Does God Answer Prayers?

Preached to: Middle School Students

Speaker: Pastor Amanda Hahn

This sermon, part of a series on prayer, addresses whether God always listens when we pray. Through interactive activities like a listening exercise and "spam art," Pastor Amanda illustrates that God does listen but may answer differently than expected.

Key Bible passages (Matthew 7:7-11 and 2 Chronicles 7:14-15) are explored to support this message. Pastor Amanda emphasizes that God, like a pet owner, knows what's best for us, even when we don't understand. Student testimonies highlight instances of answered prayers.

The sermon encourages genuine, consistent prayer and a sincere relationship with God, stressing that His timing is perfect even if answers take years. Pastor Amanda urges students to prioritize their relationship with God above all else, trusting in His broader perspective.

Finally, Pastor Amanda concludes with a prayer and the distribution of "Jesus fish" keychains as reminders of the lesson, emphasizing the importance of seeking God sincerely and making Him the center of their lives.

Keep up with all that’s going on at Amplify Youth, including dates, times, sign-ups, and forms, on our main page.

Amplify Main Page

• Sermon Outline

  Starter:

  • Interactive listening exercise to demonstrate the importance of attentive listening

  Message:

  • God always listens to our prayers, but His answers may not always match our expectations

  Dig Deeper:

  • Analysis of Matthew 7:7-11 and 2 Chronicles 7:14-15 to support the message

  • "Spam art" activity to illustrate how God gives good gifts

  • Testimonies from students about answered prayers

  • Demonstration with the pastor's dog to show how God knows what's best for us

  Application:

  • Encourage students to prioritize their relationship with God

  • Emphasize the importance of genuine, consistent prayer

  • Remind students that God's timing is perfect, even when answers seem delayed

  Conclusion:

  • Distribution of "Jesus fish" keychains as a reminder of the lesson

  • Closing prayer reinforcing the main points of the sermon

• Scriptures

  1. Matthew 7:7-11 (NLT)

  "Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not. So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him."

  2. 2 Chronicles 7:14-15 (NLT)

  "Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land. My eyes will be opened and my ears attentive to every prayer made in this place."

  3. 1 Corinthians 2:9 (paraphrased)

  Pastor Amanda mentions this verse without directly quoting it: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind can understand what God has in store for those who love him."

• Dinner Table Discussion Guides

  1. God's Listening:

     • Share a time when you felt God was really listening to your prayers.

     • How do you know when God is listening, even if you don't see immediate results?

     • What can we do as a family to improve our prayer life?

  2. Unexpected Answers:

     • Discuss a time when God answered your prayer in an unexpected way.

     • How did you feel when the answer wasn't what you initially wanted?

     • How can we better recognize God's answers in our daily lives?

  3. God Knows Best:

     • How is God's knowledge of what's best for us similar to how we care for our pets

     • Share an experience where something you thought was good turned out not to be.

     • How can we trust God more when His plans differ from ours?

  4. Genuine Relationship with God:

     • What does it mean to have a genuine relationship with God?

     • How can we avoid the trap of only turning to God when it's convenient?

     • Discuss ways we can make God the center of our lives, even during busy times.

  5. God's Perfect Timing:

     • Share a story of when God's timing was different from what you expected.

     • How can we remain patient when waiting for God's answers?

     • What are some prayers our family is still waiting on God to answer?