Watchtower Study, Will Jehovah answer my prayers?, Week of January 29 to February 4, 2024, Comments and Responses.

Watchtower Study, Will Jehovah Answer My Prayers?, January 29-February 4, 2024, Comments and Responses.

“You will call to me, you will come to me in prayer, and I will listen to you” (JER. 29:12).

1, 2. Why might we feel that Jehovah does not answer our prayers?

Because perhaps we made requests to Jehovah, with very good intentions to continue serving him fully. For example, the requests shown in the paragraph, asking Jehovah to help us go to the School of Evangelizers, or to have better health to serve Him in the Ministry. Or parents ask that their children continue in the truth, and perhaps those expectations are not met, and that can lead us to think that Jehovah does not answer our prayers.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

And not having an answer to our request, may lead us to become discouraged and think that perhaps we did something wrong, like what Janice says, she says that she was convinced that they would call them soon. But months and years passed, and they received no invitation. She says that this situation made her feel sad and confused.

Well Psalm 37:4 says that make Jehovah your greatest delight and he will grant you the desires of your heart and that is what happened to this sister who was single and wanted to go to the school for evangelizers of the kingdom, she She asked Jehovah that she wanted to go to this school but years passed and she did not receive an answer.

Sometimes we may think that we do not receive an answer because we have done something wrong and, so to speak, Jehovah does not attend to us.

3. What will we analyze in this article?

And in this article we are going to analyze: What can convince us that Jehovah answers our prayers, and for this we will analyze three points. The first is what we can expect from Jehovah, the second is what Jehovah expects from us, and the third is that it may be necessary to change some of our requests.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

King David in Psalm 22:2 said my God I keep calling during the day and you do not answer me and at night I do not remain silent so we could feel this same sensation.

Yes, also in Habakkuk 1:2 he told him how long I have to cry out to you for help, how long I have to ask for you to free me, which shows how Habakkuk was begging him but it was not the time. 

WHAT WE CAN EXPECT FROM JEHOVAH

4. According to Jeremiah 29:12, what has Jehovah promised us?

According to Jeremiah 29:12, Jehovah has promised us, Hear our prayers and be close to those who sincerely seek Him. However, as mentioned in the paragraph, this does not guarantee that we will receive all our requests immediately, or in the way we expect.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

He has promised us that he will listen to our prayers but we have to be patient because perhaps he knows the moment and the necessary day, but we do not have faith in him that he will do it when he sees that it is okay.

Many times we have heard this phrase that in this world we cannot have everything, but of course it is logical that when you feel bad you are going through a difficult situation you want to find the solution and go to Jehovah but he knows perfectly well what it is that It may or may not be the time.

5. What does Jehovah take into account when he hears our prayers?

When he hears our prayers, Jehovah takes into account his Divine purpose and how our requests align with this purpose. This purpose includes Jehovah's desire that the earth be filled with men and women who accept his rule and serve him happily and in unity.

Knowing this helps us see that some of our requests may not be answered in the way we expect, as Jehovah takes into account a broader perspective and his divine wisdom when considering how to respond to our prayers.

Well, he takes into account his purpose, he already has in the future what he is going to do. For example, in paragraph 1 we said that young man who asked for his illness to be cured, but he already has a certain amount of time to do that, so sometimes he doesn't. respond because it is not the right time.

And in the text of Isaiah it is very important because it says my thoughts are not your thoughts and also my ways are above your ways, we have to remember that Jehovah's purpose is greater than ours.

6. Why is it important for us to be convinced that Jehovah always acts with love and justice?

Well, we can be sure that Jehovah never commits injustice. We are convinced that he always acts with love and justice.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Why Because in the Bible we find stories where Jehovah responded favorably to people's prayers, but in other cases in similar situations he did not do so, therefore, we must be convinced that Jehovah always acts with love and Justice. which gives us the certainty that, even if our prayers do not receive the answer we expect, this helps us maintain our faith and trust in him, even in times of difficulty or confusion.

Yes and here the Watchtower reference of 2022 mentions three very interesting points about why sometimes we do not understand or we can tend to complain about Jehovah who answers our answers and one of the points is that the Bible does not always give all the details and second that imperfection clouds our sense of justice and third that Jehovah should not give explanations to humans, and he gave the very interesting example of why Jehovah condemned a man for collecting firewood on the Sabbath and died and yet David who committed Jehovah led him to forgive such serious sins, so if we take these three points into account we will see how Jehovah acts according to justice and love.

