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Job's Example of Prayer |
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How Was Job Successful in Prayer?
Outline and Notes
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Job Lost his Lord: The Presence, the Peace, the Preference of God Oh, that I might find Him, I would fill my mouth with arguments before Him, Job 23:3-4 The word 'prayer' is a very wide term, and may mean prayer properly so called, or beseeching, crying, sighing, pleading, supplication, or petition. It can also be applied to adoration, praise and exaltation. It requires discrimination in its use. Thus we find that Job, the most righteous amongst non-Jewish prophets, had not employed the best phrases in its exercise, The words he used are: 'I would order my cause before Him and fill my mouth with argument' (Job 23. 4). Contrast this with the manner of prayer adopted by Moses and Isaiah. The former tells his people, 'I besought the Lord' (Deut. 3. 23). Isaiah commenced his prayer with the words 'O Lord, be gracious unto us; we have waited for Thee' (Isa. 33. 2). There is no time fixed when one can say he expects his prayer to be answered; we have indeed no claim on God's mercy, and must leave the answering of our prayers to God's own good time. Moses, for instance, was answered after praying for forty days (Deut. 9. 25). Daniel's prayer was heard after twenty days (Dan. 10. 3). Jonah was answered after the lapse of three days (Jon. 2.), Elijah in one day (1 Kings 18.37). David, on occasions, received answers to his prayers as soon as he prayed (Ps. 69. 14); and there is an answering to prayer even before the petition is sent up heavenwards (Isa. 65. 24). "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us."- "For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are attentive to their prayer..." - "If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you." "Cast all your anxiety on him, because He cares for you." "Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him, because we keep His commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.......(I John 3:21, 22; John 15:7). Isaiah 45:11 Thus says the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, Ask Me of things to come concerning My sons, and concerning the work of My hands - "you should petition Me by your prayers". 12 I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host - even have I commanded. Israel – The Pact and Covenant between God and Man Began with Abraham The name conferred on Jacob after the great prayer-struggle at Peniel Because "as a prince he had power with God and prevailed", Jacob petitioned God by prayer
Presence of God, Job basked in the Presence of God
He awoke early every morning................ Job Made The Sacrifice of: Worship – Adoration of GodPraise – Attributes of God Thanksgiving – Attitude of Gratitude Confession – Admitted his sins/faults daily, 1 John 1:9, was clean
He made sacrifices daily for his children – He stood in the Gap............ Job Made The Sacrifice of: Obedience – He Promised his allegiance, Paul would say, "For your obedience is known to all"Samuel's response to Saul "I require the sacrifice of obedience, not blood of bulls/goats", it was not a partial obedience, but a complete total surrender, and a complete obedience out of love for God, for Jesus said, "if you love Me, keep My commandments", those who sin are a slave to sin, or to those who obey Me, "they are slaves to righteousness". Whose slave are you? Intercession – He Prayed for others - "Far be it from me that I sin by not praying for you" Oblation – He Prostrated, humbled himself as 2 Chron 7:14Union of Will – He Purposed his will resolutely to that of God’s, Luther said,"Lord, I will have what I ask because it is Your will - my will is Your will Romans 12:1 – Paul exhorts one to present himself a living sacrifice
Things were going well for Job He enjoyed his time with God The cooling stream of prayer was refreshing The daily fellowship with God was renewing
He enjoyed his time with family and friends There were banquets and feasts There were celebrations
Peace of God, Job Was At Peace with God
He was respected at the gates of the city He was wealthy and considered an example of wisdom
Job Was Hedged/Protected About: There is no peace for the wicked, the opposite being true for the righteous, there is much peace The Peace of God is a fruit of the Spirit that tells us all is well with our soul (Romans 8:6) The Peace of God puts us at rest, "those of us who are weary and heavy laden" The Peace of God received when one responds to God's call, "Take my yoke, it is easy" The Peace of God that Surpasses all understanding was with Job (Phillipians 4:7) The Peace of God that blesses a person, "How blessed is the man whose sins are forgiven!" The Peace of God that promises God will crush Satan under our feet (Romans 16:20)
Job was at rest and secure on all fronts Job was at rest in the joy of his salvation
Preference of God, Job was a Preferred servant of God
Even God thought highly of him He was Reverenced by others
He was a showcase servant…He was God's trophy......Have you seen my servant Job? He was blessed on all fronts, hedged about
But the wise old Dragon searched for a “chink in the armor”, We hear the conversation between God and Satan....."Where have been Satan?" Satan responded, "I have been walking to and fro throughout the earth"..... "Have you seen my servant Job?" God queries him. "Oh yes I have says Satan, and he only serves You because You blessed him with every possible blessing and hedged him about". answered Satan, "Oh really , since you know so much, perhaps we can have a little test......say you take all that he has, just not his life, and we'll see about that accusation you make, after all you are the accuser of the bretheren" responded God.
