Many Christians are looking for the key to answered prayers. Because who doesn’t want their prayers to be answered? Of course, everyone wants their prayers to be answered. Because if prayers wouldn’t be answered, what’s the point of praying? Many times Christians become frustrated and discouraged when their prayers are not answered. They are searching for answers and look at their prayer methods, technics, formulas, and strategies to find out what they do wrong, and if they use the right words or not. But what is the key to answered prayers? What is the secret to answered prayers according to the Bible? What is the hindrance to answered prayers?
The right prayer methods, technics, and formulas to answered prayers
As written in the article ‘a technical faith’ there are many Christians, who go to seminars and conferences and watch Christian television or social media channels to learn new things, including new prayer methods, technics, formulas, and new prayer strategies to answered prayers. These meetings and broadcasts about answered prayers are many times based upon personal experiences and supernatural revelations, instead of the Word of God.
The people, who go to these meetings or watch these broadcasts listen attentively and become motivated by all these experiences, new revelations, technics, and prayer formulas.
They write down the words, methods, formulas, and strategies and when they come home they immediately apply the words and methods.
At first, they are enthusiastic and motivated and start praying with great expectations.
Every day, they pray and apply the words and methods to receive what they want and to have their prayer answered.
But when they don’t see any result after some time, they become demotivated and frustrated and eventually they quit.
They not only quit, but after some time they even forget everything they have learned and will continue their search, looking for the next key to answered prayers.
They look for new prayer theories, methods, and formulas that inspire and motivate them to pray and help them to receive what they want. And so they continue and go on and on.
Until they eventually are fed up with all these prayer strategies and methods and stop looking and no longer or seldom pray. They live on autopilot and only pray out of a formality.
Faith in God doesn’t give up but perseveres
The cause of this attitude and behavior is that they build their faith upon the words, methods, technics, and formulas, that derive from personal experiences and supernatural revelations of someone else (in most cases a preacher). Therefore their faith doesn’t stand and they quit when their prayer method is not working. Their faith is not in God, but in their own words, and the methods, technics, and strategies they use.
Because if they had faith in God and their faith was built upon the Word, then they would have the same attitude as the widow, who went to the judge and not gave up until the widow got what she came for. Because the widow believed that the judge could give her what she needed (Luke 18:1-8).
But because many Christians don’t read and study the Word of God and don’t know the will of God, but build their faith upon the knowledge and wisdom of other people, true faith is often hard to find.
When you believe in God and His Word and pray from the Spirit in faith, then you shall not stop until you have received what is according to the will of God. Because faith in God and His Word never stops, but faith perseveres and keeps standing on the Word (the words of God).
The reconciliation between fallen man and God the Father
Jesus Christ made a way through His death and resurrection for fallen man to be reconciled with God the Father and become a son of God. Through regeneration in Jesus Christ, the old man (fallen man) dies and the new man arises.
The new man is born of God and has entered the Kingdom of God. When you are born again and have become a new creation; a new man, you belong to the Kingdom of God.
God has become your Father and you have become His son or daughter. By the baptism with the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit dwells in you. You possess God’s nature and His will is written in your new heart of flesh (Read also: Why did God write His law on tables of stone?)
By the Holy Spirit you are connected with the Father and Jesus Christ; the Word.
Prayer has become an essential part of your relationship with the Father and is next to the Word the foundation of your faith and walk with God.
Although the will of God is written in your heart, your unrenewed carnal mind still strives against the will of God. Therefore, it’s important to renew your mind with the Word of God, so that you will get the mind of Christ; the Word and you shall think, speak, act and live in obedience to the will of God (Read also: Why renewing your mind is necessary).
You will get to know the Father and His will through Jesus; the Word
Through the Bible, you not only get to know Jesus; the Word, but through the Word, you will also get to know the Father. The more time you spend in the Word, the better you will get to know Jesus, the Father, and His will and His way.
By spending time with the Word and communicating with the Father by the Holy Spirit, you built your relationship.
“Jesus, teach us how to pray!”
When Jesus walked on earth and the disciples followed Him, the disciples were still the old creation. Their spirit was not raised from the dead yet and therefore they were not able to understand the Kingdom of God.
Jesus was the Firstborn of the new creation and He walked after the Spirit. Jesus grew up with the words of God and was familiar with the will of God and His Kingdom. He made the will of God and the spiritual things of the Kingdom of God known to the people by using parables.
When the disciples asked Jesus if He could teach them how to pray. Jesus said the following.
