He ignores me like that. I have seen so much unanswered prayers in my life that often I start prayer with already expecting it not to be answered at the beginning. I know that it is sinful. I know that these are wrong. I ask for forgiveness. But then after some time they are back in my mind. I have done all I can, including prayer, but these thoughts keep coming back over and over again.
I have thought earlier of what you said. I am scared that I would never receive this prayer answer because as time goes on the more unanswered prayers I have, the longer I have been completely ignored. And this all only contributes to my disbelief. I dont justify it. I am not proud of it. I am not accusing God in it because it's my disbelief, my doubts.  But it only gets worse in time even if I try not to be negative.
If that would become reason for not answering prayer, then tomorrow God would have even more reason, because by tomorrow I would have sinned even more with these thoughts. But since by tomorrow there is one more day of unanswered prayers in my life, the thoughts would bombard me even more. And then my fear is that it could keep going worse and worse and then God would count it as willful sin against me and not answer this prayer?

I'd be interested to know why you consider "negative thoughts of God" to be a sin. Where in the Bible do you get that from?

If it seems like your prayers are never answered, yet you carry on praying, I would say that that is a sign of great faith, not disbelief! 

41 minutes ago, LPTSTR said:

Is asking for a wife right thing? I can justify it with verse  that says that it is not good for a man to be alone. And with logic that if it was wrong thing, God would not have created different genders at first point. Also there is entire book in the bible that talks about love and marriage and even praises intimacy and sex in marriage. If it is not right to ask for a wife, then why is there entire book in the bible on this topic?

Could you come up with some wrong motives specific for asking for a wife?
 

I can't see anything wrong in asking for a wife, as a general principle. But I can imagine that some people might want a wife not to love and cherish her but in order to have somebody to boss around, or to abuse (please don't take this personally, you did ask). Some people have personalities that make it difficult for them to form really close relationships with other people, and for them marriage may not be a good idea - it wouldn't be fair to their spouse.

It might seem as though "everyone" in your church is married, but the fact is that many Christians never do marry for one reason or another. And some of them want to get married very much. So although marriage is God's general will for the human race, getting married is not His specific will for every single person. Or maybe not until later in life. In my church there is a guy who has just got engaged to be married - and he is in his 40s!

Another factor that has just come to my mind is "obedience" (something I remember being told when I was a student, 40+ years ago). "If you are not where God wants you to be and doing what He wants you to do, you won't be meeting the people He wants you to meet (who may include your future wife/husband)." If God is calling you to change job/church/location and you aren't listening because you are concentrating so hard on your desire for a wife, you might actually miss out on His answer. 

As someone else has said, it comes down to trusting Him.

 

[notsolostsoul]

LPTSTR

From what you are saying about your disbelief, this might play a part into your unanswered prayers.

Not that God is using this as an excuse but as I said earlier, God should be the most important thing.

"Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.

By focusing on your desire, you are allowing your mind to deviate from God.

So the delay is not to punish you but to lead you to strengthen your relationship with him.

The negative thoughts play into this also.

I find one way to strengthen is to not focus on the negative or unanswered prayers but focus on the many blessings he has given you. Learn to trust him more.

As I said in the WAIT he may have lessons for you to learn.

[other one]

12 hours ago, LPTSTR said:

Hi!

One guy told me that I have to be baptized in order to receive prayer answers when I was complaining that I have prayed to find wife for years and not received her. He told me that I should not expect my prayers be answered before I get baptised. According to my understanding, baptism is just a symbol of inward change. I would like to know what you think of it? Is it just an other false teaching or not? Is it required to receive prayer answers or not?

I think I would have to ask why you haven't been baptized?     Jesus instructed us to do so, and did so himself as an example.......        How can you be a Christian and not do what Jesus has told us to do.     While Baptism does not save one, to not follow Jesus's command to be baptized should bring into question as to whether or not one is really saved.  I don't understand how that could work.

