Victory! (2012) by Gerry James

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Answered Prayer?

Prayer works.  Unless the way you use it is as some kind of abstract experience or as an escape valve.  Unless you don't expect it to be answered.

Prayer should be as natural and powerful for us as it was to Jesus when He spoke to the fig tree in Matthew 21:18-22:

"Now in the morning as He returned into the city, He was hungry.  And when He saw a fig tree along their route, He came to it, but found nothing on it except leaves.  He said to it, No fruit will grow on you from this moment, forever.  And soon the fig tree withered away.  And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon the fig tree withered away! Jesus answered them, Here's a Truth for you:  If you will have faith, and will not doubt, you will not only do what I've done to the fig tree, but also if you should say to this mountain, Be removed, and be cast into the sea; it would be done.  And all things, whatsoever you will ask in prayer, if you believe it, you'll receive it."

Speaking to a fig tree or a mountain, asking in prayer ALL THINGS, believing to receive... work not only in the spiritual realm, but also in the physical, material realm.  The disciples saw that tree wither away.  Jesus showed us that by using our faith, the Word of God and prayer, we too can bring circumstances and physical things in line with God's will.

PRAY WITH POWER

When you pray, do you expect results?  Every time?  Well, you should, and you can.  Here are seven steps that can help you see results in prayer -- every time!

STEP ONE:  BASE EVERY PRAYER ON THE WORD

Start with the answer, which is the Word.  For prayer to bring results, pray specifically and base your prayer on Scripture.  For example, if you're facing financial need, your prayer could be based on Phillipians 4:19 - "My God shall supply all my need"...  or if you're sick, it could be based on 1 Peter 2:24 - "By His stripes I am healed"...

When you have God's Word about a particular issue, you have a foundation for your belief.  And when you put that Word in your spirit by SAYING IT, speaking it to your situation, it feeds your faith.  Romans 10:17 explains, "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God."

So often people say to me (and I've wrestled with this myself), "But I SAID it and other people think I'm nuts.  Nothing seems to have changed.  And I stand there saying, 'My God shall supply my need' and there's no money, no food in the house...,  even I think I'm nuts!  It's like a lie!  Any fool can see I'm in desperate need, my family is in need.  They've even told me -- 'you know that is not true, stop saying it.  It's okay to believe God will help us, but He hasn't yet.  You better get out and FIND some money!'. 

I understand how hard this is.  But, here's the answer,