Tim Conway emphasizes that true prayer involves bringing our cares to God with faith and expectation, trusting that He will answer.
This sermon emphasizes the importance of expecting an answer when we pray to God. It highlights the need to lay our problems before God, cast our anxieties on Him, and wait in faith for His response without being anxious. The message stresses the significance of trusting God and expecting Him to answer our prayers, just like the godly men and women in Scripture who prayed with expectation and received answers from God.
Full Transcript
Do you find any godly man or woman praying in scripture and they don't expect an answer? Because what does that mean if you're praying but you don't expect an answer? It means you're just simply going through the motions. I mean, why would you even want to pray that way? Brethren, what you want to do is you want to bring your problems and lay them before God. That's what God says, humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time.
He says, casting all your cares upon him for he cares for you. Your anxieties, you cast them on him. Take your problems to him and then you wait for an answer.
But guess what? While you're waiting for an answer, don't go on being anxious. Don't go on fretting. What does it say if you don't expect an answer? It means you're just playing with prayer.
Well, what does it mean if you rise up from prayer and you go on being anxious? What does that mean? That means you don't trust God. That means you really haven't taken your cares and laid them on him. You see, what you ought to be able to do is take your need in faith to God.
Take your anxiety. Take your care. Lay it there.
That's what Habakkuk did. He laid it there and then he waited. He waited and he watched and he expected.
I'm going to wait here until the answer comes and he's not fretting anymore. That's where we need to be. Lay it all on him and then expect an answer.
Expect an answer. Go to your watchtower and keep your eyes glued upon God and see how he'll answer. You know what God said? Call to me and I will answer you.
Did he not say that in scripture? Then why would you not expect an answer? Listen, the saints say, answer me, O Lord, for your steadfast love is good. Psalm 69, 16. 69, 7, hide not your face from your servant, for I am in distress.
Make haste to answer me. Psalm 86, incline your ear, O Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. Psalm 102, do not hide your face from me in the day of my distress.
Incline your ear to me. Answer me speedily in the day when I call. Psalm 119, 145, with my whole heart I cry, answer me, O Lord.
Psalm 143, hear my prayer, O Lord, give me, give ear to my pleas for mercy. In your faithfulness, answer me. Psalm 143, 7, answer me quickly, O Lord.
My spirit fails, hide not your face from me. What reveals a man or a woman of faith more than this? Than the fact that you expect God to answer. We can measure our faith right at this point.
Look at a woman, look at a man after they pray. What's their attitude? That'll tell you everything about what they really believe. Do they believe that they have a God who hears prayer? Do they expect an answer from that God? What's the expectation? The men and women of faith in scripture, what are they like? They not only prayed, they expected their God to answer them, and Habakkuk expects an answer, and it comes.
Look at Habakkuk 2 and following, the Lord answered me. That's what you see. Write the vision.
Sermon Outline
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I
- Prayer must be accompanied by expectation of an answer
- Praying without expecting is merely going through the motions
- True prayer involves laying your cares before God
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II
- Casting anxieties on God requires trust, not continued fretting
- Faith is demonstrated by waiting expectantly for God's response
- Habakkuk as an example of patient, expectant prayer
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III
- Scripture commands us to call on God and expect answers
- Psalms express the faithful's confident cries for God to hear and respond
- Our attitude after prayer reveals the depth of our faith
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IV
- Men and women of faith expect God to answer
- Faith can be measured by our expectation of God's response
- God faithfully answers those who wait and watch for Him
Key Quotes
“Do you find any godly man or woman praying in scripture and they don't expect an answer? Because what does that mean if you're praying but you don't expect an answer? It means you're just simply going through the motions.” — Tim Conway
“Take your anxiety. Take your care. Lay it there.” — Tim Conway
“What reveals a man or a woman of faith more than this? Than the fact that you expect God to answer.” — Tim Conway
Application Points
- Bring your problems honestly before God and trust Him to respond.
- Avoid anxiety after prayer by fully casting your cares on God in faith.
- Develop a habit of waiting expectantly and watching for God's answers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is expecting an answer important in prayer?
Expecting an answer shows genuine faith and trust in God's ability and willingness to respond.
What does it mean if I pray but still feel anxious afterward?
It indicates a lack of trust in God and that you haven't fully cast your cares on Him.
Who in the Bible exemplifies expectant prayer?
Habakkuk is a key example of someone who prayed, waited, and expected God's answer.
How can I grow in faith to expect answers from God?
By consistently bringing your needs to God, trusting Him, and patiently waiting without anxiety.
What do the Psalms teach about prayer and expectation?
The Psalms show believers crying out to God with confidence, expecting Him to hear and answer.