It is curious because he answered the prayers of the congregation in favor of Peter, why we mention this because Peter was freed and James gave him the strength to remain faithful until the end, therefore sometimes it may be that we ask for something and Jehovah gives us respond in a different way than perhaps someone else has asked, therefore this paragraph reminds us that Jehovah always answers prayers although sometimes it is not as we expect.

We are sure that Jehovah took Peter's situation into account, but that does not mean that we cannot think that he did not love his other servant, which is why, like Job, sometimes we do not know the circumstances, no complete picture, we do not have all the details because we do not We can complain about how Jehovah acts because we fully trust that his way of acting is the wisest and most loving.

Yes here in Job 33:13 Mention why you file a complaint against him, he says maybe it is because he did not answer all your words and that makes us see that instead of focusing on the prayers that Jehovah does not answer let us focus on the prayers that you have. Jehovah answered which shows that Jehovah loves us.

7. What do we avoid doing, and why?

We avoid comparing our situation with that of others, and this is because each person and each circumstance is unique. In doing so, we may be tempted to question Jehovah's actions or feel discouraged if our prayers are not answered in the same way as those of others.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Instead of comparing ourselves to others, we trust that Jehovah will eliminate all suffering and that he has the power to resurrect his beloved servants at his appointed time.

Here I give you an example of this sister who had her husband sick with cancer and there were also two other sisters who also had it at the same time and she at the same time prayed and asked for the sisters and for her husband, but we see that her husband died and the sisters have remained alive, so we really do not know with certainty what has happened, but despite everything that we do not understand, we know that in the future it will eliminate the suffering.

8. a) According to Isaiah 43:2, what does Jehovah do to support us?

According to Isaiah 43:2, Jehovah promises to always be on our side and support us during trials. Even though we may face difficulties compared to rivers and flames, Jehovah will help us through these trials and protect us from permanent harm. Furthermore, he strengthens us with his powerful spirit so that we can endure and remain faithful. In any situation we can trust that we will always have what it takes to persevere and maintain our fidelity to Him.

Well, it is clear that the text does not say that he is going to make the waters disappear or the flames to go out, he is going to help us go through that water or those flames through his spirit.

With his powerful arm, Jehovah will help us sustain ourselves in difficult trials and will never allow that to cause permanent damage to us.

And the spirit of Jehovah can manifest itself in many ways in Philippians 4:13, it speaks of in the form of strength, it can also give us patience, self-control, and all those qualities come from the spirit of God and are a response to our requests. 

8. b) How does prayer help us when we go through difficult trials? (Watch the video Prayer Helps Us Move Forward.)

Prayer helps us not to despair, as the sister says, when her son got sick, she remained calm and it was as if she heard Jehovah telling him "I am here with you." And also, as a brother says, when he does not feel well he prays to Jehovah and asks him for very specific things and he mentions that Jehovah always answers his prayers.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Yes, the mother of this young Frenchman with a health problem said that going through such a difficult situation allowed her to feel the undeserved kindness of Jehovah, so when we go through difficult situations and we continue to pray insistently to Jehovah, sometimes that allows us to know aspects of Jehovah's personality that we would not otherwise be able to know, thus bringing us closer to Jehovah.

And also this same sister said that she had the possibility of feeling the peace of God because just when Jehovah prayed, even before finishing the prayer, she already felt peace and felt calm, so it is true that we feel good when Jehovah answers our prayers but the The fact that we open ourselves to Jehovah in prayer Jehovah gives us his spirit and as a consequence we feel Peace.

WHAT JEHOVAH EXPECTS FROM US

9. How does James 1:6, 7 highlight the importance of trusting Jehovah to help us?

This scripture emphasizes the need to ask God in faith, without doubt. Because as verse 7 says, a lack of faith can prevent us from receiving the blessings that God has for us. Instead, we are encouraged to fully trust in Jehovah's answer to our prayers and to maintain firm faith in his power and willingness to help us.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Yes, it says that if we doubt we would be like a wave of the sea driven by the wind, we could be carried from one place to another.

And how can that happen to us? Well, it can happen if we let ourselves be carried away. Because of the doubts that we hear in this system of things, we rather want to dedicate time to trusting in Jehovah to strengthen our faith so that he is like what keeps us on our feet firmly and That we know how to say, I am not like a wave that I let myself go, we see that thanks to him we can climb a wall Even if we have faith.