 

[Guest Wanda01]

11 hours ago, LPTSTR said:

I have been asking for 4 years. I am not sure what to make of that. Is it wrong to want immediate answer? I mean I am not demanding God like "Give me this right now". No. But you dont mean I should pray "God, please give me this answer after 10 years"?

I haven't read all replies, but as soon as I read this, I had to answer.

God's timing is not the same as our's. We being in our flesh, want immediate satisfaction. Now, now, now is mankind's mantra.

God is not a magic genie who's only purpose is to give us whatever our desires are.

His timing is perfect, as He is perfect. He doesn't just see a few minutes, months, or years into the future. He knows what is best for us over the long term, the 'big' picture. The following Scripture comes to mind:

Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thine ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths." 

An example: My husband and I were married 9 years before we had our daughter. I'd been praying for years and years. Nothing happened. Doctors said I would never conceive. Friends, family, even my own husband mocked me. "Give up! Stop torturing yourself", were many of the reactions, followed by long eye rolls.

I didn't know why I wasn't having a child. I refused to listen to the naysayers. I had to have faith, trust God, and be obedient To Him. Believe me when I say, it wasn't easy. The mocking from people in my life was almost as painful as failure to conceive month after month, year after year.

Finally, I heard God tell me He would bless me with a child. A year later she was in my arms.

Now, some have asked me why do I think it took so long?

I don't know. God sees the picture clearly. Would I have died giving birth had it happened sooner? I don't know. Was I ready emotionally, spiritually, for having and raising a child? I don't know. But God does. And whatever the reason, it doesn't matter. 

Any advice I could give would be to busy yourself doing your Father's work. Spend time in His word, grow in your faith, and lean not unto your own understanding.

 

Edited July 26, 2017 by Wanda01

[simplejeff]

19 hours ago, LPTSTR said:

Hi!

One guy told me that I have to be baptized in order to receive prayer answers when I was complaining that I have prayed to find wife for years and not received her. He told me that I should not expect my prayers be answered before I get baptised. According to my understanding, baptism is just a symbol of inward change. I would like to know what you think of it? Is it just an other false teaching or not? Is it required to receive prayer answers or not?

Just going by what you posted in the OP,  you need to do more than get immersed in Jesus' Name.  (if you want your prayers heard by YHWH, let alone answered). 

I didn't read any more of your posts so far, not recently,  I don't remember what you believe or don't believe, or how you live. --- this is just based on what you posted here, in the op.

[LPTSTR]

On 07/26/2017 at 7:29 PM, Deborah_ said:

I hope you can see that there's a distinction between happily living in sin (and justifying it to people who challenge you) and fighting it but failing. If we fail, we go back to God and ask His forgiveness again (and again, and again...) If we are living wilfully in sin we don't even see the need to ask.

So that kind of sin doesnt get in the way of prayeer answers then?

 

On 07/26/2017 at 7:29 PM, Deborah_ said:

But I can imagine that some people might want a wife not to love and cherish her but in order to have somebody to boss around, or to abuse (please don't take this personally, you did ask).

True. However, what deoes make me feel bad sometimes is fact that God allows those who rape, abuse and even kill their wives to get married, but witholds it from me.

 

On 07/26/2017 at 7:29 PM, Deborah_ said:

I'd be interested to know why you consider "negative thoughts of God" to be a sin. Where in the Bible do you get that from?

Because they lead to all kinds of sin. In my doubts I ask for signs to be sure at minimum that He does exist. But Bible says that adulterous generation is asking for signs but none will be given to them. In my anger I keep telling God that hey look, You didnt even manage to give me wife, how can I be sure that You manage to give me eternal life then if You didnt even manage to give me much smaller thing than that. I say all kinds of bad things about God and to God. I have even refused to share the gospel when I felt I should have because I didnt really want to share about God whom I dont really know. I didnt want to share about God who doesnt even bother to listen when I pray.
Actually I think the problem might be even somewhere else. I really haven't experienced God. Sometimes I bring not being blessed with wife as argument but other times I think that if I want to be honest I have to admit that I am not sure if even getting wife will convince me of God's love. There's something missing I cant tell. Myabe experience. To me the Bible is just a story. I believe thqat God is real and that Jesus died and is risen. But it kinda leaves me cold. It doesnt make me happy or excited. Paul said that to him it is the power of God. To me it's  just a fact. I do believe it's true but I dont really live my life as if I believed it were. I wish something would happen but I dont even know how to put it in words that I may write a prayer request.

