What kind of prayers does God answer? James 4.

So, it was almost five o’clock in the afternoon, and I was driving northbound on the “Five” to meet my daughter for dinner.   I rounded the highway bend that boasted the Pacific Ocean’s drama on my left . . . and then immediately on my right, came upon a sight I shall carry with me forever.  Twas a bright, yes, I dare say even, dark-banded rainbow stretched right before me, coming down to meet the highway.  It was crazy, really, because before me, I saw one side of the arc , and was crazily trying to snap a picture on my i-phone . . . (yes, while driving!) but continuing to drive, within moments, saw the other side of the arc, out of my back right window--the entire rainbow for my viewing pleasure!  No words can capture its beauty—its grandeur.  I literally drove through one side, and out the other side of the rainbow.  On that day, the Divine intersected my path in a very tangible way . . . in brilliant colorful, glory, and I was reminded of God’s promise that never again would the world be destroyed by flood waters.   God demonstrably intersects the paths of his children.

When God answers the prayers of his children, he does not just intersect our paths, though, he chooses to interact with us, along our path.   Oh, it is unbelievably exciting to know that the God of the Universe both hears and answers our prayers!   We discussed some of the reasons people don't pray; we discussed the nature of prayer.  James' next thought:  "And even when you do ask, you don't get it because your whole motive is wrong--you want only what will give you pleasure."  (James 4.3)  Ah . . . so, motive figures into whether or not our prayers will be answered . . .

So, let us explore then what kind of prayers God answers. Look with me at 1 John 5.14-15: This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us--whatever we ask--we know that we have what we asked of him. The key to answered prayer: asking according to God's will.

John 15.7: “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.”  Key to answered prayer: abiding in him--staying close to him and his Word. You have begun to 'abide' if you spend time digesting Scripture and praying daily. The greater your exposure, intake and understanding of God's Word, the more you will learn of God--his character, behavior, values, plans for you, etc. and most of all, you will learn of his unending, unconditional love for you. Then you will want to draw closer to him . . . to abide in him. Further, as you abide in his Word, you learn about the overall will of God. Then, your prayer requests will line up with the will of God. Thus, as John said in 1 John 5 (above), we can ask God in confidence because we know he hears us.

There is another key to answered prayer that we might just as soon overlook—confessing our sin. The psalmist says it simply, “If I regard sin in my heart, the Lord will not hear.” (Psalm 66.18)  In the Lord's Prayer, Jesus taught the disciples to say, "Forgive us our trespasses..."   In order to be in right relationship with God, we must seek forgiveness for the wrongs/sins we commit.  I see this more clearly when I relate it to daily life.  By way of example, if I have just yelled at my friend in anger, maybe even throwing in a degrading remark or two, and then turn around in the next hour and say, "Hey, do you want to go shopping tomorrow?" She is likely to say, 'wait a second here--a little while ago, you said . . . and now you want me to go shopping with you?!"  You see, there would be unfinished business between us--I hurt her, offended her--and I needed to take care of that, before moving on.  Hurt feelings have to be addressed in order to keep the relationship whole.  I just don't think my Lord is too different than that . . . if I have hurt him and have 'unresolved business' then start praying as though there is nothing in the way . . . well, at the very least, I believe there would be some 'interference in the line'.  Key to answered prayer: Unresolved sin must be taken care of.

Some powerful verses that kind of sum these things up:  “Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him.”  Wow!  (1 John 3.20-21)   It is a lot of work to live life feeling condemned (guilty), so I love these two promises:  “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1.9)  And then, how amazing is this assurance?  “As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our sins from us.”  (Psalm 103.12)

Prayer is a gift.

Christine