This is part 4 on my series on answered prayer.

The reason we pray, is to receive answers.  To see others or ourselves, healed, our needs provided, our fears dispelled.

We pray when we need direction, wisdom, knowledge, comfort, or peace.  How often are we disappointed, not satisfied, left empty.  

 Wondering where is my God?  Do we really want to pray prayers that move God to action?

Do we delight ourselves in the Lord?   Do we receive the Desires of our hearts?

Once again we come back to these 3 simple letters.    ASK.

We must learn to focus on the Lord.   We must know Him, we must know His WORD.

We do not always need, to quote  Scripture and verse, but we certainly need to know it’s meaning, and Spirit.  To learn this we must Ask.

Ask Him to open our eyes, ears, minds and hearts.  Ask Him to draw us close, to change us, mold us and make us, evermore into His image.   

We must, Ask Him, to give us compassion toward the lost, the sick, the disobedient. 

We must Ask Him to teach us how to Seek Him. 

The Amplified Bible, guides us in the right direction.  (Never give up).

Luke 11:9-13 (AMPC)

“So I say to you, Ask and keep on asking and it shall be given you; seek and keep on seeking and you shall find; knock and keep on knocking and the door shall be opened to you.

For everyone who asks and keeps on asking receives; and he who seeks and keeps on seeking finds; and to him who knocks and keeps on knocking, the door shall be opened.

What father among you, if his son asks for a loaf of bread, will give him a stone; or if he asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent?

Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?

If you then, evil as you are, know how to give good gifts [gifts that are to their advantage] to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask and continue to ask Him!”

 We must learn to Seek Him, (study His word, learn how to knock, pray), to know Him better. 

Not for what we might gain.   

There are warnings to those who do not Seek Him with a true heart.

Proverbs 1:28
“Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:”

Hosea 5:6
“They shall go with their flocks and with their herds to seek the Lord; but they shall not find him; he hath withdrawn himself from them.”

Amos 8:12
“And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it.”

Why do you Seek Him?  Is it for personal profit, for acclaim, to be above, to rule, to Lord it over others.

Or have you taken James 4 to heart?  Do you know how to humble yourselves, become servants, care for the needs of others, above your own. 

The example of Daniel.   

At 15 years of age, brought into  captivity, made a slave, along with all of the Kingdom of Judah.

His Name changed, his diet changed, maybe even turned into a Eunuch, and forced to Worship, to learn of false Gods.

“Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.

Now God had brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs.”  (Daniel 1)

Because Daniel’s heart was right towards the Lord, he was blessed in the midst of his capacity.  

He had enough and more than enough, he prospered even as a slave.  We can be prosperous in the midst of our darkest hours. 

“The Lord would have us prosper and be in good health, even as our soul prospers.”

Prosperity, isn’t about money, jobs or any other temporal things, it is Spiritual. 

The prosperity preachers, are not totally wrong.   There is truth in all of God’s word.  

If:

   >  Our motives are pure.   Our desire is a closer, more personal walk.  

   >  We purpose in our heart to give of our gain, not spoil ourselves with his bounty.

   >  We would learn to have and extend compassion. 

Daniel loved His God, did not allow his circumstances turn him away. He, “purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself”

If we study his life, and the life of the 3 Hebrew children, we can learn how to Ask, Seek and Knock on the Lords door.

First, because he would not defile himself, (today that could be,  what we watch, read, listen to, eat, enjoy in our lives),  he found favor with God.

He was promoted to a position of authority.   As he was able, he found himself a prayer closet,  and used it 3 times a day.

He did not cower in fear, in secret, but without a prideful spirit, was not worried about being heard, even after it was illegal,  to pray to God.

(Daniel, prospered under 4 different leaders).

His prayers, elevated him, to a place of power, saved him from the lions. 

The 3 Hebrew children, before being cast into the fire, for refusing to Worship the Kings false God said:

“Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.

If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.

But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.”

Daniel, after finding Gods promise in Jeremiah 29,  prayed for the end of captivity for his people.
   ~ Daniel, had a heart towards God.

   ~ He read and studied the scriptures that were available to him.  Found Words from God in Ezekiel and Jeremiah, that quickened His Spirit.