I'd say that the most honest problem (but probably not the only problem and might not even be the actual problem) is that it's hard for me to serve God with out wanting anything in return at all. I can be pure for some time but sooner or later am back in where I want my prayer answered. Sometimes it's kinda like a false god.

 

On 07/26/2017 at 7:29 PM, Deborah_ said:

If it seems like your prayers are never answered, yet you carry on praying, I would say that that is a sign of great faith, not disbelief!

Well, I am not as holy as you may think. Often my prayer are far from prayers. I can often pray with already expecting it not to be answered. I often pray to mock God. Like saying "thank You for being powerless to answer to my prayer because now I can tell to everyone how useless you are". I might go to prayer evenign at church, just to show them that there is no such things as prayer answers and that prayer answers are just a story tale you could tell to your kids if you wanted to. To show the entire church that no matter how much they prayed, nothing will never ever happen. To demonstrate on mysellf that that verse that says where two or three gather in Jesus name and ask what ever it will be given to them is a plain lie.

On 07/26/2017 at 7:29 PM, Deborah_ said:

And some of them want to get married very much.

But then why does God expect me to share the gospel? If He wants me to waith till I am 40, fine, but let Him then not ask me on my las day why I didnt share the gospel to others. And what would be the point for letting me wait till I am 40? Does this bring any glory to Him? Does testimony that He is a God who does not answer the prayers make Him happy? What does He get out of it? What does he win if in my disappointment I turn away completely from Him and end up burning in hell? Or what good is it if with my testimony I rather turn people away from God than to God?

 

On 07/26/2017 at 7:29 PM, Deborah_ said:

If God is calling you to change job/church/location and you aren't listening because you are concentrating so hard on your desire for a wife, you might actually miss out on His answer. 

But while He keeps punishing me for every act of disobidience, He allows pagans who do not know or believe in Him get married.

 

On 07/26/2017 at 7:29 PM, Deborah_ said:

As someone else has said, it comes down to trusting Him.

But how do I trust someone who havent proven to be trustworthy? For example, if you scam me my $2 then how can I trust you my $2000?  Same is with God. If I have never received any prayer answer, and He asks me to let's say quit my Job and move out of city to country side then how can I be sure that He helps me out? He might just very well leave me to die there.

On 07/26/2017 at 7:32 PM, notsolostsoul said:

By focusing on your desire, you are allowing your mind to deviate from God.

What shall I do if these thoghts of being alone just keep coming back to my head? I agree with you but these thoughts just keep coming, they wont stop.

 

On 07/26/2017 at 7:32 PM, notsolostsoul said:

I find one way to strengthen is to not focus on the negative or unanswered prayers but focus on the many blessings he has given you. Learn to trust him more.

Yes. It's just hard. But how can I tell if I trust Him enough? In this life we are all imperfect. Therefore we all could trust Him more. How can I know if I am not getting my prayer answered because I am not trusting Him enough or if there is some other reason?
How can I trust someone who has given me false promises? How can I trust someone who has sent false prophets in my life to tell me lies that I gonna be married. I now know His actual intentions. It was so that I would fall into disappointment and then He could point to that sin and excuse eveery single unanswered prayer with it.
And the same is with trust. No matter how much I increase my trust in Him, humans are not perfect so if He wants he can always say that I should have trusted more.

 

On 07/26/2017 at 9:58 PM, other one said:

I think I would have to ask why you haven't been baptized?

Various doubts. The biggest issue is that I feel that I am unworthy to be baptised till I get courage to confess to others and my own family that I believe in Christ.
But that courage I dont have because I havent experienced Him. I only know Him by book called Bible. And I dont really wanna be someone who is simply retelling the story. Altough I believen in God, I dont have strong confidence.

