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Sunday, May 20
Pastor Oliver R. Blosser, M.Div., Ph.D.
Faith Community Church
Pipestone, MN
The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much, James 5:16b.
PRAYER Promises
What the Lord Has Promised Concerning Prayer Through His Conditions
1. Ask Expectantly
Jeremiah 33:3 Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.
His Promise:
When the Lord gave this promise, Jeremiah, the prophet, was in prison. Israel was given to idolatry, and the horrible judgment by Babylon was about to come upon the nation. However, the Lord revealed to Jeremiah that a day was coming when He would utterly transform and change this idolatrous nation, and it shall be to Me a name of joy, a praise and an honor before all the nations of the earth, Jeremiah 33:9. What an encouragement to the heart of the prophet!
His Condition:
2. Ask Believing
Matthew 21:22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.
His Promise:
This promise must be accepted in the light of asking according to the Lord’s will. You cannot believe the Lord for just anything, for at times it may not be the Lord’s will to grant your request. Therefore, you must ask the Lord to lead you to ask for the right things, and when He does this, along with it He will give you the faith to believe. Trust God for great things! William Carey, the great missionary, said, “Expect great things from God, attempt great things for God!” Pray in accordance with the promises of God. Claim the promises by faith.
His Condition:
3. Ask According To God’s will
I John 5:14-15 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.
His Promise:
The Lord will respond to prayer only in correspondence to His will, which is good, and acceptable, and perfect, Romans 12:2. It is important for the believer to know God’s will. His will can be known in the following ways;
1. By studying the Word of God.
2. By thinking carefully whether your prayer is for the glory of God and according to His will or just something to gratify selfish desires. Compare James 4:3; Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
3. By asking the Holy Spirit to lead you. Compare Romans 8:12-13;Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
His Condition:
4. Ask In Jesus’ Name
John 14:14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
His Promise:
When you ask in Jesus’ Name, He promises that He will do it.
To ask in Jesus’Name means to ask on the basis of the authority, which Jesus
has entrusted to you. You are to ask in His authority for His glory, so that
the Father may be glorified in the Son, John 14:13. If you recognize this, and
if you ask things which will glorify the Son, not just yourself, then God
promises that He will do it.
His Condition:
5. Ask For Provision Of Personal Needs
Philippians 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
His Promise:
The Lord will supply all of your needs, not necessarily your wants, wishes or desires, according to His riches in Christ Jesus.
His Condition:
Psalm 84:11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.
His Promise:
The Lord withholds no good thing from those who walk
uprightly. You must walk uprightly to have the Lord’s blessing in your life.
His Condition:
6. Ask For Personal Guidance
Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
His Promise:
When you meet three conditions given for your life, then the
Lord promises to give you daily guidance.
His Condition:
7. Ask For
Personal Salvation
Acts 2:21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
His Promise:
The Hebrew word for ‘salvation’ means ‘deliverance.’ The Lord wants to deliver you from your sins. He wants to rescue you from the trials and troubles of life. He wants to help you triumph over the temptations in life. At every turn of life, He is only a prayer away. Claim for yourself Acts 16:31; Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
Life Application
According to the words of Jesus, prayer is asking and receiving; Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened, Matthew 7:7-8. While the prayer statements of the Bible make many precious promises, these prayer promises only became a reality as the believer complies with the conditions for answered prayer. The Lord’s character can be counted upon, but believers are challenged to meet the conditions for answered prayer and to avoid the hindrances to answered prayer.