Getting Your Prayers Answered
Romans 10:17 (NKJV) So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.
It's impossible to trust a stranger. As we all know, in order to build faith in someone you must first get to know them. There's only one way to understand God's character, desires and ways and that's by studying your Bible. Prayer and fellowship builds the relationship, but reading His Word builds our understanding and knowledge. It's a combination of both that brings us to a place of complete trust and uninhibited faith.
God's Word is filled with promises and conditions. We can not effectively pray a prayer of faith without first knowing what He's promised and what the work of the cross has afforded us.
If you believe reading and learning the Word of God is optional, then you must believe that answered prayer is optional as well. It's not eloquent and persuasive words that move the heart of God, but it’s only His Word spoken with faith and boldness that touches His heart and causes Him to move on our behalf. Our faith is ignited by His promises and they are the means to answered prayer.
It's by knowing that His shed blood has paid for our sins to be wiped clean that we can believe for our salvation, but unless we continue to read that by His stripes (the shredding of His flesh by the brutal beating with a whip) we are healed we won't grasp the fact that our healing is His will and it's already been paid for. He took all of our sins, anxiety and infirmities upon His own body so that we could have peace, be healed, delivered, and set free. You see, He will do as much as we can believe for... no more... no less... but how can we believe unless we know beyond a shadow of a doubt what His will is.
Stop praying a prayer of fear that has no power to bring about change but find out what His Word says about your particular situation, then use it in your battle plan against the schemes and lies of the enemy... the only truth there is, the one God has written. Believe Him above all else!
You are a child of the living God! You are blessed, highly favored and more than a conqueror! The power to change your current situation is within you... only believe!
Romans 8:37 (NKJV) Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
Mark 5:36 (NKJV) As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not be afraid; only believe.
Matthew 9:29 (NKJV) Then He touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith let it be to you.”
John 15:7 (KJV) If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
1 Peter 2:24 (NKJV) Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.
Isaiah 53:5 (NKJV) But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.
