• Let your requests be made known to God
• Let God know what it is you want from Him. Don’t just think it – speak it.
• Don’t be anxious. Rejoice.
• Do it with thanksgiving. With gratefulness for what He has already done and a joyful expectation of what He is about to do.
• God’s peace will protect your heart and mind.
• You can go about your business, knowing that He is in control!
• Single-minded
• James 1:5-8 NKJV – If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
• If you ask – ask in faith.
• Do not be double-minded. If you allow doubts to sway you, you will be pulled in two different directions and the result is that you will be double-minded and unstable.
• If you are double-minded, don’t be surprised when your prayers are not answered.
• Every one is tempted with doubtful thoughts, but you can shut them down, allow faith to arise from your heart and stay steady until the answer comes.
• Be persistent.
• First – know your rights!
• Luke 18:1-8 The Message Bible – Jesus told them a story showing that it was necessary for them to pray consistently and never quit. 2 He said, “There was once a judge in some city who never gave God a thought and cared nothing for people. 3 A widow in that city kept after him: ‘My rights are being violated. Protect me!’ 4 “He never gave her the time of day. But after this went on and on he said to himself, ‘I care nothing what God thinks, even less what people think. 5 But because this widow won’t quit badgering me, I’d better do something and see that she gets justice — otherwise I’m going to end up beaten black and blue by her pounding.'” 6 Then the Master said, “Do you hear what that judge, corrupt as he is, is saying? 7 So what makes you think God won’t step in and work justice for his chosen people, who continue to cry out for help? Won’t he stick up for them? 8 I assure you, he will. He will not drag his feet. But how much of that kind of persistent faith will the Son of Man find on the earth when he returns?”
• Second – Press in until you get it.
• Some Christians don’t ask God for what they need because they think He would be bothered or irritated by their requests. Or maybe it’s because they actually don’t have faith in Him to answer.
• Over and over, God has told us in His Word that He cares, that He listens and that He answers. When we wake up and get that revelation, we might actually start to ask in faith and receive what we asked for!
• God expects us to be persistent in prayer and not give up until we get the answer.
• The lesson of this parable is that if even an unjust judge will respond to a woman who knows her rights and won’t quit until she receives, how much more will our righteous Father work justice for His kids who stand on their rights in faith?
• No vain repetition allowed.
• Matthew 6:7-8 AMP – And when you pray, do not heap up phrases (multiply words, repeating the same ones over and over) as the Gentiles do, for they think they will be heard for their much speaking. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
• Repeating the exact same word, phrase, or prayer over and over is not the answer. Repetition is just words – no faith is involved.
• It’s persistent faith – not nagging words – that moves God.
• Your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.
• Ask once for what you want – then continue to thank Him and praise Him for the answer.
• If the devil comes with doubts – open your mouth and praise God – he will leave!
• You do not need to pray long prayers.
• Matthew 23:14 NKJV – Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.
• Long prayers cannot compensate for bad behavior.
• Ask – expecting an answer.
• Hebrews 11:6
• NKJV – But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
• The Message Bible – It’s impossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that he exists and that he cares enough to respond to those who seek him.
• Luke 11:5-13 NKJV – And He said to them, “Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves; 6 for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 7 and he will answer from within and say, ‘Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you’? 8 I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs. 9 “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 11 If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”
• Ask, and it will be given to you – everyone who asks receives.
• Matthew 7:7-11 AMP – Keep on asking and it will be given you; keep on seeking and you will find; keep on knocking [reverently] and [the door] will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who keeps on asking receives; and he who keeps on seeking finds; and to him who keeps on knocking, [the door] will be opened. 9 Or what man is there of you, if his son asks him for a loaf of bread, will hand him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will hand him a serpent? 11 If you then, evil as you are, know how to give good and advantageous gifts to your children, how much more will your Father Who is in heaven [perfect as He is] give good and advantageous things to those who keep on asking Him!
• Your Father in heaven gives good gifts to those who ask Him
• Ask with right motives.
• James 4:1-3 Easy-to-Read Version – Do you know where your fights and arguments come from? They come from the selfish desires that make war inside you. 2 You want things, but you don’t get them. So you kill and are jealous of others. But you still cannot get what you want. So you argue and fight. You don’t get what you want because you don’t ask God. 3 Or when you ask, you don’t receive anything, because the reason you ask is wrong. You only want to use it for your own pleasure.
• Unspoken requests are not heard or answered. If you don’t ask then you won’t receive.
• Selfish prayers are not answered either.
• The Message Bible says you don’t receive because the reason you ask is wrong. “You’re spoiled children, each wanting your own way.” James 4:3b
• Obey, ask and receive
• All God’s promises are conditional.
• 1 John 3:18-24 NKJV – My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. 19 And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. 20 For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. 21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. 22 And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. 23 And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment. 24 Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.
• Keep His commandments and He will answer your prayers.
• John 15:7-8 NKJV – If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
• When God’s Word becomes so much a part of us that it influences and directs everything we think, feel, say and do, then He will absolutely give us everything we ask for.
• He wants us to be fruitful in every way.
• Your fruitfulness and answered prayers bring glory to God.
