Prayers That Get Answered – part 1
God answers prayers of faith and faithfulness
- Pray with confident expectation that God will move and answer.
- Only the obedient can really expect God to answer prayers of faith.
God answers persistent praying
Two parables illustrate the need for persistent praying
- Parable of the Persistent Neighbor (Luke 11:5-13)
- Parable of the Persistent Widow (Luke 18:1-8)
- Persistent praying actualizes the true need being expressed.
- Persistent praying actualizes confidence in God’s ability to work and do the best.
- Persistent prayer helps us see the wisdom in how God has answered the prayer.
- Persistent praying prevents loss of heart.
God answers unified group prayer
- Jesus and the New Testament writers spoke of prayer in the context of the Jewish culture.
- Prayer is largely a group activity
- Most prayers are expressed with the group in mind.
- Group prayer was therefore expected and not emphasized all that much in the New Testament.
- This should be kept in mind when reading the various passages concerning prayer.
- Jesus does emphasize the power of group prayer in Matthew 18:19-20.
- Context is making a decision concerning a brother in possible sin.
- The principle can be applied to general unified group praying.
- The benefit to group prayer
- Is not the likeliness of God’s response.
- Is in the way God may respond by using the group and not just the individual.
- This in turn can alleviate an individual’s fear of being alone.
- It confounds the Enemy!
Are you on board?
- The Christian life requires sacrifice of self.
- God wants us to pray in faith and faithfulness. Are you willing to sacrifice confidence in yourself and submit to God’s will?
- God wants us to pray persistently. Are you willing to sacrifice your time and fear?
- God wants us to pray united. Are you willing to sacrifice your individuality?