A weakness to exploit, and the weakness that he found was Kindness, Evil wishes to exploit kindness.............
God gave Satan permission to afflict Job, only you can’t take his life, Job lost it all, but more important to Job was that he lost communion/fellowship with God
Job knew Prayer as real conversation with God
The Lesson of Prayer by Job
Job Looked for his Lord:
Decisions were Designed for his course of action
"No, it is my very life; I must have my God. I perish, I sink in deep mire where there is no standing, and nothing but the arm of God can deliver me." Salmos 5:3 Ordenare mis oraciones en la manana, y esperare por Su respuesta
"Oh that I knew where I might find Him!"
I will make/prepare my case for Him I will state it on order to Him
Desire grew from the disappointment of separation
When we set our hearts on people or on circumstances, we are usually disappointed. God wants us to set our hearts only on Him. He wants us to trust in His goodness, even in the midst of our deepest disappointments.
Job’s disappointment came from separation from God, no fellowship with God, and no answers from God, God his His face, just as He hid His face from Jesus on the cross.
I will seek Him more fervently/frequently in prayer I will persevere/prevail until I find Him
Discovery and search time increased I will be more creative in my appeal I will be more sincere in my prayer
Prayer as Reality to Ask Distinctly/Specifically for your Petition
Job Listened for his Lord:
Confidence in his case that God was faithful to him Magnificent promises, I will hear from heaven I will state it on order to Him
Confidence in his case that God would answer him I will make/prepare my case for Him I will state it in order to Him - Psalms 5:3 "In the morning, O LORD, You will hear my voice; In the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch."
Confidence in his case that God would restore him I will make/prepare my case for Him I will state it on order to Him - Psalms 5:3 "In the morning, O LORD, You will hear my voice; In the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch."
Prayer in a fervent mode knowing only God can help you - "there is none not righteous, no not one, there is none that searches after God" "the fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much" "Golden vials, full of odors, which are the prayers of saints." Rev. 5:8 Where is my righteousness? How should I pray? When Jesus' disciples asked Him how to pray, He gave them what we know as "The Lord's Prayer" (Matthew 6:9-13). As you meditate on each phrase, you'll see how The Lord's Prayer touches on each facet of our lives and God's character. It is a wonderfully complete outline for our prayers and is a good model to build on. As we pray The Lord's Prayer, we begin by acknowledging God's sovereign fatherhood when we say, "Our Father, who art in heaven." Then we adore His name. Because His name represents His nature, we praise His very being when we say the next phrase, "Hallowed be Thy name." Next, we must be concerned about the extension of His kingdom. We must care that people should come to know Him and submit to Him, so we say, "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." Then we turn to our personal concerns and ask God for our daily bread -- not only literal bread, but whatever we need to carry out His work. This prayer is for His daily provision for our immediate needs, and so we pray, "Give us this day our daily bread." Next comes a prayer of release from sin and guilt, the prayer of confession, repentance, and forgiveness: "And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors." Here we are asking God for His grace in our relationships with other people, because His forgiveness of us and our forgiveness of others go hand in hand. If we are going to expect answered prayer, we must be willing to forgive other people, even as God is willing to forgive us. Finally, we seek God's protection from temptation and evil: "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." We ask Him to keep us walking in His way, so that we might be covered by His power and anointing and might not be susceptible to evil influences. Another way to pray is to organize your prayer time according to the different modes of prayer. The first part should be praise for our heavenly Father, followed by intercession for the needs of others. Then, in prayers of petition, you ask for your own needs to be met. All prayer should close with praise and thanksgiving to our Father, who out of His love for us provides answers to our prayers. Conclude prayer with praise, like Jesus concluded The Lord's Prayer, saying, "For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever, Amen." (Matthew 6:13b) How can I know that God will answer my prayers? The Bible overflows with God's repeated promises to hear and answer His children's appeals. "And this is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him." (John 5:14, 15) To pray according to God's will means to pray in a way that is consistent with the principles in His Word. The Bible shows us that a righteous person's prayers will be answered: "The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much" (James 5:16). But righteousness means a lot more than "clean living." More than that, it means depending on Jesus Christ for answers to every problem you face. The Old Testament prophet Elijah was one such