Isaiah 65:24 And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.
Some Christians may often become bewildered as to why their prayers are not being answered, or if they are answered, why does it take so long. We might not be able to give an explanation in every situation, but what we do know is that there are certain conditions for answered prayer which are to be fulfilled in order to expect results.
Prayer is one of the vital lines of communication between God and man, and therefore it’s important that those channels be clear and unobstructed at all times. Our consciences must not be seared with any known or deliberate sin and asking in harmony with God’s will is a must, but, because folks are climbing Jacob’s ladder, we may not get these prerequisites right every time.
So, God has gone ahead and made provision for the situations where we may ask incorrectly by allowing His Holy Spirit to make intercession for us according to His will. This facility clears up the inconsistencies, the misunderstandings, and the inexperience that may plague the believer from time to time, so that we can still ask with confidence.
Thus, whatever may be our situation, and whatever may be our level of spiritual growth, let it be known that we can always ask, because folks would never, know if they never asked. Even king Saul, who was pregnant with deliberate sin asked; it’s true that he did not get an answer, but at the very least he could ask.
Thus, no one can or should be deprived of the bare minimum of asking. Even the devils understand this basic truth, for even though they are the diabolical enemies of Christ, yet from time to time they do ask and believe it or not, they even get answers.
On one such occasion, when they were just about to be evicted from a certain human house in which they were residing, they made a request of Jesus if they could go into the swine. And Christ answered in the positive and gave them leave, and the rest is history.
This leads us to the very first condition of answered prayer, which is the bare minimum:
[1] Asking!
Whatever may be our understanding of God, or of how spiritual things work, it would never hurt to ask anyway, for you can never go wrong with asking, for according to the scriptures, the very first step in us receiving any answer to prayer is to ask.
The same will be true of getting re-employed in our booming economy, because now that it is opening back up and there’s more hiring than firing, the very least persons can do is to apply, because, whether yea or nay, you won’t get an answer, or a job, if you never applied.
Some won’t receive if they never asked, and it is a solemn truth, that many avoidable challenges, and burdens and frustrations abound, because we never asked. Thus, we encourage everyone to ask anyway. Let’s read:
Matthew 7:7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
8 For everyone that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
9 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?
10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?
11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
Asking calls for humility in the human agent, for it demonstrates our dependence on Jesus to provide. Too often, we hesitate to ask until the last minute, only after becoming frustrated and exasperated. It is God’s will that we ask up front, so that He could guide us through the maze of possibilities that may be before us.
[2] Believing.
The very next condition of answered prayer is to believe. This one is huge, for very often our prayers may go unanswered, because we doubted that God would or could do such and such for us. The gold standard for believing is not to limit God in anyway, by restricting His power to mere finite limitations.
Where in one situation persons may only see a few possibilities, God sees a thousand, for there is never a want or lack on His path for ways and means to do what He determines to accomplish. God is not finite as humans are, and He does not think along human modes of thought, for there is nothing impossible to Him. Therefore, if for some reason there isn’t a way out, He will make a way out.
This is one point that the devil often tempts us on, and sadly, with great success, for he presents to us limitations, restrictions, and doubts so that persons become bogged down with only humanistic ways and means. Thus, we have to declare unequivocally that there is always a way out, while the possibility of any escape exists. This understanding is of critical importance when employing the shield of faith in the day to day experiences of the believer.
At times we have battles to fight and there may be some thorny issues which persist for years. And it’ll seem as if we are caught between the devil and the deep red sea, with old pharaoh in the rear, and the ocean before us. Yet, for the believer there’s always a way out. Let us repeat so that you hear correctly: There is always a way out! Always!
In fact, God was not at a loss for ways and means when He chose to lead His people through the red sea, for this was not the only way of escape. God could have caused those Egyptians to turn back in dismay without doing anything.
But He deliberately chooses to lead all the Hebrews through the red sea for specific reasons, and that is because He had determined kill two birds with one stone as it were; [1] To baptize them all at once and [2] To shake down pharaoh and his army once and for all, that’s all. Let’s read:
1st Corinthians 10:1 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;
2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea.
Exodus 15:3 The Lord is a man of war: the Lord is his name.
4 Pharaoh's chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea: his chosen captains also are drowned in the Red sea.
