we are going to look at the subject of prayer for a while
here on the front porch. now
a good question to ask is does GOD promise to
answer everyone’s prayers?
and the answer is no.
it’s very clear in scripture that GOD completely ignores some people’s
prayers. in fact, the bible says that GOD
has laid out some conditions to answered prayer and if you meet these
conditions you have every right to expect that what you ask for will be
answered in prayer.
now the first condition is you
must have an honest relationship to GOD.
john 15.7 (niv), if you remain in ME and MY words
remain in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be given to you.
that’s a beautiful promise. but in scripture every promise has a
condition or every promise has a premise.
and the promise here is, “I will give you whatever you ask in prayer”
and the premise is “if you remain in ME.” in other words, “if you have a honest
relationship with me.”
so how do you remain in CHRIST? the next sentence tells it. “MY
words remain in you.” in other
words, GOD says that if we fill our minds with the bible, the word of GOD, then
we will be in CHRIST. we will be abiding in HIM. GOD requires that we listen to HIM first
before HE listens to us. if i don’t pay
attention to what GOD says to me in HIS word, why should HE pay attention to me
when i talk to HIM? if i ignore HIS
word, why should HE pay attention to what i say to HIM?
the starting point is to have an honest relationship to GOD.
how? through the word of GOD. that’s why bible study is important. you say, “are you saying if i don’t study my
bible i won’t have answered prayer?” no,
what i’m saying is your prayer life will never be more effective than how much
you understand scripture. the more you
understand the bible the more you’ll know how to pray affectively.
just a thought from the front porch…
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