TOPIC: GOD ANSWERS PRAYER

If there is anything that has bothered mankind, it is the doubt whether God answers prayer.

So many times, people think that prayer is ‘take a chance’ – just sending up words to God that may work or may not work.

I believe the word of God is real and authentic.  There is no way you can believe God and His word without believing in prayers.

In whatsoever condition you are today, God enjoins you to pray.  James 5:13-15 (The Message)  “13 Are you hurting? Pray. Do you feel great? Sing. 14 Are you sick? Call the church leaders together to pray and anoint you with oil in the name of the Master. 15 Believing-prayer will heal you, and Jesus will put you on your feet. And if you’ve sinned, you’ll be forgiven — healed inside and out.

If there are not hundreds of proven testimonies of God’s answered prayers in the bible, one could go ahead and doubt whether God answers prayers at all.

There are scarcely no issues today for which there are no examples of answered prayers

God likes it when we  consult Him first in times of trouble, He promised He will answer  and deliver us.

Isaiah 58:9 (NLT) “Then when you call, the Lord will answer. ‘Yes, I am here,’ he will quickly reply.”

Are you going to call? The Lord will quickly reply.

So, the problem is not God. He is more eager to answer our prayers than we are to pray.

Isaiah 65:24 (NLT) “I will answer them before they even call to me. While they are still talking about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers!

Sometimes, you hear people say. “we’ve done all we could,  the only thing we can do now is to pray.” Prayer really should be our first resort rather than our last resort.

Ps 55:16-19 (NLT)16 But I will call on God, and the Lord will rescue me. 17 Morning, noon, and night I cry out in my distress, and the Lord hears my voice. 18 He ransoms me and keeps me safe from the battle waged against me, though many still oppose me. 19 God, who has ruled forever, will hear me and humble them.

The promises of God to hear prayer is sure, it is immutable, irreversible. If God has said it, He will do it.

Ps 17:6-7 (NLT)6 I am praying to you because I know you will answer, O God. Bend down and listen as I pray. 7 Show me your unfailing love in wonderful ways. By your mighty power you rescue those who seek refuge from their enemies.

Ps 50:15 (NKJV)Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.

Jonah 2:2 (NLT)”I cried out to the Lord in my great trouble, and he answered me. I called to you from the land of the dead,  and Lord, you heard me!

Joel 2:32 (NLT)32 But everyone who calls on the name of the Lord  will be saved.

You can be specific.  Ask anything you want.

Hannah rendered prayer: 1 Sam 1:10- 11(KJV)And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore.11 And she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.

God answered – V19 – 20   And they rose up in the morning early, and worshipped before the Lord, and returned, and came to their house to Ramah: and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and the Lord remembered her.  Wherefore it came to pass, when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived, that she bare a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of the Lord.

V27 (NLT) “I asked the Lord to give me this boy, and he has granted my request.  

Solomon rendered prayer – 1 Kings 3:5-8 (KJV) “5 In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.6 And Solomon said, Thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.7 And now, O Lord my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in.8 And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude. 9 Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?10 And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.

God answered  – V11- 13 And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment;12 Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.13 And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days.

And Jabez called on the God of Isreal –  1 Chron 4:9-10 “And Jabez was more honourable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow.10 And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me!

God answered : “And God granted him that which he requested.”

He will answer even that which seems impossible.

Hezekiah –     2 Kings 19:19-20 KJV19 Now therefore, O Lord our God, I beseech thee, save thou us out of his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the Lord God, even thou only.20 Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, That which thou hast prayed to me against Sennacherib king of Assyria I have heard.

Hezekiah called on God : 32 Kings 20:1-7 In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him and said to him, “Thus says the LORD, ‘Set your house in order, for you shall die and not live.'” Then he turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, saying, “Remember now, O LORD, I beseech You, how I have walked before You in truth and with a whole heart and have done what is good in Your sight ” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.  

God answered –  V4-7 And it came to pass, afore Isaiah was gone out into the middle court, that the word of the Lord came to him, saying,5 Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the Lord.6 And I will add unto thy days fifteen years; and I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for mine own sake, and for my servant David’s sake.7 And Isaiah said, Take a lump of figs. And they took and laid it on the boil, and he recovered.”

In a state of emergency, He will answer.

Jehoshephat –     2 Chron 18:31 KJVAnd it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, It is the king of Israel. Therefore they compassed about him to fight: but Jehoshaphat cried out, and the Lord helped him; and God moved them to depart from him.

It is obvious that God answers gregarious petitions.  He does not only answer individuals, but as a church, we can pray communally and God will answer.

Ezra 8:23 (KJV)So we fasted and besought our God for this: and he was intreated of us.

No matter how long the prayer has been stored, God will upload them and answer in your life time.

Zech 1:12-13 (KJV) Then the angel of the Lord answered and said, O Lord of hosts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten years?13 And the Lord answered the angel that talked with me with good words and comfortable words.

Asa Called on God – 2 Chron 14:11(TLB) “O Lord,” he cried out to God, “no one else can help us! Here we are, powerless against this mighty army. Oh, help us, Lord our God! For we trust in you alone to rescue us, and in your name we attack this vast horde. Don’t let mere men defeat you!”

God answered V12-15 “ Then the Lord defeated the Ethiopians, and Asa and the army of Judah triumphed as the Ethiopians fled. 13 They chased them as far as Gerar, and the entire Ethiopian army was wiped out so that not one man remained; for the Lord and his army destroyed them all. Then the army of Judah carried off vast quantities of plunder. 14 While they were at Gerar they attacked all the cities in that area, and terror from the Lord came upon the residents. As a result, additional vast quantities of plunder were collected from these cities too. 15 They not only plundered the cities but destroyed the cattle tents and captured great herds of sheep and camels before finally returning to Jerusalem.”

Elijah called on God – 1 Kings 17:21-24(TLB)21 And he stretched himself upon the child three times and cried out to the Lord, “O Lord my God, please let this child’s spirit return to him.”

God answered: V-2422 And the Lord heard Elijah’s prayer; and the spirit of the child returned, and he became alive again!

A woman from Canaan pleaded with Jesus – Matt 15:22-28(KJV) And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.23 But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 25 Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.26 But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs.27 And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.

v Jesus answered her –  V28 Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.

v The centurion pleaded on behalf of his servant – Matt 8:5-13 (KJV)“And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him,6 And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented.7 And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him.8 The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.9 For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.10 When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. 11 And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.12 But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Jesus answered : V13 And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.

Men and brethren, one thing I leave you with now is that God has committed Himself to answer your prayers. He will answer you and show you His salvation. It is an oath.

So, open your mouths and cry unto Him. Call on God in every dimension for He is dependable, He is faithful, His promises can never fail.

Hold unto the Lord God. Don’t allow anything to shake you. Ask whatever you will now and you will get a miracle because God has promised to answer.