Furthermore, Jehovah has promised us that he will help us and in Hebrews 11:6 he tells us how important faith is because it is impossible to please Jehovah if we do not have faith and we have to create it for ourselves because it says that he rewards those who seek him. with determination, so if you have committed to us we are sure that you will help us in one way or another.

Of course, if we show doubts, it is because we do not fully trust in Jehovah and he may have a different solution to a certain problem than what we think, but since we trust in him, we are happy with the solution or provision he gives us. 

10. Give an example that demonstrates how to do our part after praying.

After praying for help in getting the boss's permission to attend the Regional Assembly, the brother could do his part by talking to the boss, proposing to trade shifts with colleagues, and even be willing to go unpaid for the necessary time off. As we see in this example, we must do everything in our power to be able to act in accordance with what we ask Jehovah in prayer.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Yes, here is the case of this brother who wants to attend a Regional Assembly but of course he has to ask the boss for permission and then he does it but he prays to Jehovah but possibly does nothing, he stays with his arms crossed but he may have several options. He asks you to give him courage and possibly Jehovah gives him courage to talk to him, well there are many more options that can be discussed.

Maybe you already have the necessary courage and are going to talk, but you don't just have to talk once, if not, you may have to go talk several times to convince your boss. Another option is that you have to change shifts with a colleague and stay. Then a worse shift may even offer a salary deduction that day, we would be willing to do that.

Even as the paragraph says, if it is the case of the assembly, for example, we even put several options on the table for the boss, saying, for example, I can talk to a colleague who will cover my shift, or even give up our vacations or give up the payment of the day of work, in conclusion we have to do our part too.

11. Why should we pray insistently?

Well, because some of our requests will not receive an immediate response.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

We must pray insistently, because Jehovah expects us to pray about what concerns us, and in this way we demonstrate to Jehovah that our request is not a simple whim, and that we have faith in his ability to help us.

We also follow what is cited in Luke 9:11, we want to continue asking to pray fervently because by doing this we are demonstrating to Jehovah that our request is not a simple whim and that we have faith in him who can help us.

In Luke 19 Jesus said so I tell you keep asking and it will be given keep seeking and you will find keep knocking at the door and it will be opened to you, so with this Jesus implied that we were not going to have an immediate answer in some prayers and we So we have to insist on Jehovah because if we pray to him once or twice and we see that he does not respond to us and we stop praying to him because maybe Jehovah thinks that it is not important to us, then it is very important that we insist.

Also in Luke 18:17 we see the story of how there was a judge who was Unjust who did not fear God and did not care about people either, but there was a lady who needed justice and thanks to her insistence he said that he did not do it because to be a judge, that is, to be fair, but he did it because he wanted me to leave him alone. In the same way, he explains to us that like Jehovah, if we ask him insistently, he will not listen to our prayers. 

WHY IT MAY BE NECESSARY TO CHANGE SOME OF OUR REQUESTS

12. a) What could we ask ourselves, and why?

We could ask ourselves: Is what I am asking for the most appropriate thing? It is important to ask this question because, although we think we know what is best for us, our requests may not be aligned with Jehovah's will.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

As a general rule, when we pray to Jehovah and ask him for something to help us with something, we think that it is the best thing to do but perhaps it is not and Jehovah knows what we really need.

All of us have lived the experience throughout our lives that we have asked Jehovah for help, we thought that a situation should be treated in a certain way but it turns out that it has been treated in another way that we were unaware of and we have realized in the end that that second The way was much better than what we had anticipated, therefore let us never less value the fact that Jehovah always gives us what is best for us, which sometimes does not coincide with what we want.

Well, thinking about this example, I think it gives a magnificent idea for parents, because it shows that Jehovah does not force anyone to serve him, it must be a personal decision, therefore a father cannot force his son to love Jehovah, so the approach here is more for parents to pray to help them get to the heart of their child because that is what can really bring their child back to the truth if they have left the truth or if they are lazy. the truth or if he continues in the truth, let him continue in it for time.

12. b) What should we take into account so that our prayers are respectful? (See the box “Do my requests show that I respect Jehovah?”)

