Requisite For Answered Prayer

As I was praying the other night, I began to think about all the prayers God has answered for me. I am very thankful. It also is amazing how prayer changes things. Then the thought came to me, “What if we could figure out a formula to get our prayers answered?” I know that’s not possible, but it generated a few thoughts in my mind about the requisites of our hearts for God to answer our prayers.

Some people have the ability to pray beautiful prayers. My father-in-law was one such person and I always enjoyed listening to him pray. However, it is not just the words that God hears, but the message the heart is speaking.

Each of us should find time each day to be alone with God in prayer. Our prayers should not be limited to that one prayer. The Word tells us to pray without ceasing. In other words, a prayer should not be far from our hearts and lips anytime all day long. Although we should be respectful and reverent when praying, outward form is not a requirement for God to hear. The most sincere prayers may simply be from the heart without a word being uttered. There are times when the burden is too heavy for words, and tears become our prayer. Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. Romans 8:26-27 KJV

Like I said, there is not a formula to follow for the Lord to answer our prayers, yet there are conditions of the heart which are part of answered prayer.

Need

First we have to have a need. Unless we feel a need to pray, or a need to connect with God we cannot expect God to just do things for us. Our needs vary, from the need of God to be with us through the day, for strength in a trial, healing from sickness or repentance. We read where Jesus while on the earth would go apart or up into the mountains to pray. If He, who was God’s son felt a need to communicate in prayer with His Father, how much more needy are we? It is not that we always feel a call to pray, but we have the knowledge that God is our source of strength. This should be enough to cause us to seek God in prayer. When we have a habit of going to Him in prayer, asking for strength in the good times, it will be natural for us to seek Him in the difficult times.

An open heart

When we seek God in prayer, we do not come to Him with answers to the perplexing problems in life. We come to Him with an open heart to listen and hear. An open heart means that I do not have the answer, and the problem could be me. I am open to being wrong, and desire to know. In offering ourselves without reserve in prayer to God, He is then able to comfort us or reveal our need. It is foolish to think that we will only allow the Lord into part of our lives, because He sees it all anyway.

Faith

An essential part of any prayer is faith. We may not have a big faith, that is actually not a requirement, but enough faith to come to God with our lives and problems. It is our temptation, and I don’t think it’s wrong, to ask the Lord to increase our faith. Faith is not anything in itself, except that which causes us to reach out. For faith to increase, if that is possible, obedience must follow. Faith cannot stand alone without it bearing fruit or is not faith. When we come to God in prayer, we first have faith that there is a God. This may seem more like just believing, but because action was taken to pray, based on the belief that there is a God and He may be able to help me, it is faith. It is belief in action. While praying to God, our faith and trust, submits our need at His throne of grace and mercy, knowing that His power is able to help us. In this way, Faith and trust are linked together in a inseparable union. When we leave the place of prayer, our faith rests in the belief that God heard our request, and He will answer according to His will. We simply trust our lives into His care. But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Hebrews 11:6 KJV

Honesty

We cannot hide from God, He can see us through and through. He knows the thoughts we are thinking, in fact, some of them He gives for our meditation, placed there by the Holy Spirit. Because God knows, sees, and feels our hearts wishes and desires, we simply come to Him in all openness and honesty. We can tell God, and it is important to do so, just how we really feel. It may be we are sad, hurt, lonely, offended, or just have a need of feeling His touch again. We can tell Him how we are disappointed that He seemed not to hear our prayers, and all the things that have gone wrong because of it. It is important that we honestly bare our hearts to Him so that He can heal us. Praying to Him, may help us sort out our own feelings which reside deep in our heart and spirit. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:12-13 KJV 

A surrendered will

This means to surrender our will in both the asking and the acceptance of the outcome. We cannot see things as God does because we are human. What we think and how we think our prayers should be answered are so limited and earthly in view. As we surrender, we let God do the choosing of the outcome, and trust in His care, knowing that He knows what is best. It also means letting go of hurts and offenses. We cannot expect the Lord to hear and answer our prayers, while carrying these things in our hearts. As we surrender them to Him, he will give us power to overcome, and deal with them. And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses. Mark 11:25-26 KJV

