The Secret To Answered Prayers Part 2
The Secret To Answered Prayers Part 2
HOW?
How to pray the right way
In faith.
Proverbs 3:5-7 ESV
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. [6] In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. [7] Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil.
James 5:14-15 NLT
Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. [15] Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven.
Mark 11:24 NLT
I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you've received it, it will be yours.
2. With a humble, seeking heart
John 15:7 ESV
If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
Proverbs 28:9 LSB
He who turns away his ear from listening to the law, Even his prayer is an abomination.
Romans 12:1-2 ESV
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. [2] Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Hindrances to praying in the right way.
Doubt
James 1:5-8 NLT
If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.
6 But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. [7] Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. [8] Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.
Hebrews 3:12 ESV
Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.
2. IgnoranceNot taking time to learn God's word.
Proverbs 28:9 LSB
He who turns away his ear from listening to the law, Even his prayer is an abomination.
He Why should God listen to you when you refuse to listen to Him?
Matthew 6:5-7 NLT
"When you pray, don't be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. [6] But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. [7] "When you pray, don't babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again.
3. A wrong attitude (pride)
James 4:13-17 ESV
Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit"- [14] yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. [15] Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that." [16] As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. [17] So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.
A proud heart is not submitted to God. Every prayer receives an answer, but the proud is not willing to accept whatever is contrary to his desires.
1 Samuel 15:23 CEV
Rebelling against God or disobeying Him because you are proud is just as bad as worshiping idols or asking them for advice. You refused to do what God told you, so He has decided you can no longer be king.”
When prayers seem to go unanswered, review the who, what and how of your prayer life.
With the help of the Holy Spirit, ask yourself the following questions?
Do I trust the Lord with all my heart or do I doubt Him?
Do I take time to study His word?
Am I humble enough to accept His will, whatever it may be?
Who is the right kind of person?…. (Standing… justified by faith in Jesus, and continuing to stand on faith in Jesus)
The right kind of person is the one who comes to God by faith in the work of Christ and continues to stand in faith.
What is the right kind of prayer? ….(God’s will)
The right kind of prayer is the one which asks for God’s will, with a complete trust that God’s will is the best for us.
How can we pray in the right way? (Confident Humility)
The right way to pray is with a difficult blend of confidence and humility.
Hebrews 4:16
Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
We approach God not as beggars, lacking in confidence. Neither do we come with the ill manners of entitled children, lacking in humility. Reverent familiarity.
We draw near with the intrepid confidence of beloved children, who are marked by gratitude and reverence.
Boldly we come, but we acknowledge that we are approaching a Throne, not a sofa, where we seek mercy and grace. A wise child will take note of the mood… is my dad on his sofa or is my King on His Throne.
The One who sits on Throne reserves the right to make the decision, and our appropriate response is to joyfully declare,
“Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
Conclusion:
The right kind of person, praying the right kind of prayer in the right kind of way will always get a right answer from God.
