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What do You Believe About Your Prayers?
Have you ever found yourself seeking the prayers of others, because you felt as if yours didn’t go anywhere? Do you still feel that way? Some carry a misconception about righteousness, especially when it pertains to their self. They don’t feel righteousness enough for their prayers to be heard. Many of them pray to become “better Christians”; even though, there’s no such thing.
Some carry the belief that only certain saints have the ear of God, because they’ve been walking with Him for a long time. Granted some do have a more intimate relationship with Him than others, but does that make them more qualified? Naturally, the closer you feel to Him, the more confident you may be when it comes to prayer.
If you lack that confidence, would you like to have it? In a sense, God only limits those who limit Him. Everyone is welcome to get as a close to Him as they would like. If you decide to keep Him at arm’s length, that’s all the closer He’ll come to you. If you want to go deep with Him, He will go deep with You. Remember one thing: if you truly received Jesus Christ, He lives in you through Holy Spirit. That’s pretty darn intimate. That being said, He limits Himself to the degree you want to go in the relationship.
The Truth About Righteousness
To make things simple, your righteousness is based on your relationship with Jesus.
2 Corinthians 5:21 For He hath made Him to be sin for us, Who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.
When you received Jesus by faith, you also received His righteousness. Unfortunately, many have been bamboozled into believing it’s some sort of faith plus works equation, with the emphasis on works. Moreover, some are moved by their emotions, and base the credibility of their prayers on how they feel in the moment. But, what does the Word say?
Romans 1:16-17 For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
Romans 3:21-22 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference.
Clearly, we cannot hope to obtain, or maintain righteousness by our own deeds. Righteousness along with its works are the result of faith. Chasing after them is a form of bondage, and as long as you believe you have to obtain it for yourself, you’ll fall short (see Romans 3:23).
The Secret to Answered Prayer
1 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.
As stated, when we pray according to the will of God, He hears us. And if He hears us, we have the requests we desire of Him. In Matthew 6:10, Jesus taught us to pray, “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done in earth as it is in Heaven.” A big part of answered prayer is humility. We don’t insist on having things our way; we seek His.
Scripture reveals a surefire way to unanswered prayers is to filter them through selfish lusts (see James 4:1-5). Chances are the more selfish one is, the less confident he or she will be in prayer. Faith works by love (see Galatians 5:6), and perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18). Walk in love, and you’ll find prayer flourishing in faith. If you’re in Jesus, you have powerful prayers. You simply need to believe!