   ~ He then prayed God’s Word, back to God.  Like Moses and Abraham,  prayer that moves God, reminds Him of His promises.

This prayer moved God to action.

Psalm: 9. 10. 

“And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.”

John 7:34

“Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come.”

The Lord promised we will find Him, if we seek Him with our whole heart.

Deuteronomy 4:29
“But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.”

So, how do we knock?

When we pray the Word of God, we are knocking on the door of His heart.  Do not stop, even if the answer we desire doesn’t seem to be there.

Daniel was told:

Daniel 10:2-5 (KJV)

2. In those days I Daniel was mourning three full weeks.
3.   I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.
4.   And in the four and twentieth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, which is Hiddekel;

5.   Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz:

7.   And I Daniel alone saw the vision: for the men that were with me saw not the vision; but a great quaking fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves.

9.   Yet heard I the voice of his words: and when I heard the voice of his words, then was I in a deep sleep on my face, and my face toward the ground.

11.  And he said unto me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak unto thee, and stand upright: for unto thee am I now sent. And when he had spoken this word unto me, I stood trembling.”

Daniel 10:12-14 (KJV)

12.   “Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words.
13.   But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.
14.  Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days: for yet the vision is for many days.”

ASK:

DO NOT QUIT, STAND FAST, ACT YE LIKE MEN.

“GOD HONORS (WATCHES OVER), HIS WORD, TO PREFORM IT.”

Right heart, (seeking God),  right words, (Gods will and Words).  the door, will open,  (the answer will come).

Luke: 11. 9-13

“And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. 

For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. 

If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? 

Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 

If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?”

Ask, Seek and Knock.  Our basic directions for answered prayer.  The Amplified Bible says:

Ask and keep on asking, Seek and keep on Seeking,  Knock and keep on knocking. 

Do not stop, until you receive. 

IMPORTANT: 

We must be praying for God’s will and desires, if you are praying to win the Lottery…. Give It Up…

 Know the desires, the will of God.  The Words of Jesus:

Matthew 21:22
“And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.”

We must learn to believe.   It is hard to  believe my bills will be paid, but He said Seek Him first and our need will be met.  It is not hard to believe He wants a better relationship. 

Pray to be closer to Him.

John 16:24
“Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.”

 He answers our prayer to give us joy.

John 3:22
“And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.”

We ask and receive because we keep His commandments, and do that which is pleasing to Him.

ONLY BELIEVE:   How many times must He tell us before we grab ahold of this truth.  

If we pray for Him to mold us, make us, change us.  For our ears, eyes, mind and hearts to be opened to His will and ways.  He will draw us close.

He will cause us to prosper and be in good health as our souls prosper.

Please, quit focusing on our needs, our desires, our wants.  Begin to focus on pleasing Him… He will surely please us.

Next up, SEEK…

This is part two, on answered prayer.   After all, we pray, hoping for answers that will better the lives of those we pray for.  

I think it is important to note, the prayer Jesus taught us.

Luke: 11. 1-3 

“And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. 

And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. 

Give us day by day our daily bread. 

And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.”

There are several points to look as t here:

   《  The disciples saw the example of Jesus,  He was always making a way to be alone, finding a place to pray.

     《  The disciples, did not ask to be taught a prayer, but how to pray.

     《   The Lord gave them an example….  we have used it as a by rote prayer,  we recite it, word for word and never use it as an battle plan.

Yes, the Lords prayer is a plan, a map, to show us how to pray.   We need to grasp this concept, if we are to live as Victorious Christians. 

The steps to enter the Holy of Holies, to find Mercy and Grace in our times of need, are simple and clear:

 Acknowledge who the Lord is, who are we praying to?

~  Our Father,  our Healer,  our Provider,  our Fortress, our Guide to all Truth,  our Friend,  a very present help in times of trouble. 

We are given many Names for the Lord, they describe His attributes, His desires to be our ALL IN ALL.

It is our choice, as to what we allow Him to be in our lives.    To be our Shepherd,  our Lord, our Saviour. 

At the same time, we acknowledge where He is and what He deserves and desires.

~  Praise, which leads to Worship.   Believe in our hearts and confess with our mouths.

