Second Friend Day - Elmer Towns

After salvation, a boy immediately began praying for a car. He had been poor all his life.
"Dear God, give me a car," he prayed sincerely. Then added, "If you give me a car, I'll pick up
people and take them to church." He was bargaining with God. However, God looked through
the words and saw the boy's selfish desire. He wanted a car to take girls on dates and so all the
fellows would think he was somebody. God didn't answer the request. Years later, he became a
pastor and still didn't have a car. In God's time, the members of the church got together and
bought him a car. When your motives are right and you are willing to do anything to accomplish
God's will, God will give you a car or whatever you need.
9. Your prayers are not answered if you don't give to poor people. We must open up
our pocketbooks if we expect to unplug God's ears. "Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the
poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard" (Prov. 21:13). When we pray for money,
we must be careful of our motives. God had promised to supply our needs as well as the needs of
other people. When there are people poorer than we are, and we do not help them, how can we
expect God to look on our needs?
First, we should give our tithes to the church, which is one way of looking after the
needy. We cannot pray for money until we have been obedient in giving God His tithe. The
more we give to God, the more He gives to us, especially as we ask Him for money.
Second, giving to the church may not be enough; we should give directly to the poor. We
give them our time, our compassion, and our money. Most of the bus ministry in Sunday
Schools is aimed at the poor. Some sophisticated Christians criticize the bus ministry because it
brings in many poor people. Others criticize the great amount of money it takes to bring children
in on the bus. But when we give the gospel to the poor, we are making it possible for God to
answer our prayers.
10. Your prayers are hindered when you quarrel with your mate. Some husbands
and wives fight. The Bible commands that husband and wife live together peacefully so that
their prayers can be answered. "Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to
knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of
the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered" (I Peter 3:7). When a husband fusses with his
wife about keeping the house clean, how can the children see Christ in the father? Then if the
father and mother pray for their child to get saved, their arguments have made it impossible for
them to get an answer to their prayer.
11. Your prayers are not answered because you are not persistent. The Bible
teaches us to be diligent in prayer, and come to Him on many occasions. Jesus taught that, "Men
ought always to pray, and not to faint" (Luke 18:1). Fainting is giving up. Be persistent in your
prayers. Jesus commands, "'Ask, and it shall be given you; seek and ye shall find, knock, and it
shall be opened unto you" (Matt. 7:7). In the original language, it says, "Keep on asking ... keep
on seeking . . . and keep on knocking." When God sees our determination, He gives us what we
ask.
However, if you keep on asking and it is not God's will, He will change your prayer. On
three occasions, Paul prayed for the thorn to be removed from him. "God, take this thorn from