”Five Conditions for Answered Prayer”                 09-25-05
 

FIVE CONDITIONS FOR ANSWERED PRAYER

1.  You must have a REAL relationship with God.

John 15:7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.


“Dear God, I want a real relationship with you. I realize that I have sinned against you and been my own boss.  I turn from my sin to you, and ask you to forgive me.  Jesus, I know that you died for me and rose again.  So I ask you into my life, as my leader. I accept the forgiveness that you freely give. Thank you for dying for me.  Help me now to live for you. Amen.”
         

Psalm 66:18 If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened…

 

1 John 1:8-9  If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

 

1 John 3:21-22 Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God 22and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him.

 

1 John 5:14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.

 

2.  You must have a forgiving attitude toward other people. 

Mark 11:24-25 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you've received it and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him so that your Father in heaven may forgive your sins. 

 

1 Peter 3:7 Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives and treat them with respect.... so that nothing will hinder your prayers.

 

3.  You must be willing to share the results 

Proverbs 21:13 If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered.

 

1 John 3:21-23, 17 Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him. And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?

 

James 4:3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

 

4.  You must believe that God will answer

James 1:5-8 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; 8he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.

 

Hebrews 11:6 Without faith it is impossible to please God.

 

Is faith believing that God can do it? Or is it believing that God WILL do it? Is there a difference?

 

5. You must pray in Jesus' name

John 14:13-14 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. 14You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.