Our Lord Jesus Christ said:
“If you abide in Me, and My Words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for You. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so, you will be My disciples.” (John 15: 7-8)
Revd. Sidney Elijah Adenaike Ph.D
September 5, 2023
In the above passage Jesus has given us the assurance that if we abide in Him and allow His Word to dwell richly in us, whatever we desire and ask (that conforms with the Will of God) will be done for us. In the same vein, when you call upon Him in true faith, He will answer you. Prophet Jeremiah said:
“Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.” (Jeremiah 33:3)
David gave an assurance that the Omnipresent God is close by:
“The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth.” (Psalms 145:18)
The Bible tells us in Deuteronomy 4:7 that when we pray in faith, our Omnipresent God Who answers the prayers of His people whenever they call on Him will answer us. A life without prayer is like a body without a heart or a car without an engine. Prayer is our lifeline to God and a life without prayer is a road that leads nowhere. A person without prayer is like a tree without roots.
“And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away.” (Mark 4:17)
God is everywhere and so; He can hear us when we call on Him (read Psalm 139:7-10). Those who shun or avoid God’s Word can never enjoy His Presence and closeness.
“The Lord is far from the wicked: but He heareth the prayer of the righteous.” (Proverb 15:29)
God knows the hearts of people; He allows those with clean hearts who call upon Him in truth to come near Him (read Psalm 66:18; Psalms 145:19). God delights in fulfilling desires of all who fear Him. Psalm 37:4 is a promise for those who seek God with all their hearts and delight in Him to fulfil their heart’s godly and pleasant desires.
There is no believer who does not want his or her prayers answered. You must understand that prayers are not answered just because you pray to God and again, God does not answer all prayers. For instance, faithless or lousy prayers are not answered. Anyone who is an enemy of God cannot have access to Him or expect to receive answer to his prayers. In order to receive answers to your prayers, you must fulfil certain conditions and follow some guidelines. I am very certain that if you follow these guidelines and consider these basic keys faithfully, you will receive answers to your prayers:
The new birth is not a natural birth or a birth through flesh and blood
(John 3:4 and 6). It is a sovereign act of God (John 1:13; John 3:3, 8) and a work of grace wrought in the hearts of repentant and confessed sinners, when they respond to the invitation of Christ to have a spiritual rebirth. It is popularly referred to as being born again. When they forsake and repent of their sins and accept the Lord Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior and believe in Him and His gospel (1 Corinthians 4:15; Romans 1:16) which is the living and abiding Word of God (1 Peter 1:23, 25; 1 John 3:9), they will be cleansed from their sins and transformed into new creatures by the Holy Spirit (John 3:5, 6, 8). They will experience the new birth. The Bible says:
“But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His Name.” (John 1:12)
When you truly believe that Jesus Christ died for your sins and you receive Him as your Savior, you become born again. In order to receive Him and experience the transformation occasioned by the new birth, you must indicate your acceptance of the golden offer by taking the following steps:
Before you can be born again, you must realize that you are a sinner in need of forgiveness and reconciliation with God (Romans 3:23) and that the penalty for that sin is death (Romans 6:23). We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God by doing things that were not pleasant to God.
“Jesus said to him, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6)
Jesus has promised that He would turn no one away who calls upon Him for salvation:
“For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13).
Psalm 66:18 reads: “If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear.” When you pray to God and expecting an answer, your conscience must be clean (Hebrews 10:22, James 5:16, and Psalm 66:18). Prophet Isaiah declared that it was our iniquities that have separated us from our God; our sins have hidden His Face from us, so that He will not hear. Therefore, before you go to God in prayer, you must repent of your sins.
“Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent.” (Acts 17:30)
The Bible instructs as follows:
“Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the Presence of the Lord.” (Acts 3:19; see also Ezekiel 18:30-32).
Confess your sins to the Lord; do not hide them and let it mark the beginning of your Christian walk with Him. Paul said in Romans 10:8-10:
“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
The moment you confess your sins and accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, your salvation and new life in Christ will become a reality.
