This is an important topic. Praying and getting answers to your prayers is vitally important. Prayer is a believer’s life line. If we do not pray, we wither on the vine and become weak spiritually.
Answered prayers are one of the surest testimonies and proofs concerning the validity and veracity of the Christian Faith.
The greatest tool, weapon, and power that we as Christians have is prayer.
As John Rice said and wrote years ago, “Prayer is asking.”
When we do not pray, we do without God’s best. When we do not pray, practically speaking, we are living the life of an atheist. We declare, by our lack of prayer, that we do not need God.
Listen to these quotes on prayer by famous preachers of the past:
“Nothing lies beyond the reach of prayer, except that which lies beyond the will of God.”
R.A. Torrey
“All our failures are prayer failures.”
John R. Rice
“Perhaps none of us really grasp the potential that is ours because of the access we have to the throne of God.”
Lee Roberson
“Prayer is instant contact with Heaven.”
Lester Roloff
“I would rather teach one man to pray than ten men to preach."
J.H. Jowett
"God will do more with one man who will pray much and preach little than he will with ten men who will preach much and pray little"
Before I deal with this topic specifically, I would like to remind you that there are 4 possible answers to any prayer that a Christian prays.
The direct answer - This is a “Yes” answer.
The delayed answer - This is the “Yes, I will answer, but wait a while,” response.
The different answer - This is when God answers, but not in the way we had anticipated.
The denial answer - This is very simply when God says “No,” to our request.
I have known people to become angry with God when they felt that He did not hear or answer their prayer.
I have even known some people who have refused to believe in him any more.
This is sad.
Our God is a loving, compassionate, merciful, and gracious God who truly desires to answer our prayers. He deserves our love, worship, and obedience. We should at all times submit ourselves to His gracious will; believing that He truly knows what is best for us.
However, there are times, in a Christian’s life, when God cannot answer their prayers and the fault lies not with God, but with ourselves. Let me show you what I mean.
Known sin in your life that you refuse to confess and forsake will hinder your prayer life. Psalms 66:18
Prayers that are purely selfish must of necessity be rejected by God. James 4:3.
Prayers that are not offered in Jesus’ name and on the basis of our belief in his deity and substitutionary sacrifice on Calvary, will go unanswered. John 14:13,14; John 16:23-26; Hebrews 10:9.
Prayers, without faith, will get nowhere with God. Matthew 21:22; Mark 11:22; Romans 14:23; Hebrews 11:6
Praying while harboring unforgiveness in your heart invalidates your prayers and makes them unanswerable. Mark 11:25,26
Prayers that are outside of the will of God will not be answered. I John 5:14.
If we are not faithfully abiding in Christ, and if His Word is not abiding in us, then you may pray all you want, but your prayers will be ineffective. John 15:7
A stingy, miserly Christian will not get his prayers answered. Proverbs 21:13
If your marriage relationship is broken down, and there is anger, bitterness, and resentment, a husband and wife’s joint prayers will be futile. I Peter 3:1,7
Finally, if God has ceased dealing with a matter (an individual, nation, situation, etc), prayers will be futile. Jeremiah 11:13-14 and I John 5:16
May these suggestions about prayer and getting your prayers answered be a help to you.
May I also recommend a book to you which I have written. It is a book which chronicles God’s miraculous answers to prayer. This book tells 77 true-to-life stories about how God miraculously answered prayers. It is entitled, THE LORD
HEARKENED UNTO THE VOICE OF A MAN. I believe that it will greatly encourage your faith.
If you are interested in obtaining a copy, write me for more information (New Haven Baptist Church - 247 Dot Johnson Drive, Summerville,
GA 30747)