Subject Answered Prayer (Luke 18:1-8)
Those who live a good life of faith have joy, peace, and power. Even if there are challenges and temptations, we have the power to overcome them. There is a reason for receiving such grace. One is when we have the assurance of salvation that we have become children of God through the forgiveness of sins and salvation by believing in Jesus. The second is when you feel that God is with you by sending the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, and when you have the confidence of Immanuel. Third, we must have the assurance of an answer to prayer that when I prayed before God, God answered my prayer. Those who have this kind of faith have power, joy, and peace.
Today, I would like to talk about the third problem, which prayers can be answered prayers.
The first is the prayer of faith. Verse 8 of today's text also says, "When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?" The question is, will we ever see a person who prays with faith in God? Mark 11:24 says, 'I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours'. Faith is the condition of the answer. James 1:5-8 also emphasizes faith. 'If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. A person who doubts is like a wave of the sea pushed and tossed by the water of the sea. Do not think that such a person will receive anything from the Lord. I'm saying you shouldn't do it.
What is belief? To believe that God exists and that God gives us salvation, benefits, and gifts through Jesus Christ, and that He is our Father. Our prayers are not to any religious god, but to my Father. This is the prayer of faith.
The second is an insistent prayer. There are unjust judges. And a widow, who has been harassed by her enemies, appears. Two thousand years ago, the widow was synonymous with the weak. There is no power. He asks the unjust judge to avenge his grudge many times, but he does not listen. But this judge thinks alone. If I don't do this trial, it's going to bother me so much, so I'm going to fix it. The Lord is explaining God in this parable. Even the unrighteous judges grant their wishes, but they say, will God not grant the grudges and wishes of the people whom God has chosen?
When our children demand it, our parents cannot refuse to listen. Because it is my child. Likewise, we can cry out because we are children of God. If you look at the words of Matthew 7, 'Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you. If you know how to give good things to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him.' God is our Father. Therefore, we can receive answers to our insistent prayers.
The third is intercession and the prayer of love. The Bible teaches about things that are not answered in prayer. James 4:3 says, “You ask and do not receive because you ask erroneously, to spend it on your lusts.” Prayer is not to satisfy my greed, my selfishness. You must not seek it out of greed. Our relationship with God must be established right in the Word. In Mark 11:25, 'When you stand praying and pray, forgive anyone you have any accusation, and your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you for your transgressions', teaching us that prayer is love.
Neither a loving heart, nor a forgiving heart, nor a loving heart, nor a heart to seek with lust, nor to harbor iniquity in my heart. Therefore, the motive of prayer must be intercession and love. The answers to intercessory prayers are coming out in Genesis. In Genesis 18 we see Abraham praying for Sodom and Gomorrah. Hearing that Sodom and Gomorrah will be destroyed, Abraham intercedes six times. Then God said that he sent Lot, his nephew, because he remembered Abraham's prayer. It is because of Abraham's intercession that Lot is saved. We must believe in this great history of intercession.
Sodom and Gomorrah are entertainment cultures. Now, the world's culture is moving towards a culture of play, pleasure, and pleasure. That is why we, believers, must know the joy, value, and happiness that God gives us. We must pray for this world. God hears these prayers.
The fourth is a vow prayer. There are times when it is urgent. There are times when it is urgent. There are times when I devote my whole life to praying to God. Samuel's mother Hannah and Isaac's son Jacob offered this prayer. However, vowing prayer is not a deal that if God gives these things, I will do these things. The vow prayer is to give one's life and all of one's life to God.
God is faithful and loves us. John 15 says, "If you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you." The condition of answering prayer is 'If you abide in me and my words abide in you'. Your life, your personality, and your heart are under my control, my providence and guidance, and this kind of determination and obedience. God's word is law. God's laws must stand as the highest standard in our hearts. God hears the vows and prayers of such people. When we make a vow before God, we must entrust our lives. We must have the confession that 'God's word becomes the value of my life'.
In Genesis 28, we find Jacob's prayer at Bethel. With the help of his mother, Jacob received the blessing of the firstborn. My brother Esau wants to kill him because he wants to live. So, while Jacob fled to his uncle's house, he came to a place called Bethel. He spent the night on a stone pillow in the wilderness, whose original name was Ruth. But in my dream, I had a vision in which angels climbed up and down the ladder that reached the sky and the Lord God was above it. And I heard the voice of God. After this dream, Jacob woke up and made a vow. And I received the blessing according to my vow.
You must believe in God's rule. I must have a confession that the word of God becomes the value of my life.
Dear saints,
First, we must believe that our prayers are answered. Even things that we can't think of can happen if God signs it. You must have this kind of prayer faith.
Second, when we pray, we must use the words, words, and sentences that God has written. We must pray with the concept and word of God's word and pray as it is. Because of this, those who read the Bible have increased faith and prayer has power.
The third time we pray, we must entrust it to the Lord. Please entrust everything to a personal God. You should not become a person who thinks again after praying. We must meet God as a personal God. Let's entrust our life to God. God pours out more abundantly than we think and pray.
We must see God working in a spiritual way. God works everywhere, through the environment, material, and people. We must believe in a world of providence that cannot be interpreted by our knowledge and abilities. have to look And you have to say this with your mouth. "My life is blessed and God will make my life happen!"
We pray that you will enjoy the work of God who answers our prayers.