When the Philippian jailer asked Paul: “What must I do to be saved?” Paul gave a simple answer:
“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household” (Acts 16:31).
If you believe in the Lord Jesus as your Lord and Savior and trust that He died to pay the penalty for your sins, you shall be saved (Romans 10:13). You can now look up to Him for all your physical and spiritual needs.
Acknowledging God means you know Him personally and intimately and His biblical attributes of Omnipotence, Omnipresence and Omniscience.
Acknowledge His Presence everywhere you go, fear Him and depart from evil:
“The Eyes of the Lord are in every place.” (Proverbs 15:3)
Christians are admonished in Proverbs 3:6 to acknowledge God in all their ways and He will direct their steps. You must believe that He is the One Who works in you to will and to do of His good pleasure. Whatever progress or success you have made or achieved, know that it is by His Power. You must recognize that He has the Power and Authority to do whatever He pleases, and nothing is impossible or too hard for Him.
In acknowledging God in all your ways, you must submit yourself daily to His authority and Lordship – Your home, place of work, your endeavors, undertakings and relationships, thoughts, words, and deeds to His. God’s Word must be the sole authority in your life. You must honor God with your time, talents, and treasures. Acknowledging God is also to keep trusting Him and obey His commands because His promises will never fail. If you want to get anything from God, you must maintain a cordial and intimate relationship with Him and let your request be in accordance with His Will.
Jesus taught His disciples the way of intimacy with God in the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13; Luke 11:1-4) which begins with: “Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your Name.” God is referred to as “Our Father” because we are all children of God. “Hallowed be Your Name” means we respect God and are loyal to Him only.
David, the man after God’s own Heart acknowledged God and asked Him to listen to his prayer and answer him:
“Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my meditation. Give heed to the voice of my cry, my King and my God, for to You I will pray” (Psalm 5:1-2).
Receiving answers to your prayers is one of the benefits of the followers of Christ. If you are not of God, He is not obliged to listen to your petitions. The Bible says:
“Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him” (John 9:31).
James 5:16b states: “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”
Therefore, if you want your prayers to be effective and acceptable before God, you must live a righteous life. Apostle Peter also said:
“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.” (1 Peter 3:12)
The Bible speaks of having a clean conscience as a condition for answered prayer (Hebrews 10:22). For example, you must live peaceably and respectfully with your spouse and show understanding for each other if you want your prayers answered (Read 1 Peter 3:7).
God is Holy and perfect, sinful people cannot approach Him or come near His Holy Temple. David asked two difficult questions in Psalm 24:3-4:
“Who may ascend into the Hill of the Lord? Or who may stand in His holy Place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, nor sworn deceitfully.”
He then lists 4 things needed to ascend the hill of the Lord. The person must have clean hands, a pure heart, must not lift his soul to an idol, or swear by what is false.
A pure heart does not mean sinless perfection, but rather a genuine heart, one that has been cleansed by Christ’s Blood. Jesus said it this way in Matthew 5:8:
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”
Those who can ascend the Hill of the Lord and stand in His holy Place are those who are united with Christ and clothed in His righteousness, whose hands are washed clean in His Blood and whose hearts are purified by that Blood. So, you need Jesus Christ and His Spirit to come to the Throne of God.
Christ is righteous and the only way you can be made righteous is for God to impute the Righteousness of Christ to you by faith (2 Corinthians 5:21).
“Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.” (1 John 3:21-22)
If you want your prayers answered, then you must be obedient to God, that is the prerequisite. This means doing what God commands and not-doing what He forbids. God hears the prayers of those who obey His commands (read 1 John 3:22-23; Matthew 7:21).
One of the prerequisites for receiving answers to prayers is to pray aright. Then your petitions will be acceptable to God (James 4:3). You must come to God with the right attitude and motive if you desire to receive answers to your prayers (Matthew 6:5-15; Matthew 7:7-11; Philippians 4:6).
