Do you believe prayer IS answered? Yours? Was what you hoped for what happened? Was your prayer answered in the way (and time) you thought? Can you easily bring to mind your answered prayers? What did you do when the prayer was answered? Thank and Praise the Lord? Share your experience with others, especially those that you asked to stand in prayer with you?
Though I might get some loud disagreement, I believe a case can be made that how you define prayer and how you approach it says a great deal about who you are and the strength of your Christianity. Is prayer a natural and important part in your day? Do you only truly pray in crisis situations? Do you believe in answered prayer? Do you pray in a way that would provide you with a positive result? What is answered prayer?
Scripture speaks quite specifically regarding prayer, such as:
“You ask [God for something] and do not receive it, because you ask with wrong motives [out of selfishness or with an unrighteous agenda], so that [when you get what you want] you may spend it on your [hedonistic] desires.” (James 4:3, AMP)
Before you get agitated or feel accused, look at how you pray and what you pray for/about. Are you telling the Father what He should do? Do you come seeking His answer or look only to yours?
“Therefore, confess your sins to one another [your false steps, your offenses], and pray for one another, that you may be healed and restored. The heartfelt and persistent prayer of a righteous man (believer) can accomplish much [when put into action and made effective by God—it is dynamic and can have tremendous power].”
(James 5:16, AMP)
In this scripture, James is telling us, basically, that we need to come to the Lord with clean hands. Essentially this is the same ‘state’ that we find when we prepare for communion. 1 Corinthians 11:27-29, AMP gives us our pattern:
“So then whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in a way that is unworthy [of Him] will be guilty of [profaning and sinning against] the body and blood of the Lord. But a person must [prayerfully] examine himself [and his relationship to Christ], and only when he has done so should he eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks [without solemn reverence and heartfelt gratitude for the sacrifice of Christ], eats and drinks a judgment on himself if he does not recognize the body [of Christ].”
Again, granted this is the attitude when we are receiving communion, but isn’t this also a foundation about how we should view and come to prayer? If you remember how Jesus approached prayer, then you get a model of what we should do. His behavior says a great deal about how He valued the prayer time. And… He ended it with, “Not My will, but Yours be done.” (Luke 22:42). When you bring your requests, your intercessions – do you end with this period – ‘Your will’?
There are great promises about answered prayer:
“If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” (John 15:7)
“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours” (Mark 11:24)“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” (Philippians 4;6)
There are more scriptures that talk about prayer. I think the reason is that this is our primary way of communication with the Father. I believe He wants the very best for us and acts on that basis. When we align our thinking and acting according to His word, then we are able to ask for what truly is needed and important. Jesus tells us to Abide in Him … we can do nothing to bear fruit apart from this. Our prayers need the same attention.