 

 

On 07/26/2017 at 10:26 PM, Wanda01 said:

God is not a magic genie who's only purpose is to give us whatever our desires are.

To be more correct. He gives wife to everyone else as son as they ask He has chosen me to suffer. That's all.

 

On 07/26/2017 at 7:32 PM, notsolostsoul said:

From what you are saying about your disbelief, this might play a part into your unanswered prayers.

But how to deal with unbelief with out receiving prayer answers? I mean what else could help me to believe if I do not see the answers? I mean you are right but my problem is that this means I can only get unanswered prayers. And this would only lead to more unbelief. So getting out of it would only get harder and harder. Then why not comkmit suicide right away? I would because of my unbelief end up in hell anyway so no matter if it happens sooner or later.

 

On 07/26/2017 at 10:26 PM, Wanda01 said:

An example: My husband and I were married 9 years before we had our daughter. I'd been praying for years and years. Nothing happened. Doctors said I would never conceive. Friends, family, even my own husband mocked me. "Give up! Stop torturing yourself", were many of the reactions, followed by long eye rolls.

Well, you could still have enjoyed the pleasure that comes from sex. And not be too sad about not having kids. But what stopped you? The fact that your mind was focused on not getting kids.
The similar thing is with me and God. I simply cant enjoy life.

 

On 07/26/2017 at 10:26 PM, Wanda01 said:

I didn't know why I wasn't having a child. I refused to listen to the naysayers. I had to have faith, trust God, and be obedient To Him. Believe me when I say, it wasn't easy. The mocking from people in my life was almost as painful as failure to conceive month after month, year after year.

To me that's the one stumbling block. One reason I havent confessed at home I believe in God is that I dont want to show that I believe in God who carelessly ignores all my prayers and uses every excuse He can for not answering me. I am simply ashamed to admit that I believe in such a unloving God.

And this keeps me from confessing others. And confessing others keeps me from getting baptised because I feel I should be baptised till I have courace to tell others abotu christ.

 

 

On 07/26/2017 at 10:26 PM, Wanda01 said:

Finally, I heard God tell me He would bless me with a child. A year later she was in my arms.

Interesing. Was it a audible voce or dream or what? I think I once had a dream where God started to say that after year He would do something, but then I immediately, while He was till speaking told Him to show His love with deeds and not with words and then my dream interrupted at that point and I woke up. Not sure if He wanted to promise me wife or something else. Not even sure if it was God or just random dream.

 

 

On 07/26/2017 at 10:26 PM, Wanda01 said:

Any advice I could give would be to busy yourself doing your Father's work. Spend time in His word, grow in your faith, and lean not unto your own understanding.

I still listen to bible. I try to get back on tack. But it feels like I am doing with with my strength alone with otu receing any help from Him. Well at least it gives me reason to glory that I managed to come back in faith with no help from Jesus at all. And if I obey Him and do His word, at least it gives me reason to boast that I love Him even though He hates me. It gives me boast that I am paying back evil that God has done to me with good. Well, not really, but this is what I feel some times.

You are right that I should become busy with these things. But sometimes it feels much more attractive to get busy with building a nuclear bomb. The only down side is that I cant take it to Heaven with me so I cant nuke the white throne :(.

 

On 07/27/2017 at 4:31 AM, simplejeff said:

Just going by what you posted in the OP,  you need to do more than get immersed in Jesus' Name.  (if you want your prayers heard by YHWH, let alone answered).

So tell me, what do I need to do now? Just watch out that you dont turn it into legalistic works based salvation.

[Deborah_]

25 minutes ago, LPTSTR said:

Actually I think the problem might be even somewhere else. I really haven't experienced God. Sometimes I bring not being blessed with wife as argument but other times I think that if I want to be honest I have to admit that I am not sure if even getting wife will convince me of God's love. There's something missing I cant tell. Myabe experience. To me the Bible is just a story. I believe thqat God is real and that Jesus died and is risen. But it kinda leaves me cold. It doesnt make me happy or excited. Paul said that to him it is the power of God. To me it's  just a fact. I do believe it's true but I dont really live my life as if I believed it were. I wish something would happen but I dont even know how to put it in words that I may write a prayer request.