5 The depths have covered them: they sank into the bottom as a stone.
9 The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil.
10 Thou didst blow with thy wind, the sea covered them: they sank as lead in the mighty waters.
Therefore, whatsoever may be our prayer request, it is of critical importance for us to believe, that God is able, and that He will make a way according to His good will. Answers to prayer are contingent upon us believing and greatly affects the outcome according to the scriptures. Let’s read:
Matthew 9:27 And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou son of David, have mercy on us.
28 And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord.
29 Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you.
Mark 9:20 And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming.
21 And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child.
22 And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do anything, have compassion on us, and help us.
23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.
24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.
[3] Asking in Jesus name.
Question: What does “In Jesus name” really mean?”
This issue must needs be addressed because great confusion over the meaning of the phrase exists. It is true that many things are asked and done in the name of Jesus in our day, yet we must understand that merely mentioning Jesus name after a petition does not necessarily make that request or deed in His name.
According to the scripture, true Christians can make requests and they often do things in Jesus’ name. It is an indisputable fact, demonstrated and certified in the Bible.
But devils and false prophets can also make prayer requests, and they often perform healings in “Jesus’ name.” In fact, there have been answers to prayers on certain occasions, in the most literal sense, that had absolutely nothing to do with Jesus.
Therefore, it is of critical importance that we know the difference between “In Jesus’ name” and those counterfeits that often abound in Christendom. The passages which follow demonstrate that there are litmus tests which must be applied in discerning the good from the evil. We’ll begin with the positives. Let’s read:
Matthew 18:19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.
20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
Mark 9:38 And John answered him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbad him, because he followeth not us.
39 But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me.
Mark 16:17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
John 14:13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
14 If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it.
John 15:16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
The counterfeits
Matthew 24:4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
2nd Thessalonians 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming.
9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
Acts 8: 9 But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one.
10 To whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God.
11 And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries.
Thus, we ask the question again: What does it mean to ask or do something in Jesus name?
To ask in Jesus’ name means to ask in harmony with His will, according to what God has promised, being guided by The Holy Spirit in our requests, walking in harmony with God’s revealed will as best we know how, and being willing to receive any answers God will give.
This fourth of July, as we celebrate the birthday of the nation, friends and families would gather for the barbecue and cookouts, which were in short supply last year due to the pandemic. And in some cases, a blessing, in Jesus’ name will be asked upon the food that is to be consumed.
That’s all well and good. But if the menu contains any forbidden foods that are proscribed in the Bible the prayer will not be answered, for it contravenes God’s revealed will, and as such, His blessing would not rest upon such violations. To put it plainly, such a prayer will not be answered.
Again, when praying in Jesus’ name, any known sin will have to be confessed and forsaken first, so that the prayers will not be hindered. This is just one of the litmus tests that are to be applied in our day, if persons need to know if some preacher or healer is operating in Jesus’ name.
When persons deliberately walk contrary to any of God’s commandments, doing so puts him or her at odds with God, and the lines of communication will be clogged, unless confession is made. This is one of the sacred truths which must be clearly understood in our day, for many prayers are lifted by those who have knowingly disregarded God’s law. Let’s read:
Psalms 66: 18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.
2nd Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
15 Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place.
Proverbs 28:9 He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.
1st Kings 22:2 And it came to pass in the third year, that Jehoshaphat the king of Judah came down to the king of Israel.
3 And the king of Israel said unto his servants, Know ye that Ramoth in Gilead is ours, and we be still and take it not out of the hand of the king of Syria?
5 And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, Enquire, I pray thee, at the word of the Lord today.
6 Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall I go against Ramothgilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king.
There’s only one problem, king Ahab had innocent blood on his hands, by colluding with Jezebel to get Naboth’s vineyard. In addition to this, he permitted the grossest idolatry and wickedness to flourish in his kingdom. So now that he is preparing for battle, is he really expecting God to bless him?
It’s worthy of note that Ahab fulfilled at least some of the previous conditions we spoke about earlier, for he did ask, and he did believe, but the important component of not deliberately cherishing a known sin was missing. Therefore, his prayers could never receive a favorable answer. Let’s read:
1st Kings 22:7 And Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the Lord besides, that we might enquire of him?
8 And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may enquire of the Lord: but I hate him; for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil.
This is where the true believer’s prayers and those who fall for presumption part ways. Like king Ahab, there are many people living today who will just like to believe that God will grant a favorable answer to their requests, even though they may know of sins that are being countenanced by themselves.