righteous man. "He prayed earnestly that it might not rain; and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the sky poured rain, and the earth produced its fruit" (James 5:17, 18). If you need to call forth showers of blessing in a dry and barren situation, remember that the key is righteousness -- your trust in God's promises. As you commit your requests to Him, believe that His will is being done according to the greatness of His power and wisdom. Don't underestimate God's ability to make a way for you when one doesn't seem possible. With our limited understanding and abilities, we often forget His boundless wisdom and power. Ask with faith, and be like Abraham when you pray. The Bible says of Abraham, "With respect to the promise of God, he (Abraham) did not waver in unbelief, but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what He had promised, He was able also to perform" (Romans 4:20, 21). Lastly, Jesus told us to pray according to His name (John 14: 13, 14). He is the Architect, Creator, and Sustainer of all that is, and He promises in His words to the disciples, "All things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they shall be granted you" (Mark 11:24). No obstacle is too great to withstand His power: "Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it shall be granted him" (Mark 11:23). Begin on a regular basis to pray about the biggest obstacle you face, and command that particular personal mountain to move by the power of the name of Jesus. How can I know God's will? God's will is best understood through a combination of different sources -- sources that balance and complement one another and protect the believer from errors. The first source is the Bible. If you are familiar with the Bible you will know the will of God, because He has laid it out for us there. The Bible says, "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts..." (Colossians 3:15). That inner peace that you experience when you are in communion with Him (or the lack of it) can show you whether you are praying according to God's will. God also reveals His will for us through godly counselors, people whose wisdom and walk with the Lord you can trust. We may also, sometimes, discern His will through circumstances that seem to favor or hinder a course of action. But remember, in whatever way God reveals His will to you, it must agree with His Word, the Bible. He will not oppose Himself, "for He cannot deny Himself" (2 Timothy 2:13). Once we have learned God's will, we must stay in it, abiding in the Lord Jesus, who said, "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you" (John 15:7). We cannot abide in Jesus and at the same time keep holding on to unbelief, unforgiveness, resentment, or bitterness. Such sins will keep us from that intimate relationship that He desires with us, and they will cloud our ability to know His will (Psalm 66:18). What about unanswered prayer? Nowhere in His Word does God promise that all of His answers will be instantaneous. Unfortunately, far too many people try to measure God's response by what they are immediately able to see with their natural capacities. We must wait on the Lord if need be. "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1). Many people have become disappointed and discouraged because they did not see the answers to their prayers at the time when they thought they should. If an answer is delayed, don't doubt. Doubting only undermines our ability to see any of our prayers answered. The Bible says of one who prays, "But let him ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For let no man expect that he will receive anything from the Lord" (James 1:6,7). Many times we think that God has failed to answer a prayer and that He has not honored His Word, when He actually is working out something in our lives far greater than we had imagined possible. We must be patient and bear in mind that His ways are far beyond ours. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher that your ways" (Isaiah 55:9). Is it permissible to pray more than once for something? Jesus taught in Luke, chapter 18, that at all times we ought to pray and not lose heart. He used the parable of the unrighteous judge and the helpless widow who kept on pleading with him for legal protection. Because of her persistence, the judge granted her request. In the same way, Jesus taught that the constant cries of God's children are heard and their prayers are answered. Jesus also said, "Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it shall be opened" (Matthew 7:7, 8). We are also told to "pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Rather than ask if it's alright to pray again and again about a thing, perhaps we should ask if it's right to ever stop praying about it until we receive an answer. Through our constant, believing prayer we not only receive answers, but we acquire a growing maturity in our life in Christ. You can breathe easier now that you understand God's desire for you to talk with Him constantly and His promise to answer your prayers, you can start praying with boldness and with the confidence that right now He is revealing answers to the dilemmas and uncertainties you face. Now your spirit will begin growing strong and vigorous with the deep, life-giving breath of prayer. God is supplying what you lack and honoring your petitions according to His will.