Our requests reflect our respect for Jehovah when we make sure that what we ask for is in line with his will and we do so with good motives. We avoid being demanding and trust that Jehovah knows better than us how to answer our prayers, even if it is the one we expect. We sincerely thank him for the things he gives us every day, recognizing his will and love for us.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

If the first is that what we are going to ask for is always in accordance with the will of God and that it also has good reasons.

It does say that we do not want our prayers to become selfish and only focus on our own needs. James warned about this not about not praying with bad motives because they would not be answered.

Yes, then let us not be demanding or, as Matthew 4:7 says, not put Jehovah to the test, not because we have to trust that Jehovah knows better than anyone how to answer our prayers and sometimes the answer is not going to be what we expect.

First Thessalonians 5:17 and 18 says to pray constantly but also to give thanks for everything Jehovah deserves.

The first text of John 5:14 says that if it does not matter what we ask according to his will, he listens to us, but it is logical that if we asked him for something against his will, it would be a lack of respect for his will.

Jesus says not to put Jehovah our God to the test.

Do my requests show that I respect Jehovah?

Our Father, Jehovah, loves us very much and wants to grant us what we ask of him. But he is also our Creator and he deserves all our respect (Rev. 4:11). So, when it comes to making a request to our heavenly Father, how can we show him that we respect him?

Make sure the things you ask for are in accordance with God's will and that you ask for good reasons (1 John 5:14). We don't want our prayers to become selfish and only focus on our own needs and desires. James warned first-century Christians that their prayers would not be answered if they asked “with evil motives,” that is, for selfish reasons (James 4:3).

Don't be demanding (Matt. 4:7). Trust that Jehovah knows better than anyone how to answer his prayers. And sometimes the answer may not be what you expected (Eph. 3:20).

Remember to thank Him for the things He gives you every day. Think about how happy Jehovah is when he thanks you for what he does for you.​—Col. 3:15; 1 Thes. 5:17, 18.

13. According to Hebrews 4:16, when does Jehovah help us?

According to Hebrews 4:16, Jehovah helps us at the right time, when we need it most. For example, a young man who prays to be healed could ask Jehovah to give him the strength and peace of mind necessary to continue serving faithfully despite his illness, because if he does so miraculously, Satan could have blamed this young man for healing. continue serving Jehovah only because he has healed you.

At the most opportune moment, perhaps we hope that he will answer us as we believe is the most appropriate and perhaps the answer is no, not yet.

We have the example of the young man we were talking about before who was sick. Jehovah miraculously heals him and then Satan could have reproached him for the fact that this young man was of any use to him because he had been cured as he did with Job, who reproached Jehovah for his use. out of interest, then perhaps that was not the best time to cure him. We know that Jehovah has already set a time to end all diseases.

14. What does Janice's example teach you?

Janice's example teaches that Jehovah answers prayers in ways that we sometimes do not understand at the time. For example, while she waited, Janice learned to trust Jehovah more, improve his study habits, and understand that happiness does not depend on circumstances. And Jehovah responded by inviting him to serve in circuit work. This example teaches us the importance of patience, trust in Jehovah, and willingness to accept his answers, even if they differ from our initial expectations.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Well, Jehovah does answer these prayers even though perhaps not as we expect, not because that is what happened to her. She says that it took her 5 years to understand what Jehovah had done to answer her prayer and in that time, well, Jehovah He trained her and she saw that she really needed to trust him more, improve her study habits and learn that happiness does not depend on circumstances, but in the end we see the result, which was that she was invited to the circuit play and now she She is super grateful that Jehovah has given her that opportunity to feel his love and goodness.

This teaches me that it may take us longer to see Jehovah's response than for Him to answer us, so maybe if we pray, not be focused on a single answer, be attentive to how Jehovah can answer our prayers. 

15. Why is it sometimes good for our prayers to be less specific? (See also images).

Sometimes it is good for our prayers to be less specific, because it allows us to perceive Jehovah's will for us more clearly. For example, instead of limiting ourselves to that specific request, we could ask Jehovah to help us find other ways to expand our ministry, which could lead us to discover new opportunities. By being less specific in our prayers, we allow Jehovah to direct our steps toward what really needs our attention and service.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Because when we put ourselves in the hands of Jehovah and tell him that we want to serve him in any place he has, then I have a bigger fan for us to see what Jehovah's will is, but if we say only one thing, it may take longer than not. Be it as he says, we have studied, it is not that he is not going to give it to us but it is not the time.