Then, to quiet disturbed consciences, some will pay the false prophets of the day to speak those smooth words which promise prosperity, health, and God’s favor. Like Ahab, some folks hate the servant of God who calls for repentance and change where needed before God’s favor and blessings are restored.
But God means what He says, and the conditions for answered prayer given in the scriptures have never changed one iota. In other words, if we regard sin in any form, or if known wrongs are not confessed and forsaken then if we pray, we may get an answer but it will not be one that guarantees God’s blessing.
God does not bless deliberate disobedience, and it is an empty and unreasonable expectation to pray for His blessing, if there are known wrongs to be corrected, confessed, and forsaken. Let’s read:
1st Kings 22:14 And Micaiah said, As the Lord liveth, what the Lord saith unto me, that will I speak.
17 And he said, I saw all Israel scattered upon the hills, as sheep that have not a shepherd: and the Lord said, These have no master: let them return every man to his house in peace.
20 And the Lord said, Who shall persuade Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramothgilead? And one said on this manner, and another said on that manner.
21 And there came forth a spirit, and stood before the Lord, and said, I will persuade him.
22 And the Lord said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also: go forth, and do so.
23 Now therefore, behold, the Lord hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the Lord hath spoken evil concerning thee.
[4] Asking correctly.
James 4:3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
It is God’s will that believers cultivate an intelligent understanding of His will and purposes. Praying for something that will not honor God, or that will be a danger to ourselves and to others is not generally in harmony with God’s will. The apostle lists praying amiss as one of the reasons why prayers are often unanswered.
For example, if a person were to pray for a winning lotto ticket, that request would fall into the “Amiss” category because get rich quick schemes are mostly banned in the Bible. Again, if one prays for anything or anyone, to fulfill an illicit desire or craving which may foster pride, vices or bad habits, those too will fall under the heading, “Amiss”. Let’s read:
Proverbs 28:22 He that hasteth to be rich hath an evil eye, and considereth not that poverty shall come upon him.
Proverbs 13:11 Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished: but he that gathereth by labor shall increase.
1st Timothy 6:9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.
10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
11 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
[5] Acting upon the request.
After any prayer request is made, persons are to act upon the request, looking for the ways and means in which it may be fulfilled. Persons who only pray and do nothing in harmony with their prayers would soon cease to pray because in every aspect of man’s relationship with God, cooperation with Him is an absolute essential.
After praying for a job or for employment, we are to send in our resumes to numerous companies until we get an answer. After praying for good, health we are to examine our groceries, and our refrigerators to see if there is anything “Amiss” that may hinder our prayers.
After praying for an individual, we are to go looking for that person to see where we can be of help or of benefit to him or her. The gospel commission as it is given by Christ does not start with the word pray, it starts with the word go, and therefore, even though prayers are essential, yet the cooperation aspect is of critical importance to the saving of souls.
Thus, in all of life’s experiences, where our prayer requests are made to God, the eye of faith will be on the lookout for ways and means to facilitate the answers we are seeking. This is not merely a good suggestion, it’s a must. Let’s read:
Mark 2:3 And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four.
4 And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay.
5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.
10 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,)
11 I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house.
12 And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion.
Faith without works is dead, and because of this, there will always be something for us to do in our efforts to cooperate with God in having our prayers answered, no matter how minuscule or insignificant such cooperation may seem to be.
Those Hebrews who were bitten by fiery serpents, and who prayed for healing, were required to look upon the uplifted serpent, and they would live. Naaman was required to dip seven times in Jordan, in response to his request. The ten lepers who had requested healing had to go show themselves to the priests. Let’s read:
Luke 17:13 And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.
14 And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.
Therefore, we reiterate that in most instances there will be something for us to do to cooperate with the Lord in having our prayers answered. It may be the confession of sin, obeying some directives He gives, or it may involve addressing lifestyles and habits to deal with the current pandemic.
But whatsoever it may be, let it be known that if prayers are to be answered, there are conditions to be met, and when they are, we may look forward in confidence to God fulfilling His promises to persons in due season.
We therefore end with a passage of scripture which will encourage us all to pray, because it is one of the primary means that God has ordained for questions, requests, and answers to be resolved between God and man. Let’s read:
James 5:14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.
15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he has committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
17 Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.
18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.
God Bless!