Perhaps Your Prayer Remains Unanswered......... I Need to Read The Fineprint on.. .*God's Disclaimers Jesus made this tremendous promise, “And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive” (Matt 21:22). However, despite the Lord’s willingness to answer prayer, it is obvious that many prayers go unanswered............... Why Prayers Remain Unanswered
- prayerlessness : "You
do not have because you do not ask God."
James 4:2. .
Our Prayers Are Aborted When
They Are Not According To God's Will
The disciples were not praying according to God's will when they prayed with vindictiveness and revenge. They petitioned God thusly, "Shall we command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?" Jesus answered, "You do not know what manner of spirit you are of" (Luke 9:54,55). Job, in his sorrow, begged God to take his life away. What if God had answered such a prayer? Such praying was contrary to the will of God. The Word warns, "Let not thy lip be hasty to utter a matter before the Lord." Daniel prayed the right way. First, he went to the Scriptures and searched out the mind of God. Having gotten clear direction, and sure of God's will, he runs to God's throne with a mighty assurance. "And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer" (Daniel 9:3). We know too much about what we want and too little about what He wants.
Our Prayers Can Be Aborted When They Are Designed To Fulfill An Inner Lust, Dreams, Or Illusions. "Ye ask and receive not because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lust" (James 4:3). God will answer no prayer that would add to our honor or assist our temptations. In the first place, God answers no prayer of a person who harbors lust in his or her heart. All answers are dependent on upon the plucking out of our hearts the evil, the lust, and the besetting sins. "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me" (Psalm 66:18). The test of knowing whether or not our request is based on lust is very simple. How we handle delays and denials is the clue. Prayers founded on lust demand hasty answers. If the lusting heart does not get the thing desired, quickly, it whimpers and cries, it swoons and faints - or it breaks out in a spell of murmuring and complaining, finally accusing God of deafness. "Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not" (Isaiah 58:3). The lustful heart cannot see God's glory in His denials and delays. Yet did God not get more glory by denying Christ's prayer to save His life, if possible, from death? Shudder to think of where we would be today had God not denied that request. God, in His justice, is obligated to delay or deny our prayers until they are purged of all selfishness and lust. Could it be there is one simple reason why most of our prayers are hindered? Could it be a result of our ongoing flirtation with a lust or besetting sin? Have we forgotten that only those with clean hands and pure hearts can set their feet on His holy hill? Only a total forsaking of a pet sin will throw open the gates of heaven and unclog the blessings.
Our Prayers Can Be Denied When We Show No Diligence to Assist God In The Answer. No sin has ever been slain in the heart without the cooperation of man's own hand, as in the case of Joshua. All night long, he lay prostrated and mourning over Israel's defeat. God set him on his feet saying, "Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face? Israel hath sinned. Up, sanctify the people..." (Joshua 7:10-13)
Our Prayers Can Be Aborted By A Secret Grudge Lodged In The Heart Against Another. Christ will not deal with anyone with a wrathful and unforgiving spirit. We are commanded to "lay aside all malice, envy, and evil speaking, and as newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the Word" (1 Peter 2:1,2). Christ will not even communicate with a wrangling, jangling, unforgiving person. God's law of prayer is clear on this matter, "Lift up pure hands without wrath or doubting" (1 Timothy 2:8). By not forgiving the sins committed against us, we make it impossible for God to forgive and bless us. He instructed us to pray, "Forgive us, as we forgive others."
Our Prayers Can Be Aborted By Not Expecting Much To Come Of Them. Gods' reputation is at stake. Our lack of patience is proof enough we don't expect much from prayer. We leave the secret closet of prayer, ready to go on muddling our way through - and we would even be shocked if God did answer. We think God has not heard us because we see no evidence of an answer. But of this you can be sure - the longer a prayer is delayed, the more perfect it will come forth at last. Also, the deeper the silence, the louder the answer. Abraham prayed for a child, and God answered. Yet, how many years went by before he held that child in his arms? Every faithful prayer is heard the moment it is prayed, but God chooses to answer in His own way and in His own time. Meanwhile, God expects us to rejoice in the naked promises and feast on hope while we wait for the fulfillment. Also, he wraps His denials in the sweet package of love, to prevent us from falling into despair.
