GOD HEARS AND ANSWERS YOUR PRAYER

As Christians, we have an important role to play in seeing that our prayers are answered. First of all, we must approach God in confidence knowing that He does not just hear us, He has an infinite power to answer us in accordance with His will. So let's examine the dynamic strategy in getting a response from God and having our prayers answered.

Reference: 1 John 5:14 New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE) ' And we have this confidence in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.'

John emphasised on the confidence we must have in God to answer our prayers. He wants you to know that God hears your prayers. However, this verse specifies that the prerequisite for getting a positive hearing from God is asking "according to His will." This implies that God is not deaf to the prayer of the righteous. When you hear somebody, it means that you pay attention to their report and concerns and so, they are not making their requests in vain.

Did you notice that the verse says, 'confidence in God' and not 'confidence in our prayer'? Verses such as this clear up the common misconception that there's such a thing as a powerful prayer. We have a powerful God, and our prayer can be effective, not because it's powerful prayer, but because we have confidence in a powerful God who answers effective prayers. Also effective prayer does not mean your prayer is powerful, it means your prayer can be successful in producing a desired or intended result, because you prayed according to God's will. Therefore those who put their faith in God can know, for sure, that they will always have answers and response from God in their prayer times.

Another important aspect of our referenced verse is that we must ask according to God's will. The surest indicator of God's will is His Word. God did not say, 'He would give us absolutely anything" we ask for, no matter what. God says, 'if we ask according to His will'. He acts according to His will, not our will. He hears our prayers, but it should come as no surprise that He responds to those prayers according to His will. So what must you do? Get to study and know His Word so that you won't ask amiss.

Our assurance of answered prayer comes by trusting what we know about God, as well as the evidence of the Holy Spirit within us. The best way to know God is to fall in love with His Word, follow the instructions of God's Spirit, and act on them. Doing these will particularly result in developing great confidence in God.

God always responds to His Word, always! This is why He wants us, not just to study and speak His Word, but also to pray in line with it. We cannot approach God with confidence in our prayer life, if we don't know His Word. What are we going to tell Him in prayer if we lack the knowledge of the Word? Get to know His Word, so that you'll have confidence in approaching Him.

Beloved, truly if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. It didn't just end there, the next verse says, 'And if we know that he hears us - whatever we ask - we know that we have what we asked of him' (1 John 5:15 NIV). This is simply saying, 'if you know He hears you, then receive what you've asked for, after praying.' In another term, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours (see Mark 11:24 NIV).

Scripture Reading - Psalm 66:19; Proverbs 15:29; Matthew 7:7; John 9:31; Matthew 21:22; 1 Peter 3:12.

Guided Prayer: Heavenly Father, you are a great God and your faithfulness endures forever. I trust in you, knowing that you are the only One, true living God! My prayers for every request and desire in my heart are always answered, as I pray according to your Word. Therefore, Lord, I thank you for your guidance and light as to how to pray effectively for my requests, respond to you in faith, and have the assurance of receiving from you, in Jesus' Name, Amen!