“Don’t pray as the hypocrites”
And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward (Matthew 6:5)
Jesus said, that when they pray, they shouldn’t be as the hypocrites, who love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by the people and the people would be impressed by their pious words and would praise them and exalt them because of their beautiful words and put them on a pedestal.
They were more focused on the honor of people instead of God, and therefore they already received their reward.
“Enter into your closet, shut your door and pray to your Father which is in secret”
But thou, when thou pray, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly (Matthew 6:6)
But when they would pray, Jesus told them to enter into their closet and when they have shut the door, they should pray to their Father, Who is in secret and the Father, Who sees in secret would reward them openly (Read also: The secret prayer life of the believer).
“When you pray, don’t use vain repetitions as the heathen”
But when you pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask Him (Matthew 6:7-8)
Jesus said, that when they would pray, they shouldn’t use vain repetitions, as the heathens. Because the heathens thought that by using vain repetitions; using the same words over and over again and because of their much speaking their prayers would be heard.
But Jesus commanded His disciples to not use this method of the heathens. Since the Father already knew their need, before they would ask Him (pray).
“Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name”
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen (Mat 6:9-13, Lu 11:2-4)
This was the prayer, which Jesus taught His disciples. This was the instruction that Jesus gave them, while they were still the old creation.
The new creation doesn’t need prayer methods, prayer technics, and prayer formulas
When the disciples were still the old creation, they couldn’t pray, but they needed prayer instructions, technics, and formulas to pray. But even after Jesus taught them how to pray, the disciples were still not always able to pray. When Jesus went up to the mount to pray and took His disciples Peter, John, and James, they were heavy with sleep (Luke 9:28-32). Just like in the garden of Eden, when Jesus took again these three disciples to pray. But His disciples were not able to watch and pray, but instead, they fell asleep.
Despite the time they spend with Jesus and all that Jesus had taught them, including prayer, Jesus’ disciples were not always able to watch and pray. Why not? Because the flesh can’t pray (Read also: What does it mean the flesh can’t pray?)
The only time when the disciples all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication was when they were in the upper room in Jerusalem, waiting for the promise of the Father (Acts 1:12-14)
But when the disciples became a new creation and the Holy Spirit dwelled in them, they didn’t need any prayer instructions, methods and formulas anymore. Because they had received the Holy Spirit.
They were connected through the Holy Spirit in Christ with God the Father. The Word and the Holy Spirit dwelled in them and led them.
Jesus had made the way for them to come boldly before the throne of the Father.
The flesh stands in the way to communicate with God
The flesh, in which the sinful nature is present and hindered them from communicating with God the Father, had died in Jesus Christ. They were circumcised in Jesus Christ; the curtain between them and God was removed and they were reconciled with God (Read also: The circumcision in Jesus Christ).
The flesh in which unbelief, doubt, the mind of the world, a hardened heart, and the nature of the devil reigns and is led by the senses, feelings, emotions, and the lusts and desires of the flesh, died in Jesus Christ
Through the Word and the resurrection of their spirit from the dead and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, they were able to have a personal relationship with God the Father. Therefore they came boldly before the throne of the Father and spend much time with Him in prayer (i.e. Acts 6:4, Acts 10:9, Acts 12:5, Acts 16:13-16)
Can you build a relationship with God through the experiences of others?
When you went to elementary school, did you have a course where you were taught how to communicate with your parents? Have you ever had a course, whereby the teachers provided methods and formulas to teach you how to get things done or receive things from your parents? Have you ever asked your friends for information on how to communicate with your parents in order to get something done or receive something from them?
Exactly! It is the same with our heavenly Father. No course and no single method, technic, and formula, and using the right words will ensure that your prayers will be answered.
By the way, if you only pray to receive or to get things done, then there is something wrong with your relationship with God. Because a healthy relationship is not only about receiving.
The only way to build your relationship with God is by spending time with Him in the Word and in prayer.
You can’t build a relationship on the experiences of others
It is impossible to build a relationship with someone on the experiences of others. As an example, let’s say that you have a friend, who speaks constantly about a certain person, whom your friend admires, but whom you have never met. Because of all the stories your friend is telling you, you will get to know the person. But when you meet that person and smile at the person and walk up to the person to greet and talk with him/her, because you know the person through all the stories you’ve heard, the person shall look at you strangely and ask: “Do I know you?”
You might know the person because of all the stories you have heard from your friend, but that person doesn’t know you.
