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And receive from Him anything we ask, because we obey
His commands and do what pleases Him.
- 1 John 3:22 NIV
This Scripture reveals an important Biblical principle--the power of our
prayers is directly related to our obedience to God's Word and to our
desire to do what pleases Him. As we progress in our level of obedience to
the Lord, the effectiveness of our prayers will increase. Proverbs 28:9
says, "If anyone turns a deaf ear to the law, even his prayers are
detestable." This is another verse which shows a connection between our
obedience and our prayers. Even though we've made a decision to trust
Christ as our Savior, we can't expect ready answers to our prayers when we
ignore God's commands. Psalm 66:18-19 says, "If I had cherished sin in my
heart, the Lord would not have listened; but God has surely listened and
heard my voice in prayer." If we want God to honor our prayers, we can't
wink at sin or have unconfessed sin in our lives. We also can't afford to
harbor unforgiveness toward anyone. Jesus made that clear when He was
teaching us how to have mountain-moving faith in Mark 11: "And when you
stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that
your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins." (v.25) The Bible reveals
that the quality of our relationships can determine the effectiveness of
our prayers. Peter says that husbands must "be considerate" of their wives
and "treat them with respect" so that their "prayers may not be hindered."
(1 Peter 3:7) This principle applies to our other relationships, as well.
Jesus said, "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever
you wish, and it shall be done for you." (John 15:7 NASB) The Lord is
promising us here that if we will live for Him and obey His Word, He will
hear and answer our prayers. If you have unsaved or backslidden loved
ones, your prayers can make all the difference in their lives. Job 22:30
says, "He will deliver even one who is not innocent, who will be delivered
through the cleanness of your hands." Our prayers of intercession can be
especially powerful when we are fully committed to the Lord. This is
particularly important when we are unable to reach our loved ones with our
conversation or example. Our prayers can be our best "secret weapon" in
winning them to Christ. Scripture admonishes us to "Find out what pleases
the Lord." (Ephesians 5:10) If we will do our part in committing ourselves
to learning and doing God's will, the Lord will do His part in blessing us
and honoring our prayers. And God doesn't expect us to do it on our own.
Philippians 2:13 TLB promises, "God is at work within you, helping you want
to obey him, and then helping you do what he wants." And we can pray like
David did, "Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good
Spirit lead me on level ground." (Psalm 143:10) Start getting serious
about obeying God, and start boosting your prayer power today!
Prayer: Lord, forgive me for the times I haven't taken my prayer
responsibilities seriously. Remind me that my prayers can bring salvation
to the lost, healing to the sick, and deliverance to those in trouble.
Give me the grace and the desire to do Your will in everything. Thank You
that as I sow seeds of obedience, I'll reap an abundance of answered prayer!
- J. M. Farro
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