It also means that you should pray according to the Will of God (read Matthew 6:9-13). The Apostle Paul has drawn our attention to one very important point to note in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 which reads:
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
God wants you to be happy always, pray constantly and show gratitude to Him for His goodness and mercy upon your life. This is the Will of God in Christ for you.
Addressing your prayer to the Heavenly Father, the only true and real God of the Bible is necessary if you expect answers to your prayers (See Matthew 6:9). It is not beneficial or sensible for believers to pray to false gods, a god constructed in the image of man, angels or dead people (Read Psalm 20:7-9; 1Corinthians 8:5–6). God reveals Himself to mankind through Jesus Christ whose Spirit indwells believers (Matthew 11:27) and the Apostle Paul was inspired to describe the true God in this way:
“Yet for us there is one God, the Father, of Whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through Whom are all things, and through Whom we live.” (1 Corinthians 8:6).
You must worship this Great God Who gives you life and breath (read John 17:1; Matthew 6:9–13).
One of the most important things to learn about God is that faith is enshrined in His attributes - He is faithful. He places a very high premium and value on faith. Righteousness was imputed to Abraham because He believed God (Romans 4:3). In Matthew 21:22 Jesus again emphasizes faith:
“If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”
Those who truly believe God will witness the amazing, infinite Power of God. Apostle James also talks about this in James 1:6. Having faith is a condition for answered prayer. Faith is essential to pleasing God because without faith, it is impossible to please Him Who alone can do the impossible (Hebrews 11:6; Luke 1:37).
The Bible says:
“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)
It takes faith to pray because faith is the foundation on which we build our knowledge of the reality of God. According to Tauren Wells in his work titled “Praying in faith”: “Faith is the currency of heaven, and prayer is how we exchange sorrow for joy, ashes for beauty, and spiritual deadness for supernatural Power.”
The biblical instruction concerning prayer is that we pray in faith (see James 1:6). Prayers that meet the required conditions as stated in the Bible are answered. For example, Joshua’s prayer for the Sun to stand still, met all these conditions of prayer (Joshua 10:12–14). Elijah’s prayer for rain to stop - and his later prayer for rain to fall, met all these conditions (James 5:17–18). Jesus’ prayer as He stood before the tomb of Lazarus met all these conditions (John 11:41).
They all prayed to God, according to His will, with good motives and for necessary things, and above all, in faith. Incongruency between God’s Will and our own will is another stumbling block.
An important condition and a key to successful prayer is that it is offered in the Will of God. Prayers that are aligned with God’s desires, Will and Plans will be answered affirmatively (1 John 5:14–15). This truth is stated explicitly in 1 John 5:14: “If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.”
Our requests must agree or conform with the Will of God. God promised to supply what we need when we “seek first His Kingdom and His Righteousness” (Matthew 6:33). Our task is to understand the will of God and allow the Spirit to guide us in knowing what to ask, so that our request will be consistent with what is delightful to God. The natural mind cannot understand this. But, when we offer ourselves as ‘a living sacrifice’ and we are transformed by the renewing of our minds, then we “will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—His good, pleasing and perfect Will” (Romans 12:1–2).
There is no need to pray for something that goes against the will of God. For instance, do not pray that God should give you the position of your boss in office. People often waste their time and energy trying to persuade God to bless something or grant a frivolous request that goes against His interest. This causes needless frustration and disillusionment, as the person who expects answers cannot figure out why the prayers were not answered. When we truly desire God, when we are passionate to see His will accomplished in this world, and ask for what brings Him glory, He is eager to give us anything we ask. Sometimes the things that glorify God are pleasant and sometimes they are less pleasant. This can be a failure that humbles us or a physical weakness that makes us more dependent upon Him (see 2 Corinthians 12:7). Our intention in prayer should be to honor God and bring glory to Him (Colossians 3:17).
Elijah did not just come up with the idea of praying for the rain to be withheld. He had read in the Scriptures that God would bless the land when the people lived in obedience but that He would curse the land when the people rebelled and began to live in idolatry, immorality, and perversion (Deuteronomy 28:1 and 23). Elijah, therefore, prayed in accordance with God’s Will in the Scriptures.
