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HAVE YOUR PRAYERS ANSWERED Do we get answers to all our prayers? Has God replied yes to all our prayer-requests? If we pause and think, no will be the answer. We are faultless; we have fellowship with the Lord; we pray daily; we go to church on Sundays -- beyond these things what are we supposed to do. Let us refer to our Bible: “If you abide in Me and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.” (John15:7) The Lord Jesus says these words to us. Do we give first priority to our Lord in all walks of life? Do we surrender ourselves completely to the Lord? The Lord wants exactly this. If we surrender ourselves to the Lord, what is to be done next? “My words abide in you,” says the Lord; “words” are specified emphatically here. Let us meditate on it. In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God (John 1:1). Yes, the word was God. David also says: “For you have magnified your word above all your name” (Psalm 138:2). In Revelation also we read this as (Rev 19:11-13) “Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was closed with a robe dipped in blood and His name is called The Word of God.” Jesus calls Himself as the Word. This is clearly mentioned in John 1:14 “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us”

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I John 1:1 “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of Life. Apostle Paul writes to Timothy like this in II Timothy 3:16 “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God.” Dear brothers and sisters in Lord Jesus, whenever we read the Bible, we get an insight of the essence of the verses about the Lord Jesus. He dwells in these Words. When these Words abide in us, He lives in us. And to guide us. The wisdom of the Lord which created the heaven and the earth has written these Words. We cannot understand it through our limited knowledge or wisdom. So the Lord helps us when we surrender ourselves totally to Him; He fills us with the Holy Spirit and anoints us. I John 2:20, 27 says, “But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things.” “But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.” The Holy Ghost abiding in us will teach the Words. The difficult Words will be made simple by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Ghost tells us how to receive answers to our prayers. I John 3:22-24 says: “And whenever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. And this is His commandment; that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandments.” As we do things in accordance with His Words, the Lord guides us and we receive answers to our prayers. He wants us to have faith in his Words and love our brethren. Do you have faith in our Lord? If so, do we love each other? Let us discuss this in the light of the scripture…

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I John 4:7-13 “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.” “He who does not love does not know God, for God is love” “In this the love of God was manifested towards us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him” “In this is love not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sense” “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another” “No one has seen God at anytime. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us because He has given us of His Spirit” God shows His love to us by His salvation. We are free from our sins and this manifests His love to us. God expects such kind of love from us, a sacrificial love for fellow beings. Once He told a lawyer, Matthew 22:37-40 “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind”; “This is the first and great commandment, And the second is like it: you shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” First love God, then your fellow brothers. Our life is sustained by these commandments. When we abide by these two commandments, we will receive answers to our prayers from the Lord. How to practice these Words in our lives? I John 5:1-3 says “Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him” “By this we know that we love the children of God when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments and his commandments are not burdensome. If we keep his

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commandments, it shows that we love the Lord and the people” I John 2:5,6 says:“But whoever keeps His Word, truly the Love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as he walked” When we keep His Word, the love which is pure and impeccable attains wholesome and fills our hearts. We do all things driven by this divine love. This is a manifestation that we are one with the Lord and He abides in us. We start treating others with love and sympathy as He did when he came to this earth in flesh. Does God hear the prayers of all? No must be the answer. John 9:31 says “We know that God does not hear sinners, but if anyone is a worshipper of God and does His will, He hears him” Psalm 34:15 “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous. And His ears are open to their cry” Psalm 66:18 “If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear” Proverbs 15:8, 29 “The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord” “But the prayer of the upright is His delight. The Lord is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of righteous” Isaiah 1:15 “When you spread out your hands I will hide My eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood” I Peter 3:12 “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers; but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil”

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All these verses tell us in clear terms that when we do not keep His Word, He will not hear our prayers. God also teaches us how to pray. In John 13:13, 14, he says: “And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it” John 16:23,24 “And in that day you will ask Me nothing most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the father in My name He will give you. Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask and you will receive; that your joy may be filled” Matthew 18:16, 20 “But if He will not hear you, take with your one or two more, that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every Word may be established. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” The Lord guides us to pray in the name of Jesus. He insists us to use His name. What is His name? Philippians 2:6-11 says “Who in the form of God , did not consider it robbery to be equal with god but made Himself, of no reputation, taking the form of a servant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as man. He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross” “Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth” “And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the father” “Jesus who has redeemed us from our sins through His blood on Calvary is honored by the Father in Heaven. All the knees of those shall bow before Him. All the tongues of those in heaven, earth and of under the earth shall praise Him”

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Dear brothers, if we pray in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, the name of the Lord will be glorified and our prayers will be answered. How should we pray and in what circumstances? Matthew 6”5-8 says “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly” “But when you pray, do not use vain repetitions, as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many Words” Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. Prayer is not an outwardly thing. It‟s a personal and wonderful experience with the Lord. God knows that what is best for us even before we put in our request. Prayer is to have an union with God. It is unwise to utter meaningless words in our prayers. God does not hear prayers of this kind. Our own words won‟t do good. We should ask for the Lord‟s will in our prayers. So, one must pray in the following manner: Matthew 6:9-13 says, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the kingdom, and the power and the glory forever. Amen” In Bible it is mentioned as „Our Father‟ Yes. He has given us the liberty to call Him as our Father. “Hallowed be your name” says His name is Holy Holy and that we should glorify His

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name by our deeds. “Your kingdom come” means we should be led by the Lord. Only the Lord‟s will is done is heaven and not of Satan or any others. So we should pray that “His will be done on earth” “Give us this day our daily bread” means we must pray and get the daily manna for our daily walk in our lives. Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. Save us from this world full of temptations. The power of reign and glory be to you Lord. Amen” The Lord has given us a model prayer. Luke 11:9-13 :And I say to you, ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you” “Fro everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened” “If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will be give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will be give him a serpent instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an egg, will be offer him a scorpion? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him? Though the Lord knows our needs beforehand, He expects us to call unto Him. He calls us lovingly to Him. He challenges us that He will give us the best even when the worldly fathers give their children the things they request What the Lord tells us is to ask for the Holy Ghost who will lead us and guide us in this world. Matthew 21:22 “And all things, whatever you ask in prayer believing you will receive” Mark 11:24 “Therefore I say to your, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that your receive them, and your will have them”

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James 1:6 “But let him ask in faith, with no doubting for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind” We need not believe the things that out eyes see. Faith is believing in things unseen. When we pray to get something in the future, we must have faith in the Lord that He „will‟ grant our wish. The Lord asks us to have utmost faith in our prayers. James 5:17,18 says “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the Lord for three years and six months” “And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit” The above incident is written in I Kings 17:1 & 18:41-45 Elijah prayed earnestly and the Lord answered his prayers. When we pray like Elijah with faith, God is sure to fulfil our prayers. My beloved sisters and brothers in Christ, let us pray in the manner our Lord taught us to pray and get answers to our prayers. May the Lord Jesus Christ Bless you and answer all your prayers. Amen!

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