Rev. E. Anderson
REASONS FOR ANSWERED PRAYER
Reading James 5: 13- 20
Introduction
A FRUITFUL EXERCISE: It is important to know that God desires and determines that prayer should above all things be a fruitful exercise. He is the God that is ever capable of both hearing and answering prayer and has ordained that it should prove to be a means of knowing His immense love, wisdom and power within life in all kind of situations. The Bible seeks to both provoke and promote it so that people will reap tremendous benefits. A GREAT EXAMPLE: The greatest of example of concerning prayer relates to Jesus Christ. When His first disciples saw and heard him pray and evidently noted the amazing consequences they asked that He would teach them to pray - He highly valued the exercise and was in the best and blessed position of knowing enormous answers to His request. Outside of the tomb He made a great confession worth noting – ‘Father, I thank you that you have heard Me. And I knew that you hear Me always’- John 11: 41, 42. Not one request was ever turned down so it was a most productive ministry. GUIDING FACTORS: In reading and studying a number of Bible texts on prayer there is instruction on the reasons why prayer is answered so Christian believers must become acquainted with and fall in line with the clear, divine directions. Here are at least five things that must be duly meditated on so that prayer is not hindered in terms of divine response, and that time and energy is not wasted on this holy devotion and application.
- KEEPING A CLEAN HEART – Psalm 66: 18; 24: 3-6; James 5: 16
All who would approach God must certainly make sure that their belief and behaviour accords with righteousness an holiness. If a person is to gain the attention of God then He must be a fit individual that God approves of. There is no way that God will be switched on if the standard of life is of a discreditable nature. The point is made by James that ‘the effectual prayer of a righteous man availeth much’ and the psalmist is very blunt when he says, ‘If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear me’ – Psalm 66: 18. Folks must get right with God on this issue if prayer is to be a dynamic force and be productive.
- CORRECT MOTIVATION OF BEING – James 4: 2, 3
In prayer one has to be sure that one is praying for the right things to which God can readily and heartily agree. If the prayer or praying is inspired by selfishness and greed, then God knows and will pay no interest whatsoever. He is not ignorant at all as why the petitions are being made and He looks for genuine desire and a freedom from personal interest that is focused wrongly.
- ABIDING IN THE LORD AND HIS WORD – John 15: 7
Before Christ left His disciples He wanted them to know that in the future their lives and ministries should be tremendously blessed with divine answers. There is this will on His part that it should be so and so gave them this revealed secret – ‘If you abide in Me , and my words abide in you, you shall what you will, and it shall be given unto you’ – John 15: 7. It is evident that He willed that there should be much fruit in this connection.
- KNOWING AND EXERCSING THE SPIRIT OF FAITH – Hebrews 11: 6; James 1: 6; Mark 11: 22-24
The writer makes it plain that ‘without faith it is impossible to please God’ and gives encouragement by saying, ‘He is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him’ – Hebrews 11: 6. When a person prays then divine assurance must fill their hearts and be manifest in their petitions. Christ taught that it was possible to have ‘the faith of God’ and through this faith as used in prayer impossible things would occur. James endorses this by affirming that the person who is preoccupied with doubt will receive nothing at all – James 1 6.
- EXPRESING A SPIRIT OF PERSISTENCY – James 5: 17, 18; Luke 18: 1-8; Matthew 7: -11
Elijah, the widow woman and the man who sought for bread at midnight are pictures of people who refused to quit until prayer was answered. They knew how important it was to persist in their quest and to show that they meant business. It would seem that this also implied with Christ’s teaching on the matter – ‘Ask, and it shall be given unto you . . . . .’ - Matthew 7: 7-11. Behind it is the determination to press the matter until the answer is forthcoming.
CONCLUSION
All who are really desirous of seeing God answer their petitions will be ready to take
these things to heart because they want to know God’s hand operative on their behalf. They also want to have a glowing testimony to His supreme workings in their affairs.