Yes, perhaps now the words of Jesus in Luke 11:9 become more relevant when he says keep asking, that is, continually but he adds keep searching because perhaps the answer we are waiting for is not the right one but we can look for another one that Jehovah does. there will be the door for her.

Well, there it is said that if we want to serve in the territory of another branch we can find organized guidelines in the book.

And we know that Jehovah knows each one of us very well, he is our creator, perhaps one asks for something that is not really prepared or capable either because we cannot do everything, therefore he knows perfectly what we can do, So if we are not as specific as insisting on asking for something and we are not prepared, Jehovah knows perfectly well that we can change and do something else.

Well, as we saw in the previous paragraphs, it always says that we do not have to compare ourselves because perhaps another person will ask for the same thing as us and the other person will be granted and we will not, in this case the sister who did not get it because she continued praying. to Jehovah to help him see where else in the ministry he can be more.

Consult with the traveling overseer because he may have ideas or know of places that may need elderly pioneers. 

ILLUSTRATION

These two sisters are surely applying for the school of evangelizers of the kingdom.

Well, she has received the invitation and is very happy sharing that joy with the sisters of the congregation.

We see that she prays again, perhaps now she is not so specific in her prayer. Not only does she ask Jehovah to be able to attend the school of evangelists, but she is open to other options and then she writes a letter to a branch where there is a need and she has the privilege. Well, preaching in a foreign country and perhaps even good looks like construction projects in that same country, so how nice that you are now going to enjoy privileges that you had not imagined before. 

Series of images: 1. Two sisters separately fill out the application for the School for Kingdom Evangelizers. The two pray before sending it. 2. One of the sisters happily shows her letter of invitation to school to some sisters at the Kingdom Hall, among whom is the other sister who also requested it. 3. The sister who was not invited to school prays to Jehovah and then writes a letter. Some time later she is preaching abroad and working on a theocratic construction project. If she thinks that Jehovah has not answered her prayer, why doesn't she consider asking for other things? (See paragraph 15).

16. What can we be convinced of?

We can be confident that Jehovah will answer our prayers lovingly and fairly, even if his response is sometimes not what we expect, since he will never ignore our prayers.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Yes, it may be that the answer we get is not what we were expecting, but what we have to do is be convinced that Jehovah will never overlook our prayers since he loves us very much and, as Psalm 9:10 says, he will never abandon us. that we will be looking for him.

Psalm 4:3 tells us to know that Jehovah will deal in a special way with those who are loyal to him and Jehovah will hear when I call him which means that we can be convinced that Jehovah will always answer our prayers in a just way because he says that he will never overlook our prayers and because he will also never abandon us, then the advice is that we always continue to trust in him all the time and above all, pray to him with great faith.

Well, it does not come when we want or in the way we want, therefore Jehovah knows the opportune moment to grant what we have asked of him. 

WHAT WOULD YOU ANSWER?

What can we expect from Jehovah?

Well, four important ideas were mentioned and that is that Jehovah will always listen to our prayers, and when he does not answer them, he will always take into account fulfilling his purpose, and perhaps the answer will be in similar ways, but Jehovah always answers with much more justice and wisdom and also that Jehovah is going to give us his support even if at the moment we ask him for a solution to a problem we may not have it, but we will have the strength to deal with this problem.

We must keep in mind that our requests may not be answered as we wish, but Jehovah promises to always be with us and support us during trials. Although we face difficulties, compared to rivers and flames,

Jehovah will help us through these trials and protect us from suffering permanent damage. Jehovah expects us to do our part after praying and with good intentions.

What does Jehovah expect from us?

Well, one of them will be that we trust in Him.

Jehovah expects us to pray persistently and to act according to what we pray for.

Jehovah expects that after praying we will do our part and with good intentions.

He expects us to pray to Him with all our hearts and not to doubt our prayers.

And that we pray insistently about what concerns us, although not demandingly. 

Why might it be necessary to change some of our requests?

Sometimes it is good for our prayers to be less specific because it allows us to perceive Jehovah's will for us more clearly. By changing some requests in our prayers, we allow Jehovah to direct our steps toward what really needs our attention and service.

Because it may not be the time for what we are asking for.

Well, it is not the most appropriate for us or what is best for us.

If our request is too specific, if we limit our field of emission we also limit the help that Jehovah can give us.