.....

Various doubts. The biggest issue is that I feel that I am unworthy to be baptised till I get courage to confess to others and my own family that I believe in Christ.
But that courage I dont have because I havent experienced Him. I only know Him by book called Bible. And I dont really wanna be someone who is simply retelling the story. Altough I believen in God, I dont have strong confidence.

.......

So tell me, what do I need to do now? Just watch out that you dont turn it into legalistic works based salvation.

"I feel that I am unworthy to be baptised till I get courage to confess to others and my own family that I believe in Christ."

But confession isn't a qualification for baptism. Baptism IS the confession.

Nobody wants to preach "legalistic works-based salvation". But the fact is, that true faith is always expressed in obedience - in action. You can't have the one without the other. Could that be the 'missing link' in your experience? Rather than going round in circles analysing your thoughts and beliefs (and finding lots of reasons to consider them inadequate), I would suggest that you do something - and baptism is the very first thing that a believer should do. Then find something else to do... and so on.

Jesus put it this way: "Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether My teaching comes from God or whether I speak on My own." (John 7:17) In other words, it is by acting on our faith that we find assurance that our faith is based on something real. Feelings are subjective; actions are objective.

[other one]

1 hour ago, LPTSTR said:

Various doubts. The biggest issue is that I feel that I am unworthy to be baptised till I get courage to confess to others and my own family that I believe in Christ.

But that courage I dont have because I havent experienced Him. I only know Him by book called Bible. And I dont really wanna be someone who is simply retelling the story. Altough I believen in God, I dont have strong confidence.

t do I need to do now? Just watch out that you dont turn it into legalistic works based salvation.

I would just suggest that you take this scripture to heart.

Quote

Rom 10:8-11
 that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, 9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved; 10 for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.
NASB

it isn't baptism that is probably your problem.

[Reinitin]

Oh my gosh. Were you baptised when you asked the Lord to forgive your sins and save you? 

marriage is a free will covenant God isnt going to make a perfect women magically appear and obey him to follow you into a life covenat marriage ceremony that makes her your wife. He does help us love one another but your gonna have to choose a wife and win her unless you know a family or a human trafficer that will sell you one againt her will. 

You learned you dont have to obey his will for us and can ignore his "follow me and be baptised" command and still obtain salvation? but you were led to believe he will make a women follow you into the life covenant ceremony of marriage ?

I am so sorry you have had some weird advice and false prophecy spoken over you. Its kinda obvious you may let a bunch of strangers lead you in strange directions.

May be you should be lead by Christ in you and by his word cause if the Lord is leading you, the first place he leads us after salvation is to share with him in the death burial and resurection ceremony of his covenant with us. we call that ceremony baptism.

 

Edited August 3, 2017 by Reinitin

[Neighbor]

Hi,

 I'm going to be a bit intrusive and speak or write my thought-

Have you tried augmenting your prayer a bit? Perhaps by considering the woman and her need? 

Example: Father I sure do think I have need of a bride a helpmate a wife, but is there a woman that has need of a husband? May it be  that I may  fulfill her needs and desires! If so, will you aggressively bring us together. Give me and she the courage to make it known that we are willing to bend and meld into a life long marital relationship.

This from an expert .

That said allow to me to share that after some fifty years of marriage followed by  six years of being single, I became attracted to a woman over the internet" It took some doing and some time along with prayer for either of us to  take that chance risk our heart risk offending and ask. Asking was rewarded with the woman disappearing for nine months. No known reason at the time. Seems she got extremely sick, nearly died. And then she was back on the internet so I asked more blunly, we met at neutral and safe quarters, and are today married, have been for  a year now.

 

May God bless you with the process opening, the dance,  the mating commitment of marruiage, and may it be a blessing to your woman and to you. In the name on my Lord I  ask this blessing for you both.

Edited August 3, 2017 by Neighbor