Part 5 – Prayer that Brings Results
(1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NKJV) (16) Rejoice always, (17) pray without ceasing, (18) in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
The Bible does not tell us to “believe in the power of prayer.” The Bible does teach us to believe in the power of God and His promises to us.
Just because you pray does not mean you will receive an answer. There are loads of people that pray and do not receive an answer because they pray wrong.
- You don’t have to sell Jesus on how bad you are hurting.
(Hebrews 4:15 AMPC) For we do not have a High Priest Who is unable to understand and sympathize and have a shared feeling with our weaknesses and infirmities and liability to the assaults of temptation, but One Who has been tempted in every respect as we are, yet without sinning.
Here is the difference between God and us: He feels what you feel but His not moved to action by His feelings or your feelings. If He was, then He would not be fair in His dealings with man because we could figure out how to appeal to His emotions to get the amount of help that we need.
Sympathy is not what you need. You need an answer and help!
- God is no respecter of persons.
(Acts 10:34 AMPC) And Peter opened his mouth and said: Most certainly and thoroughly I now perceive and understand that God shows no partiality and is no respecter of persons,
- God does respect faith.
(Matthew 8:10 NKJV) When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!
(Mark 6:6 AMPC) And He marveled because of their unbelief (their lack of faith in Him). And He went about among the surrounding villages and continued teaching.
- God responds to faith.
Smith Wigglesworth said, “There is something about believing God that will cause Him to pass over a million people to get to you.”
(Romans 4:16 AMPC) Therefore, [inheriting] the promise is the outcome of faith and depends [entirely] on faith, in order that it might be given as an act of grace (unmerited favor), to make it stable and valid and guaranteed to all his descendants–not only to the devotees and adherents of the Law, but also to those who share the faith of Abraham, who is [thus] the father of us all.
Prayer that Brings Results!
- Find out what God’s Word says about your situation and base your prayer on God’s Word.
(John 15:7 NKJV) If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
You cannot pray beyond your faith and you cannot have faith beyond the Word that you know and have in your heart.
- Ask God for things you desire and believe that you have the answer.
(Mark 11:24 NLT) I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours.
When you ask you MUST believe that you receive the answer at the time that you pray.
- Meditate constantly on the promises upon which you based the answer to your prayer.
See yourself in possession of what you’ve asked from and make plans accordingly as if it were already a reality.
Example of promise from your boss about a pay raise and we will go out and buy something based on that promise BEFORE we have seen one dime of the increase.
(Proverbs 4:20-21, 25-27 NKJV) My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. (21) Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart; (25) Let your eyes look straight ahead, And your eyelids look right before you. (26) Ponder the path of your feet, And let all your ways be established. (27) Do not turn to the right or the left…
- Let your words affirm that you have what you ask.
(Hebrews 4:14 AMPC) Inasmuch then as we have a great High Priest Who has [already] ascended and passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession [of faith in Him].
(Hebrews 10:23 NKJV) Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.
- Continually thank and praise God for the answer as though you already have it, because you do!
(Philippians 4:6 TLB) Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything; tell God your needs, and don’t forget to thank him for his answers.
It is thinking faith thoughts and speaking faith-filled words that leads the heart out of defeat into victory.
Don’t undo your prayer of Faith!
Smith Wigglesworth said, “If you have prayed seven times for any one thing, you prayed six times in unbelief.”
Andrew Murray said, “It is not good taste to ask God for the same thing over and over again.”
Murray also said, “If, when you do pray again, what you’ve prayed for hasn’t materialized, don’t pray for it again in the same way because that would be unbelief. Remind God that you have already asked for it, and what His Word says, and tell Him that you’re expecting it and thank Him for it.”
The more you give thanks for the answer, the peace of God will become a guard over your heart and mind.
(Philippians 4:7 TLB) If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will keep your thoughts and your hearts quiet and at rest as you trust in Christ Jesus.