Persistence

Jesus tells us that we should persist in prayer. There is not a prescribed number of times we can or cannot come to God in prayer about the same problem. However, it is important that we persist in prayer. In persisting in prayer, often the conditions of our hearts change, and we surrender our will and accept Gods. We know that God hears all prayers. Yet He does not answer them all immediately as we think He should. Persistence is not so that God can hear us, but in doing so, our hearts become willing for His answer.And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth? Luke 18:7-8 KJV  Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16 KJV

Waiting

Part of prayer is waiting, trusting, and having faith that God will answer our prayers according to His will in His time. Waiting is perhaps the biggest struggle and biggest test of our faith. Some have prayed for wayward family members for many years and may not have seen their prayers come to fruition. However, this does not mean that God did not hear those prayers, but rather that God has given man the power of choice and He will not override that. Surely because of those prayers, He gave opportunity for them to choose His way. Waiting could also being the Lord testing us to prove the authenticity of our faith. If God always gave us what we asked for immediately, what honor would that be to Him? We would simply become spoiled children, without initiative to serve and seek God. The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD. Lamentations 3:25-26 KJV

Acceptance

This is not necessarily a requisite, but it is the result of effective prayer. There comes a time after we have persisted in prayer, have honestly bared our hearts before the Lord, not hiding anything, that we in faith rest our requests with God. This does not mean we are indifferent, or washing our hands, but a humble quiet spirit, resting and trusting God for His grace. I think that Paul writing here to the Corinthian church is a wonderful example for us. He had surrendered His will and was content to accept what the Lord allowed, knowing that His grace would be there to sustain him. And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 KJV

Prayer is the most readily available, but least used resource in the world.

Hindrances

There are also things which hinder our prayers. We have already touched on some of them in the requisites for prayer. However, here are a few more. Number one for the Christian is simply the lack of prayer or the need to pray. How many times does the thought come that I should pray, but I either do not want to, or I do not feel like it, or don’t want to take the time. There is a phrase of a song that says, “When you don’t feel like praying, pray.”* I think that sums up the thought quite well. Just because we do not feel like praying or feel the necessity, does not me we stop praying. Prayer is our connection to God, it opens a two way communication with Him. Does he need us to pray? Likely not, He knows our needs before we ask Him, but prayer is our choice to reach out to God, and He does not interfere with that. Though He may place a longing for Him in our hearts, the choice to reach out to Him is entirely ours. On the other hand, when He hears us pray, He does more than meet us halfway.

Other hindrances to prayer are a lack of faith, or unbelief. We have already touched on that earlier. Unbelief means I do not really believe God cares enough about me to answer my prayer. It could also mean I do not trust Him, or that He has my best interest in mind. Unbelief in reality is saying, “I don’t believe God is able.” What an affront to the one who created us and knows everything about us! Maybe it would help us to look at our lives from God’s perspective. Should He feel obligated to help someone like us? To treat our creator like an option to help us instead of our only  source of  help, seems preposterous! And yet that is how we at times think of Him. It is truly amazing that God loves us in spite of our unbelief, and answers our selfish unbelieving prayers. What a God to serve.

If we harbor offense or ill will towards another person or towards God in our heart, it will hinder our prayers. Sometimes God asks something of us, and we are unwilling and disobedient. Until we are willing to fulfill that obedience, He will withhold His blessings. Other areas which may hinder are: laziness, pride, and selfishness. We should never fear to come to God in prayer. If we seek Him with an humble, honest heart we can be assured that He will hear and answer.

And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled. 2 Corinthians 10:6 KJV 

If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me: Psalms 66:18 KJV

But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. Revelations 22:8 KJV

*Pray – Kyla Rowland