Access Granted: Conditions of a Successful Prayer
I talk to God. I seek him. I desire to know his will for me. I have learned that in everything, I am because He is. Without him, I am nothing.
God hears me. He responds to me. He teaches me, instructs me, and orders my steps. He corrects me when I am wrong. He holds me up when I am weak. We commune all the time. I know what God sounds like (IYKYK).
The bible says draw nigh unto me, and I will draw nigh unto you (James 4:8). Christ has a relationship with those who have a relationship with him…who seek him.
This brings me to prayer. This blog is to shed light to something very important. Prayer is how we communicate with God.
Google defines prayer in the Hebrew bible as: “an evolving means of interacting with God, most frequently through a spontaneous, individual, unorganized form of petitioning and/or thanking”
Just like most everything in the bible…Prayer is conditional (You can’t just walk up on the Creator of Heaven and Earth). Everyone does not have access to God.
If you are praying for something and feel like there is no answer, or God isn’t listening, or it never works for you and you can’t hear his voice…You may be right. If you find yourself in this space, it’s probably time for you to reevaluate some things.
The remaining of James 4:8-10 says:
8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.
10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
It is our job to ensure that the conditions are right, so that God hears our prayer. So here are 5 ways to ensure your prayers are being heard:
First, Contrition.
This is defined as the state of being remorseful or repentance.
2 Chronicles 7: 14 says “ If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
If you have not repented of your sins, and turned from wickedness, you do not have access to God. (Click here to pray the prayer of salvation)
This is a humbling experience because you are professing that you are wrong, that you have sinned, and are wicked. (But all fall short of Gods glory and righteousness! Romans 3:23. Once you humble yourself Christ begins to work on you and in you to make you new!)
Second, Whole-heartedness.
Jeremiah 29:13 says: “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.”
Don’t be half-stepping! Have you ever done something with all your might? You think about it all the time, you wake up with it, you research it, you study it, You’re so focused that nothing distracts you from it, you are relentless because you desire to have that thing so much.
Even when you think of relationships! You think of how to please them, what would make them happy, how to show them you love them, you wake up and first thing you do is check on them.
God wants you to want Him with your whole heart. To love Him.
Three, Faith.
Mark 11:24 says: “Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.”
This means that you can pray for something in unbelief!!! (Mind-blown) You can literally go before God asking him to do something and not believe that He will do it for you. God needs you to BELIEVE! no matter how big or small it is… (Believe by CeCe Winans)
Four, Righteousness.
James 5:16 says: “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”
The bible says that the righteous mans prayer availeth much!
Avail means to produce or result in as a benefit or advantage!
How do I become righteous?? (Yes, thats a great question!)
2 Timothy 3:16 says “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:”
GET INTO THESE SCRIPTURES GIRL!!
Lastly, Five: Obedience.
1 John 3:22 says “And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.”
You cannot be out here “doing you” and think God is going to hear your prayers.
God CAN SEE YOU, GIRL! You must be obedient to his word to have access.
Now that you know the conditions of prayers that are successful…do them! There is nothing in this world that is better than God’s presence, His voice. To get a word from God is…precious. delightful. glorious.
Oh! Last thing.
Once you DO have access, it is imperative that you pray for others who don’t.
God is merciful and has what is called intercessory prayer
Intercession is defined as: : prayer, petition, or entreaty in favor of another
We seek God on behalf of those who are lost, that he may bring them. We pray for mercy, grace, healing, salvation…and so much more. If you haven’t done so today, Thank God for access to His throne, and pray that someone else gains access through salvation!
With Love - SOS