Our Prayers Are Aborted When We Ourselves Attempt To Prescribe How God Should Answer. The only person we lay down terms to is the one we don't trust. Those we trust we leave to themselves to do what is right. It all boils down to a lack of trust. The believing soul, after he has unburdened his heart in prayer to the Lord, resigns himself to the faithfulness, goodness, and wisdom of God. The true believer will leave the shaping of the answer to God's mercy. Whatever way God chooses to answer, the believer will welcome it.
Reject That Secret Whisper In The Soul That Says, "The Answer Will Be So Long Delayed.................. I Will Not Enjoy It Should It Come." You can be guilty of spiritual mutiny by not trusting God to answer at the most opportune time. You can be sure that when the answer comes, it will come in a way and in a time it will be most enjoyed. If what you prayed for is not worth the waiting, it is not worth the asking.
Stop Fretting About Receiving, and Learn to Rely.............. All hypocrisy lies in distrust, and the soul that cannot rely on God cannot long be true to God. When once we begin to question His faithfulness, we begin to live by our own wits and care for ourselves. Like the backslidden children of Israel, we are saying, "Up, make us gods...We know not what has become of Moses..." (Exodus 32:1). You are no company to God unless you rely on Him.
When You Are Down, You Are Allowed To Groan, But Not To Grumble......... How can love for God be preserved in the heart that grumbles? The Word calls it 'contending with God'. What a foolish person to dare find fault with God - He will challenge such a person to lay his hand upon his mouth or else be consumed with bitterness. The Holy Spirit within us groans, with that unutterable language of heaven that prays according to the perfect will of God. But the fleshly grumble that proceeds out of the heart of the disenchanted believer is poison. Grumbling kept an entire nation out of the Promised Land, and it is today keeping multitudes from the blessings of the Lord. Groan if you must, but God forbid that you should grumble.
Those Who Ask in Faith Go Forth Praising in Hope "His words are pure as silver tried seven times in a furnace" (Psalm 12:6). God will not permit a liar or covenant-breaker to enter His presence or set foot on His holy hill. How then can we conceive that such a holy God can ever break His word to us? God has made himself, a name on earth - a name of 'Everlasting Faithfulness'. The more we believe that, the less troubled our souls will be. In the same proportion that there is faith in the heart, there is peace also. "In quietness and confidence shall be your strength" (Isaiah 30:15). God's promises are like the ice on a frozen lake - which He says will hold us. The believer ventures out on it with boldness; the unbeliever with fear, lest it should break under him and leave him floundering.
Never, Ever Question Because You Don't Hear From God Presently If God is delaying, it simply means your request is gaining interest in God's bank of blessings. So assured were the saints of God that He was faithful to His promises, they rejoiced before even seeing any conclusions. They went on merrily, as if they had already received. God wants us to pay in praises before we receive the promises. The Holy Ghost assists us in prayer - and is He not welcome at the throne? Will the Father deny the Spirit? Never! That groaning in your soul is no less than God Himself - and God will not deny Himself. Encouragements and Warnings Concerning Prayer When You Are Down, and Satan Whispers In Your Ear That God Has Forgotten You, Stop His Mouth With This "Devil - it is not God who has forgotten, but it is me. I've forgotten all His past blessings, or else I could not now be questioning his faithfulness." You see, faith should have a good memory. Our rash and hasty words are results of our forgetting His past benefits. With David, we should pray: "This is my infirmity, but I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High, I will remember the works of the Lord, surely I will remember Thy wonders of old." (Psalm 77:10,11).
