READ: ACTS
16:20-23
It is one
thing to spend time in prayer and another thing to receive the approval of
heaven in one’s requests. Effective praying requires conformity with Biblical
methods. Therefore, we shall examine some examples of people in the Bible who
prayed and got instant answers. You will discover that they were not praying
for their own glory or upliftment but had an eye on the glory of the One who
made heaven and earth. In 1 Kings 18:36-39, we have the first example. It is
one famous prayer that was answered in a most dramatic fashion: “And
it came to pass, at the time of offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah
the prophet came near and said, LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it
be known this day that You are God in Israel, and that I am Your servant, and
that I have done all these things at Your word. Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that
this people may that You are the LORD God, and that You have turned their
hearts back to You again. Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt
sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water
that was in the trench. Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their
faces; and they said, The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is God.” The
prayer of Elijah must have lasted not more than one minute. He said God should
answer him so that the people would know that there is no other God. Before he
finished, fire fell. If you want God to answer your prayer by fire, centre you
prayer on what is close to His heart. Acts 4:29-31 records the instance of
another prayer that was answered dramatically: “Now, Lord, look on their threats,
and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, by
stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done
through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus. And when they had prayed, the
place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled
with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness. ”
There are other instances in the Scriptures. Hannah asked for a son so as to
give God a prophet. God answered because He needed a prophet to replace Eli and
his sons. You have to re-arrange your priorities. You have to begin to pray in
a way that will bring pleasure to God and the answer will begin to come fast.
Identify certain things that are very close to the heart of God and you will
receive amazing answers to your prayers.
MEMORIZE:
2 CHRONICLES 7:14 –If my people who are called by My name will humble
themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I
will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