I love you Lord, You alone are Worthy, Worthy,  Worthy,  Worthy is the Lamb, that was slain at the foundation of the world.   

I Exalt You, Praise You, Worship You…   You are Worthy of all Glory,  Honor and Praise…  ect…

True Praise is one of the most important aspect of Prayer.  Repeating the Word of the Lord, back to the Lord.  

Reminding Him of His promises,  His Power, His glory.

Acknowledge that it is His will, we are praying for.

~  It is all about Him, His desires, His will, His plan for our life.   He will give us the Desires of our hearts, this means, if we ask, He will implant His will, ways, desires into our hearts, so we can, Seek first the Kingdom of God, and His Righteousness.  Then our physical, natural, daily needs and wants will be met.

~  Only then do we mention our needs.   Keep in mind, He knows we hat we need before we do, He has promised to answer before we ask.

Daily Bread… 

Forgiveness as we have forgiven…

Leading us, on the Right Path, always drawing us closer to Christ, as we Seek Him, He delivers us from evil.

 We should always end with Thanksgiving, acknowledging all He has done and what He is about to do.

James explains our most common errors. 

James: 4. 1-10 

“From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? 

Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. 

Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. 

Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. 

Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? 

But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. 

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 

Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. 

Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. 

Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.”

Study the truths in James, compare our prayers to both, James admonitions and the Lords teaching. 

How do we line up?

http://wp.me/p4qqra-1Pr

An old post, revisited….

This is part one, on a series on receiving answers to our prayers.

ASK:  

Three little letters.  If we understood the message within, it could set us free as Christians,  and the lost, would be amazed, by our Faith, and our answered prayers.

It surprises me that  I have not heard this Scripture taught, in the last 7 years. 

It is probably taught, in Childrens Church, with Noah, Jonah, and Moses, and his miracles.  Childrens stories, nice if true, but really…  (we have grown beyond, these silly superstitions). 

Right?

We haven’t heard these tales, since we were children, our Preachers don’t Preach them, (that is Sunday school stuff).

I believe that is one reason  the Power and might of God, isn’t more apparent in our Churches.   (They consider it the milk not the meat of the Word).

If God can’t do the things written in His book.  Or doesn’t, do them anymore, why believe any of the Book.  

I drink milk all the time, it helps to make my body strong,  it would do the same for the Churches. 

To me it is all truth, and all available to whosoever will. 

Jesus said:  ONLY BELIEVE.    Do we?

Luke: 11. 5-13

“And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves; 

For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him? 

And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee. 

I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity (tenacity, his never giving up),  he will rise and give him as many as he needeth. 

And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. 

For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. 

If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? 

Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 

If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?”  (Companion verses in Matthew).

In the time of Joseph, (who was led by the Spirit of God),  it was his knowledge and wisdom from God, that caused Pharaoh to ask:

“Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is?”

Where the Spirit of God is there is Liberty,  people are looking for a demonstration of His Power, for a sign of His Presence. 

 There should be signs and wonders following.

That is a promise the Lord left with and for,  THOSE WHO BELIEVE. 

After the Exodus,  the People were told to tell their children, the truth of the miracles of God.   

Explain, how they had seen, and considered, and  understood, and believed, in an Awesome God, who did miracles.  

We have lost that belief, or forgotten how to walk in Faith. 

There are certain conditions,  truths to learn, that the Lord has put forth, as guidelines to answered prayer.

There is no formula to follow, no special incantation, or a spell that makes the Lord answer our prayers, but there are pointers to finding out His will and learning to pray that.

The first clue is this:

Psalm 37:4
“Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.”

John 15:7
“If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.”

First, we must learn to DELIGHT OURSELVES IN, and TO ABIDE IN, THE LORD.      We will begin to desire the Spiritual. 

We must love the Lord, know His Word and Will and Walk in it.

“That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.”

“This is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:”

“Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

We must once again, learn how to believe.  We must learn to Seek the Spiritual, to find the Natural. 

 Learn to Ask, until we receive,  Seek until we find, Knock until the Door is opened.

Please, I always look forward to feedback.  Pro or Con.  How will we grow, if not through communication as well as study and prayer.

Thanks for visiting.   Blessings