Prayers That God Hears

To many, prayer is an important link to God. The Word of God provides rules to ensure our prayers reach the throne of our Creator.

Whether we do it often or infrequently, many of us pray. While some find encouragement, peace, and strength in speaking with their Creator, others feel like it is a pointless venture, as if God is not listening. According to the Holy Bible, He might not be. If this is the case with you, or you feel there needs to be something more to your prayer life, God has given us His answers in His Word.

Reverence is a Requisite
In Malachi 1:6, we read A son honoreth his father, and a servant his master. If then I be a father, where is Mine honor? As we search the Scriptures, we will find that God responded in powerful ways when the supplicants prefaced and punctuated their prayers with praise due to Him. Daniel noted Gods greatness, love, mercy and righteousness as he pleaded before God on behalf of his fellow Jews in Babylon. Hezekiah affirmed that Yahweh was the only God when Judah was confronted the Assyrian army. We should do the same, focusing upon Who God is, and upon His moral attributes. In fact, if we praise God from the beginning of our prayer and throughout until we conclude, we will sense a blessed strength from Him, no matter how heavy our burden is.

Humility is Foundational
Just as it is good to focus upon Who God is, we need to remember who we are. Some might feel they deserve Gods attention. Others might think they are so bad that God will never hear them. Both can learn from the parable of the Pharisee and the publican (tax collector) in the Temple, which is found in Luke 18.

As you might know, the Pharisee thought he was a far better man than the publican. The publican, feeling completely unworthy, stood at a distance and could not lift his eyes toward heaven. Yet his prayer reached the ear of the Almighty on the basis of Gods mercy and acknowledgment of the publicans sinfulness the common denominator of mankind.

Coming Clean
Though we are all sinners, our merciful God has made provision for the removal of those sins if we commit ourselves to Christ. Many of the Pharisees that had demanded Jesus be crucified were present when the Apostle Peter preached on the Day of Pentecost, yet Peter offered them the promise heralded by the prophet Joel that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. While some have made Christ their Savior, their prayer can be impeded by unconfessed sin. It is written in Psalm 66:18, If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me. The answer to this problem is found in 1 John 1:9, If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Forgiven? Then Forgive

Most people are familiar with what is called The Lords Prayer. Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, is often said in prayer, but not often applied. Yet, the Lord warned in Matthew 6:15, But if ye forgive not men their

trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. The Word of God encourages us to ask God for what we need. If we find it difficult to forgive someone, then we have a need to ask God to place that forgiveness in our hearts. There are numerous passages in Holy Scripture that show our forgiveness of others is required in prayer.

The Fire of Fervor

While righteousness before God opens the line of communication with Him, sincerity and earnestness propel our prayers to His throne. As James 5:16 states, The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. The words effectual fervent are one in the Greek which, when transliterated into English, is energeo from ergon, which is work and the basis for the English energy. We have to mean it when we pray, whether it means sorrow, anger against Satan, concern or similar emotion.

The Fuel of Faith

When it comes to our relationship with God, faith is far more than mental assent. It is commitment and complete trust. It is written in Hebrews 11:6, But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. At the conclusion of that verse we see true faith fosters diligence in seeking God. There will be occasions where we might have to come before God many times with the same requests. One of the reasons for this is that it actually strengthens our faith as one strengthens their muscles in exercise.

Silencing the Interference

Akin to this is perseverance in prayer. When we have truly met the basic conditions for prayer but still have a struggle, often it is the forces of Satan that are suggesting we give up. Pray anyway, for we are to walk by faith and not by sight. The lives of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are mentioned in Hebrews 11, and verse 13 states, These all died in faith, not having received the promises but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded by them and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

Our Will Must Match His Will

God honors His Word. As we read His Word, we will understand what His will is for many situations in our lives and in the lives of others. 1 John 5:14 says, And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask any thing according to His will, He heareth us. This includes praying the way God wants us to pray, which means only to Him and only through Jesus Christ. It is written in 1Timothy 2:5, For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.

Listen, and be Heard

If we expect to be heard then we need to obey His voice. 1 John 3:22 says, And whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him, because we keep His commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. This involves surrender to Him and not insistence we must have things our way. There will be times that God says no or wait. No matter what, the best path for us to take is to love and trust Him. We might not get the exact answer we want, but He has heard us, and what we do get will endure forever if we remain in Him.