Jesus modelled this for us, praying for the Will of God to be done in the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9–13). Always align your will and your requests with God’s Will (read Luke 22:42; Mark 14:32-36; Romans 8:27).
It is true that we do not always know how best to offer our prayer to God. In this regard, we must be guided by the Holy Spirit. According to Romans 8:26:
“Likewise, the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.”
We must feed our hearts on the Word of God and ask the Holy Spirit to guide us into the Will of God.
Jesus said as recorded in John 14:14:
“If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.”
Jesus Christ is the reason why we can approach the Throne of grace (Hebrews 10:19–22), and He is our Mediator (1 Timothy 2:5). In other words, we have access to God only through Jesus Christ (John 14:6; Hebrews 4:14–16). It is for these reasons that we are admonished to pray in Jesus’ Name (John 16:24). In fact, Jesus sits at God’s Side, making intercession for us (Hebrews 7:25).
Here, Jesus did not promise His disciples anything and everything they wanted; rather, He instructed them to ask: “in My Name.” To pray in Jesus’ Name is to pray based on Jesus’ Authority, but it also involves praying according to the Will of God, for the Will of God is what Jesus always did (John 6:38). When you pray in the Name of Jesus, He is praying along with you as our great High Priest (Read Hebrews 4:14-16).
Prayer in the Spirit (that is, under the control of the Holy Spirit) is also a prerequisite to answered prayer. Praying in the Spirit is to pray with divine help. It is trusting God and relying on Him by faith that He will hear your prayer and answer you. Praying in the Spirit is a gift to be received through faith in Christ Jesus. Prayers offered in the flesh will not be heard by God (Ephesians 6:18; Jude 1:20; Romans 8:26). Praying in the Spirit is relying on the Spirit to assist you in your prayer.
If you want your prayers answered, you must be specific in your request. As told in the Book of Samuel, Hannah knew exactly what she wanted, and she prayed for it. She did not have many things on her prayer list. She was specific and prayed for only one thing. She was barren and the one thing she wanted was a male child. (read 1 Samuel 1:10-11)
Be very specific about what you ask for in prayer. If you want specific answers, then make specific requests. Another example is Prophet Nehemiah who earnestly prayed for success and God answered his prayer (Nehemiah 1:1-2:9). The Bible requests us to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). One of the conditions to effective prayer is that we are resolute and do not give up. Jesus said:
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” (Matthew 7:7-8)
In the above passage, Jesus invites us to the real act of prayer, which is to keep on asking, seeking, and knocking. In Luke 18:1 He encourages believers to pray in faith and not lose heart. God values persistence and passion in prayer because that shows that we really care about the things we are asking for. Persistent prayer gives Him glory, expresses dependence upon Him, and aligns our heart with His. Jesus admonished us to ask and receive so that our joy may be complete (John 16:24; see also Matthew 7:7; 21:22; Mark 11:24; Luke 11:9; and John 15:7). How do we ask? We ask (Ask, Seek and Knock) with confidence and humility.
Paul prayed three times for the thorn to be removed from his flesh, but God did not remove it. Why would a loving God refuse to heal Paul? It was because God had something better for him, namely, a life lived by grace. In response to his request, God gave him a revelation: “My grace is sufficient for thee; for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9) Paul ended his prayer and began to rejoice in his weakness by saying:
“Most gladly, therefore, will I rather glory in infirmities, that the Power of Christ may rest upon me.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)
See also how Jesus prayed three times in the Garden of Gethsemane on the night of His arrest (read Matthew 26:36-46). If you want your prayers answered, your attitude of prayer must be like that of Paul and Jesus. You must not be weary, not give up or stop praying.
May the Almighty God answer your prayers and grant you an all-round peace in Jesus’ Name. Amen!
N.B
The views expressed here are solely mine. I believe they reflect the teachings of the Bible, but I am a fallible human and subject to misunderstanding. I thank you for your feedback.