You’re the reason your prayers aren’t answered! Yes, you read it right; you are the sole reason your prayers are not answered. Many will tell you we cannot expect every prayer to be answered. Others will say God wants to answer differently, or at another time, etc. But I know someone who knows more about the things of God than any and every person who has ever lived, Jesus Christ, the Son of the very God who answers prayers. Here’s what He had to say about prayers being answered:
“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you,” John 15:7.
Jesus was taught, not by man, but by His Father. And by adhering to what He was taught, Jesus glorified His Father. “I glorified Thee on the earth, having accomplished the work which Thou hast given Me to do,” John 17:4.
But it doesn’t end here, it seems there was more glorification of God to be done. For after Jesus said, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you,” He continued, “By this is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples,” John 15:7, 8.
So, having been taught to glorify the Father, Jesus in turn teaches us to glorify the Father also, for He said, “Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments, and abide in His love,” John 15:9, 10. “This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you,” John 15:12.
We are to abide in love, for God is love, and the one who does not love does not know God. And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also, 1 John 4:8, 21.
If we love one another and keep the Lord’s commandments, obeying Him in all things, and if His words abide in us, we are abiding in Him. We can ask whatever we wish, and it shall be done for us. So it is that our Father is glorified by the fruit we bear, and so it is we are proven to be disciples of our Lord. Jesus told us these things that His joy may be in us, and that our joy may be full, John 15:11.
Let not the opinions of men stifle your faith in our God; believe in His integrity, and let all that you do be done in love, 1 Corinthians 16:14.
May your joy be made full as your prayers are answered. What a wonderful God we serve!
Jon David Banks, God’s most unworthy servant
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.lockman.org
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