The Secret of Asking & Receiving
Are you struggling with receiving answers to your prayers? In this post I share a few notes from my time of studying prayer in the New Testament from my Dakes Bible.
Learn How to Pray Right
One cannot get an answer unless he prays right.
Jesus taught his disciples how to pray the Model Prayer. We should model after this prayer until the time comes when we get every prayer answered that we pray.
(Luke 11:1-4)
1 And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.
2 And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.
3 Give us day by day our daily bread.
4 And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.
Be bold when approaching the throne of grace.
This shows immediate need as well as friendship with God. Friendship creates boldness to make demands on a friend. The greater the friendship, the greater the boldness in time of need.
(Luke 11:5-8)
5 Then He said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and goes to him at midnight and says, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves [of bread];
6 for a friend of mine who is on a journey has just come to visit me, and I have nothing to serve him’;
7 and from inside he answers, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been shut and my children and I are in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.’
8 I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything just because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence and boldness he will get up and give him whatever he needs.
We must have FAITH!
We must have faith in the certainty of answered prayer and the infinite fatherhood of God
(Luke 11:9-13)
9 “So I say to you, ask and keep on asking, and it will be given to you; seek and keep on seeking, and you will find; knock and keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.
10 For everyone who keeps on asking [persistently], receives; and he who keeps on seeking[persistently], finds; and to him who keeps on knocking [persistently], the door will be opened.
11 What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead of a fish?
12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?
13 If you, then, being evil [that is, sinful by nature], know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask and continue to ask Him!”
Acknowledge and receive
Acknowledge and receive the all comprehensive gift of the Holy Spirit. Every believer is given the gift of the Holy Spirit. His help is one of the secrets of successful prayer. The Holy Spirit is one of our great helpers in prayer. With both Christ and the Holy Spirit as our helpers how could there be failure in prayer?
Romans 8:26-28
26 In the same way the Spirit [comes to us and] helps us in our weakness. We do not know what prayer to offer or how to offer it as we should, but the Spirit Himself [knows our need and at the right time] intercedes on our behalf with sighs and groanings too deep for words. 27 And He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because the Spirit intercedes [before God] on behalf of God’s people in accordance with God’s will.
28 And we know [with great confidence] that God [who is deeply concerned about us] causes all things to work together [as a plan] for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to His plan and purpose.
Recognize
Recognize the power of persevering prayer.
Luke 18:18 “Men ought always to pray and not to lose heart.”
Have Humility in Prayer
If one wants to be heard of God, he must take an humble attitude, not depending upon his own merits in the least.
Luke 18:9-14 (Amplified Version)
9 He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves and were confident that they were righteous [posing outwardly as upright and in right standing with God], and who viewed others with contempt:
10 “Two men went up into the temple [enclosure] to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
11 The Pharisee stood [ostentatiously] and began praying to himself [in a self-righteous way, saying]: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like the rest of men—swindlers, unjust (dishonest), adulterers—or even like this tax collector.
12 I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’
13 But the tax collector, standing at a distance, would not even raise his eyes toward heaven, but was striking his chest[in humility and repentance], saying, ‘God, be merciful and gracious to me, the [especially wicked] sinner [that I am]!’
14 I tell you, this man went to his home justified [forgiven of the guilt of sin and placed in right standing with God] rather than the other man; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself [forsaking self-righteous pride] will be exalted.”
Get alone with God
Jesus taught that answers to prayer would be given when men learn to get alone with God and prayer to be heard of God and not men. Private prayer in secret has the greatest chance of an answer because of the fact that there is no temptation to pray to be heard of men. One secret of asking and receiving then is to “pray to the Father in secret; and the Father which sees in secret shall reward thee openly.”
(Matthew 6:5-8)
5 “Also, when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to pray [publicly] standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets so that they may be seen by men. I assure you and most solemnly say to you, they [already] have their reward in full.
6 But when you pray, go into your most private room, close the door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees [what is done] in secret will reward you.
7 “And when you pray, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.
8 So do not be like them [praying as they do]; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
Use the Word of God and prayer as partners together.
If we want to get answers to prayer we must first get the promises of God that cover the need and accept the answers as already being God’s will by His word. We must have faith in the Word as the basis of God’s will and the assurance of the answer. Faith is taking God at His Word.
(Matthew 8:8)
8 But the centurion replied to Him, “Lord, I am not worthy to have You come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed.
(John 15:7)
7 If you remain in Me and My words remain in you [that is, if we are vitally united and My message lives in your heart], ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you.
At one time or another we all get to a place of impatience when waiting for the promise to manifest itself in the natural realm. Remember, God has not forgotten you. He loves you more than you love yourself and is faithful to fulfill every promise.