What Can Deter Answers To Prayer? 1. Lack of
Fellowship with God and His word John 15:7 “If you abide in Me, and My words
abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for
you.” Unanswered prayers are sometimes a result of absence from fellowship with the Lord and His Word. Jesus promised that if we would remain in His fellowship, and allow His Word to remain in us, this would produce results in prayer. 2. Not seeking to
Please the Lord 1 John 3:22 “And whatever we ask we receive
from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that
are pleasing in His sight.” Answers to prayer come when we seek to keep His commandments and please the Lord with our life. This is not to suggest that we “earn” answered prayers, any more than we can earn salvation which comes only by faith (Eph. 2:8-9). He answers our prayers from his “grace” and “mercy” (Heb. 4:16), not merely from our good deeds. However, keeping His commandments and pleasing the Lord is a product of our obedience to His word, which is faith in action (James 2:20). What are His commandments? He commanded that we are to love the Lord with all our heart, mind, and soul, and to love our neighbor as ourself (Mark 12:30-31). Further, Jesus said we are to love our brethren as He has loved us. “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you” (John 15:12). Lack of love, bitterness, unforgiveness is the root of many unanswered prayers, since faith works by love (Gal 5:6). 3. Unconfessed Sin
in One’s Life 1 Peter 3:12 “For the eyes of the LORD are on
the righteous, And His ears are open to their prayers; But the face of
the LORD is against those who do evil.” 4. Improper Motives James 4:3 “You ask and do not receive,
because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.” 5 . Not asking in God’s will1 John 5:14-15 “Now this is the confidence
that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He
hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know
that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.” God will only answer those prayers that are in “His” will. When we ask anything that is in His will, we can have assurance that those “petitions” (requests) are granted to us. God’s will is revealed through His Word, the Bible. Anything promised by His Word is His will, and we can be confident that He’ll honor our prayers based on His Word. 6. Don’t know how to
pray Luke 11:1 "...Lord, teach us to pray...” Some lack effectiveness in prayer simply because they don’t know what the scriptures teach about prayer. Jesus gave His disciples an outline for prayer in Matthew 6:9-13. Take the time to study it. Other passages teach that prayer is primarily to be a private, intimate time with the Lord (Matt. 6:6), to be intermingled with praise and thanksgiving (Acts 16:25, Phil. 4:6). Times of fasting with prayer are beneficial to strengthen our faith and power in prayer (Acts 14:23, 1 Cor. 7:5). Jesus often went to secluded places to spend prolonged periods in prayer (Luke 6:12, Matt. 4:2). 7. Lack of Faith Hebrews 11:6 “But without faith it is
impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He
is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” 8. Misunderstanding
of Faith 9. Wavering faith James 1:6-7 “But let him ask in faith, with
no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and
tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive
anything from the Lord;” 10. Failure to apply
spiritual Authority Mark 11:23 “For assuredly, I say to you,
whoever says to this mountain, Be removed and be cast into the sea,
and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he
says will be done, he will have whatever he says.” There are times that some prayers may not get
far until we incorporate the spoken authority of the name of Jesus.
The reason for this is that the problems we face may “sometimes” be a
product of an evil spiritual origin. As Paul writes, “For we do not
wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against
powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against
spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Eph 6:12). In
such cases, our prayers may need to engage in what we call “spiritual
warfare” to obtain results. 11. Lack of
Perseverance Galatians 6:9 “And let us not grow weary
while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose
heart.” Probably the greatest reason that some prayers go unanswered is because many give-up praying and believing before they receive their answer. As long as we have the promise of God’s Word, be patient and persistent - keep believing, and don’t quit, no matter how long it takes! God has a “due season” when He will bring the answer to pass.
When we don’t understand the circumstances that surround us, it’s easy to be shaken by life’s alarms. Peter’s generation experienced the same thing. His warning was simple: “Do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you” (1 Peter 4:12). The trials and heartaches of life may sound like a call to evacuate—to run away or to respond to life in ways that are disheartening and destructive. But we would do well to listen more closely to our Lord. The trial may be nothing more than a reminder that our trust is to be in God, not in people. We can trust Him in those times when the alarms start to sound.
We can trust our loving Savior To protect from life’s alarms;
He’s prepared a place of refuge Safe within His mighty arms. —
Life’s challenges are not designed to break us but to bend us
toward God.
