I receive questions about God and the Bible, and one of the more frequent is whether God really listens and answers prayer. We know He answers every request because of His promise in I John 5:14-15. “And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him.” Since we believe the Bible is true, this is an amazing passage, but, it’s not the same as a signed blank check. Read again carefully and notice it says “according to His will.”
This means we do not always receive everything we want exactly like we want it. It’s true He doesn’t ignore us and is always listening, but He also has a master plan for everything and everyone including our life and how we are connected with everyone around us. It’s important to consider what an influence and impact our miracle may have on others and how it might interfere with His divine design. There are many verses we can incorporate into this vast subject, such as Matthew 6:6, and 7:7-11, but to make a long story short, our point is that He will always answer yes, no, or maybe later. In this light, unless we are perfectly in tune with His Spirit, we will not always be happy with the answer.
I believe one of the greatest obstacles that prevents people from receiving their prayer requests is a lack of understanding. I’m not referring to denying the promises of God, but it’s not accepting His declarations as a personal promise to a specific situation. For example, when those on their deathbed are reminded that God can heal, they will agree that He said this. However, the individual must have faith that Christ wants to heal them as His perfect will. Another crucial component when praying and meditating is to let God speak. He is always willing to reveal His will to us, but we are so busy talking we forget to listen. Let us begin the conversation by asking Him to show us His desires which in turn will allow us to know what to pray for.
We hear about intercessory prayer where Jesus places burdens upon the hearts of individuals to reveal His secrets and mysteries. Would you like to walk and talk with Him in this way? The opportunity to abide in His presence is available for anyone who has a sincere passion to develop a deeper relationship with Him. Truly we can be as close to God as we want, but it’s difficult to concentrate while allowing our flesh to distract us. Most Christians find themselves in a tug of war, doing whatever they want that satisfies the flesh while feeling guilty for not being more serious about the Lord. We will never be in control of our carnality until we develop a renewed mind. Yes, it’s spiritual warfare, and to be an overcomer for God demands transformation and self-discipline. How could anything be more important or joyful than drawing nearer to Jesus?
My wife Cheryl has been having stomach and esophagus problems for a long time. For the last several months she has been having consultations with surgeons, endoscopes, and biopsies. Waiting for test results is grueling but it’s also a perfect opportunity to allow patience to have her perfect work. She just received news there is no cancer right before Christmas. She does have some slow-growing endocrine tumors in her stomach lining, but nothing to be worried about. We are grateful to God for His mercy and believe He is healing and protecting her. She has been healed several times in her life and it would be wrong not to acknowledge Him as Jehovah Rapha, “The Lord who heals.” A special thank you to everyone who has been praying for her.
Jehovah Rapha was revealed to the Israelites after they crossed the Red Sea in Exodus 15:26, and is a promise of God’s power and faithfulness to intervene, mend, repair, renew, or restore any type of physical, spiritual, mental, or emotional infirmity. If you know He is saying yes to your situation, read Psalm 103:1-5 and extend your unwavering faith to believe that God means what He says. Let’s remember, the most important accomplishment we could ever hope for in our lives is that God would be glorified.
Dr. Holland is a Christian minister, chaplain, and author. You can read more about the Christian life at his website billyhollandministries.com, and you can email him with your questions and prayer request at [email protected]
