[Don Shenton (obituary) was a Canadian brother worker. He wrote and shared many study notes during his retirement years. This post is the first of many from a long document (over 30 pages) on the subject of prayer.]
Much that perplexes us in our Christian experience is the answer to our prayers. Our study is “Promises of God to Answer Prayer”. We have the promise God will answer true prayer, but it is conditional and often not in a way that our human nature will like.
The access to prayer is through our Intercessor, Jesus
John 14:13
And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
John 15:16
Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
John 16:23
And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.
These promises depend on another “Whatsoever”
Colossians 3:16-17
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
And WHATSOEVER ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
We need to be obedient and submissive children
Acts 5:32
And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.
Hebrews 5:9
And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him.
Obedience with submission
James 4:7
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
We pray for help in dealing with the enemy of our souls, but that help comes only as we first of all submit ourselves unto God!
Ephesians 5:21
Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
Hebrews 13:17
Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you. When we submit and obey the Ministry, our prayers become effective.
Hebrews 5:7 Amplified Bible
In the days of His earthly life, Jesus offered up both [specific] petitions and [urgent] supplications [for that which He needed] with fervent crying and tears to the One who was [always] able to save Him from death, and HE WAS HEARD BECAUSE OF HIS REVERENT SUBMISSION toward God [His sinlessness and His unfailing determination to do the Father’s will].
When we submit to God our prayers are meaningful. It is possible God hears all prayers, but He responds favourably to those offered by a submitted heart.
Philippians 2:10 Amplified Bible
So that at the NAME OF JESUS every knee shall bow [in submission], of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth.
If we are going to call on the name of Jesus in our prayer, for it to be effective we need to be bowed in submission to Him.
Truth Archive 