More Keys to Answered Prayer Jesus' disciples clearly saw the effect that prayer had in His life. He spent large amounts of time in prayer, often by Himself. The disciples soon realized that the demonstration of God's power and wisdom flowing from Jesus' life directly resulted from the intimate fellowship He enjoyed with His Father. When they asked Him to explain more to them about prayer, Jesus told them this story:
The three keys Jesus gives for seeing answers to prayer can be summed up as: Be persistent, be purposeful and be personal. Be PersistentThe first key to answered prayer is persistence -- which means "to hold fast to," or hold onto tightly. God wants us to hold on tightly to His promises in prayer. Don't let disappointment cause you to let go of your faith. The man in the parable didn't give up when his neighbor turned down his initial request. Jesus pointed out that the neighbor wouldn't get up and give him anything just because he was the man's friend. But because of his persistence, he would eventually get up and give him what he needed. The Greek language in Luke 11:10 can be translated, "ask and keep on asking and it shall be given you; seek and keep on seeking and you shall find; knock and keep on knocking and the door shall be opened to you." If we call on God, He promises to answer! But we must wait on the Lord and let Him answer our prayers in His perfect timing. Many times the greatest trial comes just before the answer arrives; it often seems darkest just before dawn .Be Purposeful The Bible says one of the reasons we haven't received God's best is that we haven't asked Him (see James 4:2). But God wants us to share our hearts with Him. He wants children who are willing to dream His dreams. The man in this story knew what he wanted and asked with a definite purpose. Take your needs and concerns to the Lord in prayer. Dare to ask God for your desires. Psalm 37:4 says, "Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart." Allow God to expand your vision, and spend time in prayer so you'll be prepared to receive the good things He has in store for you. Maybe you are dealing with a broken relationship, overwhelming financial burdens, the frustration of ill health, or the salvation of a loved one. The Lord wants you to come to Him in faith about whatever is on your heart. And don't just stop with your own needs. Ask God for a vision for your community, this nation and the world. Then, begin praying about the situations He impresses on your mind. Remember, the more you pray for the concerns on God's heart, the more you will find your own needs being met.Be Personal The most important key to effective prayer is a personal relationship with our Heavenly Father. The man in the parable went to his friend when he needed help. Two men in the Bible who are known for their great faith are Abraham and Moses. Both men enjoyed an intimate friendship with God. James 2:23 says of Abraham, " he was called the friend of God," and Exodus 33:11 says, " the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend." Both men saw God do great miracles in their lives. But remember, it takes time to develop a close friendship. You can start by involving God in the details of your life and learning to recognize His faithfulness even in little everyday challenges and events. Develop a plan of Bible reading and prayer that works for you. Pray for family and friends who may not know Jesus. And be sure to thank Him when the answers come! What a comfort to know that God loves us so deeply that He has given each of us an "open line" directly to Him whenever we need direction, comfort or strength. And His continuing promise to us is that He will answer our prayers! How should I pray? When Jesus' disciples asked Him how to pray, He gave them what we know as "The Lord's Prayer" (Matthew 6:9-13). As you meditate on each phrase, you'll see how The Lord's Prayer touches on each facet of our lives and God's character. It is a wonderfully complete outline for our prayers and is a good model to build on. As we pray The Lord's Prayer, we begin by acknowledging God's sovereign fatherhood when we say, "Our Father, who art in heaven." Then we adore His name. Because His name represents His nature, we praise His very being when we say the next phrase, "Hallowed be Thy name." Next, we must be concerned about the extension of His kingdom. We must care that people should come to know Him and submit to Him, so we say, "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." Then we turn to our personal concerns and ask God for our daily bread -- not only literal bread, but whatever we need to carry out His work. This prayer is for His daily provision for our immediate needs, and so we pray, "Give us this day our daily bread." Next comes a prayer of release from sin and guilt, the prayer of confession, repentance, and forgiveness: "And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors." Here we are asking God for His grace in our relationships with other people, because His forgiveness of us and our forgiveness of others go hand in hand. If we are going to expect answered prayer, we must be willing to forgive other people, even as God is willing to forgive us. Finally, we seek God's protection from temptation and evil: "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." We ask Him to keep us walking in His way, so that we might be covered by His power and anointing and might not be susceptible to evil influences. Another way to pray is to organize your prayer time according to the different modes of prayer. The first part should be praise for our heavenly Father, followed by intercession for the needs of others. Then, in prayers of petition, you ask for your own needs to be met. All prayer should close with praise and thanksgiving to our Father, who out of His love for us provides answers to our prayers. Conclude prayer with praise, like Jesus concluded The Lord's Prayer, saying, "For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever, Amen." (Matthew 6:13b) How can I know that God will answer my