It’s the same with the Father. It’s impossible to have and develop a relationship with Jesus Christ and the Father through the experiences of others. You can get to know Jesus and the Father through all the stories and experiences of others and build your faith upon other people’s experiences, supernatural revelations and what they tell you about Jesus and the Father, but Jesus and the Father will not know you. You’ll only get to know the Father personally and experientially by spending time with Him in the Word and by prayer in the Holy Spirit.
When you have an experiential relationship with the Father, you shall pray and you shall long to spend time together with Him. You shall not be able to live without prayer, because besides the Word, prayer is the basis of your faith and walk with God.
You shall pray from the spirit, where the nature of God and the will of God dwells. Therefore your prayers shall be focused upon Jesus, the Church, establishing the Kingdom of God on earth and preaching and bringing the Kingdom of God to the lost souls.
You pray, but receive not, because you pray amiss
Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts (James 4:2-3)
But as long as you are not circumcised in Jesus Christ and your flesh is still present and reigns in your life, and your mind is not renewed with the Word of God, you shall pray from a carnal mind, whereby your will (the will of man) shall be the center.
You will pray from your carnal mind, your will, and your lusts. Therefore your prayers will be focused on yourself (the flesh) and all the provisions of your flesh.
You shall be so focused on yourself and your kingdom, that you forget your surroundings. You will not see that the devil and the kingdom of darkness gain more and more territory and that many souls are lost, because of all of the lies that are preached.
As long as the flesh, including your ‘self’ is still present and the carnal mind is not renewed with the Word of God, your prayers shall be carnal and you shall pray for selfish things to fulfill the lusts and desires of your flesh.
But God’s nature is focused upon the will of God and the things of the Kingdom.
In all of Jesus’ prayers, His Father’s will and His Kingdom were the centers of His prayers. Jesus had made His will subject to the will of His Father.
When Jesus prayed to the Father if He could remove the cup, Jesus immediately said, that not His will but the will of the Father would be done. Just as Jesus taught His disciples to pray that the will of the Father be done. And the will of the Father was done. And so Jesus’ prayer in the garden of Gethsemane was answered.
What is the key to answered prayers?
If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit; so shall you be My disciples (John 15:7)
The key to answered prayers is to pray in Christ, from your spirit after the will of God. Your will, which is present in the flesh, is crucified in Jesus Christ, therefore the obstacle of answered prayers after God’s will is removed.
The will of God abides through the Word and the Holy Spirit in you. Therefore His law is written in your new heart.
As the will of Jesus was made subject to the will of God, so your will shall be made subject to the will of Jesus, which represents the will of God and therefore you shall pray according to His will.
When you stay in Christ and abide in Him and His words abide in you, then you shall no longer pray your own words and pray from your flesh after your will, but you shall pray His words from your spirit after His will. Because by reading and studying the Word you know His will and therefore you shall pray His will.
You shall not pray with doubt and unbelief and say “if it is Your will”. No, because you know His will through the Word.
You are His representative on earth and an ambassador of the Kingdom of God. Therefore you should know the laws of the Kingdom of God, which represent the will of the King. If you are not familiar with His will, you cannot be His representative and you shall not be able to pray according to His will.
But if you are a representative of Jesus Christ and an ambassador of the Kingdom of God, you shall know His will and pray in His will and in His Name, which means in His authority.
You shall pray the words of God and call those things which are not as though they were and destroy the works of darkness in the lives of people and on earth.
As long as you pray from your spirit after the Word and the will of God and keep standing, and don’t back down and give up, the Holy Spirit shall empower the words you speak, which are in alignment with the Word of God, and your prayers shall be answered so that you will bear much fruit for the Kingdom. If you bear much fruit for the Kingdom, then Jesus and the Father will be glorified and exalted and the will of God shall be done and His Kingdom will be established on earth.
The will and the kingdom of man
Unfortunately, the present state of the world and the Church is the result of the lives of people; a lack of knowledge of the Word, a prayer-less life and the apostasy of man to God and His will.
Throughout the years, the Church has made many mistakes. Mainly because the will of Jesus; the Word and the Kingdom of God are no longer the center of the Church, but the will and the words of man and the kingdom of man have become the center of the Church.
If the Church had done what Jesus, the Word has commanded to do and had taken her position in Jesus Christ, and exercised her faith and authority in the Name of Jesus and stayed loyal to the will of God and watched and persevered in prayer and guarded the gates of the Church, then the state of the Church and the state of the world would be so different from what it is now.
‘Be the salt of the earth’
