ANSWERS TO OUR PRAYERS


A. ENCOURAGEMENT FOR ALL WHO SEEK THE LORD IN PRAYER
  1. Heavenly assurance:
    1. "Call unto me, and I will answer thee" - Jer. 33:3
    2. "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their evil ways; then will I hear from heaven" - 2 Chron. 7:14
    3. "Call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me." - Ps. 50:15
  2. Humble acknowledgement by the saints:
    1. "In thee, O Lord, do I hope: thou wilt hear, O Lord my God." - Ps. 38:15
    2. "O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come." - Ps. 65:2
B. EXAMPLES OF ANSWERS TO PRAYER
  1. Old Testament witnesses:
    1. Abraham - Gen. 15
    2. Lot - Gen. 19:20, 21
    3. Abraham's servant - Gen. 24:12-21
    4. Isaac - Gen. 25:21
    5. Jacob - Gen. 32
    6. Moses - Ex. 14:15, 16; 15:25; 17:4-6; Num. 11:11-17
    7. Israel - Ex. 2:23-25; 14:10
    8. And a host of others, too many to enumerate.
  2. New Testament witnesses:
    1. Blind Bartimaeus - Mark 10:46-48
    2. The thief on the cross - Luke 23:42-44
    3. A heartbroken mother - Matt. 15:22-28
    4. The centurion - Matt. 8
    5. Cornelius - Acts 10:31
    6. The church - Acts 4:24-31
    7. And a host of other god-fearing persons, too many to mention.
  3. Characteristics of the prayers that are answered:
    1. Individual prayers - Jas. 5:13
    2. United prayers - Jas. 5:14; Acts 4:24-26
    3. Believing prayers - Jas. 5:15
    4. Intercessory prayers - Jas. 5:16
    5. Definite prayer - Jas. 5:17
    6. Fervent prayer - Jas. 5:17
C. SEVEN BASIC THINGS ABOUT PRAYER WHICH ARE A MUST FOR GOD TO ANSWER THEM
  1. They must be in season and punctual:
    1. Have regularity in our prayer seasons -- Daniel had, and so did David - Dan. 6:19; Ps. 55:17
    2. The hour of prayer, whether in the early morning, at noon, or in the evening, should be guarded - Acts 3:1; 10:1-9
  2. They must be sincere and wholehearted:
    1. Halfhearted prayer has no promise. But when we call on the name of the Lord with all our heart, God will hear us. - Eph. 6:18, 19
  3. Our supplications:
    1. Must include all the saints - Eph. 6:18, 19
    2. Rulers and all men of authority - 1 Tim. 2:1-5
  4. We must persevere in our supplication:
    1. Abraham did - Gen. 18
    2. Jacob did - Gen. 32:24-28
    3. A mother, praying for her daughter, did - Matt. 15:22-28
    4. Blind Bartimaeus did - Mark 10:46-48
  5. Do it all in childlike faith:
  6. When we consider these facts, there comes to our minds the petition of the disciples, "Lord, teach us how to pray":
    1. Even the most experienced among us has much to learn about the art of successful prayer.
    2. Even Paul, who was a man of prayer, included himself when he wrote, "for we know not what we should pray for as we ought" - Rom. 8:26
    3. The school of prayer never ends so long as we are in this present world.
  7. But this is certain, that we shall gain practical knowledge about prayer as we exercise our prerogative of prayer.


Design © John Bryant 2011