prayers? The Bible overflows with God's repeated promises to hear and answer His children's appeals. "And this is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him." (John 5:14, 15) To pray according to God's will means to pray in a way that is consistent with the principles in His Word. The Bible shows us that a righteous person's prayers will be answered: "The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much" (James 5:16). But righteousness means a lot more than "clean living." More than that, it means depending on Jesus Christ for answers to every problem you face. The Old Testament prophet Elijah was one such righteous man. "He prayed earnestly that it might not rain; and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the sky poured rain, and the earth produced its fruit" (James 5:17, 18). If you need to call forth showers of blessing in a dry and barren situation, remember that the key is righteousness -- your trust in God's promises. As you commit your requests to Him, believe that His will is being done according to the greatness of His power and wisdom. Don't underestimate God's ability to make a way for you when one doesn't seem possible. With our limited understanding and abilities, we often forget His boundless wisdom and power. Ask with faith, and be like Abraham when you pray. The Bible says of Abraham, "With respect to the promise of God, he (Abraham) did not waver in unbelief, but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what He had promised, He was able also to perform" (Romans 4:20, 21). Lastly, Jesus told us to pray according to His name (John 14: 13, 14). He is the Architect, Creator, and Sustainer of all that is, and He promises in His words to the disciples, "All things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they shall be granted you" (Mark 11:24). No obstacle is too great to withstand His power: "Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it shall be granted him" (Mark 11:23). Begin on a regular basis to pray about the biggest obstacle you face, and command that particular personal mountain to move by the power of the name of Jesus. How can I know God's will? God's will is best understood through a combination of different sources -- sources that balance and complement one another and protect the believer from errors. The first source is the Bible. If you are familiar with the Bible you will know the will of God, because He has laid it out for us there. The Bible says, "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts..." (Colossians 3:15). That inner peace that you experience when you are in communion with Him (or the lack of it) can show you whether you are praying according to God's will. God also reveals His will for us through godly counselors, people whose wisdom and walk with the Lord you can trust. We may also, sometimes, discern His will through circumstances that seem to favor or hinder a course of action. But remember, in whatever way God reveals His will to you, it must agree with His Word, the Bible. He will not oppose Himself, "for He cannot deny Himself" (2 Timothy 2:13). Once we have learned God's will, we must stay in it, abiding in the Lord Jesus, who said, "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you" (John 15:7). We cannot abide in Jesus and at the same time keep holding on to unbelief, unforgiveness, resentment, or bitterness. Such sins will keep us from that intimate relationship that He desires with us, and they will cloud our ability to know His will (Psalm 66:18). What about unanswered prayer? Nowhere in His Word does God promise that all of His answers will be instantaneous. Unfortunately, far too many people try to measure God's response by what they are immediately able to see with their natural capacities. We must wait on the Lord if need be. "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1). Many people have become disappointed and discouraged because they did not see the answers to their prayers at the time when they thought they should. If an answer is delayed, don't doubt. Doubting only undermines our ability to see any of our prayers answered. The Bible says of one who prays, "But let him ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For let no man expect that he will receive anything from the Lord" (James 1:6,7). Many times we think that God has failed to answer a prayer and that He has not honored His Word, when He actually is working out something in our lives far greater than we had imagined possible. We must be patient and bear in mind that His ways are far beyond ours. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher that your ways" (Isaiah 55:9). Is it permissible to pray more than once for something? Jesus taught in Luke, chapter 18, that at all times we ought to pray and not lose heart. He used the parable of the unrighteous judge and the helpless widow who kept on pleading with him for legal protection. Because of her persistence, the judge granted her request. In the same way, Jesus taught that the constant cries of God's children are heard and their prayers are answered. Jesus also said, "Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it shall be opened" (Matthew 7:7, 8). We are also told to "pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Rather than ask if it's alright to pray again and again about a thing, perhaps we should ask if it's right to ever stop praying about it until we receive an answer. Through our constant, believing prayer we not only receive answers, but we acquire a growing maturity in our life in Christ. You can breathe easier now that you understand God's desire for you to talk with Him constantly and His promise to answer your prayers, you can start praying with boldness and with the confidence that right now He is revealing answers to the dilemmas and uncertainties you face. Now your spirit will begin growing strong and vigorous with the deep, life-giving breath of prayer. God is supplying what you lack and honoring your petitions according to His will.
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