Believe, Have Faith, Be Specific and Persist

1: The foundation key is to agree together. This is what we call the Prayer of Agreement. Jesus said in Matthew 18:19-20, ‘Again, I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything for which they are to pray, it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.’ This is what we will be doing together until your need is answered.

2: The next key is that we are gathered ‘in the name of Jesus’. In doing so we exercise our power of attorney found in Mark 16:17-18. Jesus gave us power of attorney when he said, ‘These signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will...’

3: As far as Jesus is concerned, everything about your life is of paramount importance to Him. He has said that he has counted every hair on your head. In Matthew 6: 25-34, he says that we should not worry about our life. Nor about food or clothes, nor about tomorrow. He promises that God will provide much more for you than He does for all the rest of his creation.

4: In Matthew 7:7-11, Jesus tells us that everyone who asks receives. Then he goes on to say, ‘Which one of you would hand his son a stone when he asks for a loaf of bread, or a snake when he asks for a fish?’ Jesus is telling us to be specific when we ask: If we want bread, then ask for bread, not just something to eat.

5: In Luke 11:5-8, Jesus tells a parable about a man who needed bread late at night. The man's friend initailly refused to help him but Jesus goes on in this parable to reveal another key. ‘I tell you truly, if friendship doesn't bring him down to give him what he asks, persistence surely will.’ This key is persistence. Jesus was teaching us that it is important we persist in prayer.

Keep these four keys in mind: Believe, Have Faith, Be Specific and Persist

Unanswered Prayer

You ask but do not receive... James 4: 3  NKJV

Pastor Jerry Sittser writes: ‘What would happen if all our prayers were answered? I thought about my early years when I was ready to conquer the world, with or without Christ. The group I led grew, I was riding a wave of success, everything I touched turned to gold. Eventually the ministry levelled off and lost momentum. Thank God it did...I'd become insufferably proud, a self-appointed expert. What would've happened if my prayers had been answered, our group had continued to grow and our programme had continued to receive recognition?’

James says, ‘You ask but do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives.’ There are certain prayers God won't answer for your own good.
Sittser continues: ‘Your cause may be right, but you may still be wrong; manifesting pride, gloating in victory, punishing wrongdoers with excessive severity and excusing sin. The great hazard for people on a crusade is... they become blind to their own faults. They fight for civil rights but treat... janitors like second-class citizens. They uphold standards of Biblical sexuality, but show little grace towards their spouse. Unanswered prayer is God's gift... it protects us from ourselves. If all our prayers were answered we'd abuse the power... use prayer to change the world to our liking, and it would become hell on earth. Like spoiled children with too many toys and too much money, we'd grab for more. We'd pray for victory at the expense of others... intoxicated by power... we'd hurt people and exalt ourselves. Isaiah said, 'The Lord longs to be gracious to you...therefore He waits...' (Isa 30:18 NAS). Unanswered prayer protects... breaks... deepens... and transforms. Past unanswered prayers, which left us hurt and disillusioned, act like a refiner's fire to prepare us for future answers.’

From The Word for Today by Bob & Debby Gass – 31 July 2009

The Prayer God Answers

Their cry for help...went up to God. Exodus 2:23 NIV

Just when the Israelites thought life couldn't get worse, it did! Pharaoh withheld their straw and ordered them to produce the same daily quota of bricks. At that point three things happened:

(1) ‘The Israelites groaned in their slavery.’ (Exod 2:23 NIV) It's what we do when we feel so bad that words can't express it. We groan, first within ourselves, then to whoever will listen, finding relief in venting our frustrations. But lasting help requires more than just talking to yourself and others. So, they raised the decibel level and:
(2) ‘Cried out...for help.’ (Exod 2:23 NIV) God had seen them grit their teeth and white-knuckle it through another day. But since they were talking to everybody but Him, nothing changed. However, as soon as ‘their cry...went up to God...[He] heard their groaning.’ (Exod 2:24 NIV) He just wanted a prayer to answer. David declared, ‘He hears My voice and...has inclined His ear to me...I shall call upon Him as long as I live.’ (Ps 116:1-2 NAS) Instead of complaining, pray! Give God a prayer to answer and He'll answer it. ‘Why would God listen to someone like me?’ you say. Because:
(3) ‘God remembered His covenant with Abraham...and...took notice of them.’ (Exod 2:24-25 NAS). God answered their prayers because of a covenant He made with their father. He took notice of them because they were Abraham's children. They got it 'on credit'. So do you! ‘God through Christ has forgiven you.’ (Eph 4:32 NLT) God's mercy and favour is yours today because you belong to Christ. ‘My Father will give you whatever you ask in My name...Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.’ (John 16:23-24 NIV) How good is that?

From The Word for Today by Bob & Debby Gass – 27 April 2009

Thumps!

Count it all joy! James 1:2  NKJV

Max Lucado writes: 'When a potter bakes a pot he checks its solidity by pulling it out of the [furnace] and thumping it. If it 'sings,' it's ready. If it 'thuds,' it's put back in. Character is also checked by thumping... Late night phone calls... grouchy teachers... burnt meals... flat tyres... you've-got-to-be-kidding deadlines. Thumps trigger the worst in us... They aren't big enough to be a crisis, but if you get enough of them, watch out. Traffic jams... long lines... empty mailboxes... dirty clothes on the floor... Thump. Thump. Thump. How do you respond? Do you sing or do you thud? Jesus said, 'People speak the things that are in their hearts' (Luke 6:45 NCV), and there's nothing like a good thump to reveal the true nature of a heart...it's not in momentary heroics, but in the thump-packed humdrum of day-to-day living. If you've a tendency to 'thud' more than you 'sing,' take heart. There's hope for us 'thudders.' Begin by thanking God ...not a half-hearted thank-you...but a rejoicing, jumping-for-joy, thank-you from the bottom of your heart. James says: 'Count it all joy when you fall into various trials... the testing of your faith produces patience.' God's doing the thumping... for your own good... You're going to be tested... you might as well learn from the thumps. See it as an opportunity to develop patience and persistence. Each thump helps or hurts you, depending on how you use it. Be aware of 'thump-slumps'...For all of us there are times during the week when we can anticipate an unusual amount of thumping. Handle them head on...bolster yourself with extra prayer... don't give up...and remember no thump is disastrous. All thumps work together for good when you love and obey God.’

From The Word for Today by Bob & Debby Gass – 16 September 2009