Prayer, Praise and Promises 8/27

Author: Warren Wiersbe
Source: Prayer, Praise and Promises
Scripture Reference: John 15:7 Psalm 99:1-9

Prerequisites of Answered Prayer

Read Psalm 99:1-9

One of the greatest joys in the Christian life is the joy of answered prayer--to be able to say to someone, "God answered my prayer today," or to hear someone say, "Thank you for praying--let me tell you what God did." The psalmist writes about this: "Moses and Aaron were among his priests, and Samuel was among those who called upon His name. They called upon the Lord, and He answered them" (v. 6). Moses called upon the Lord many times when he had the burdens of the people on his shoulders. Aaron, as the high priest, also called upon the Lord. Samuel had some disappointments in his life. His family was not all it ought to have been, and Israel was not all it ought to have been. So he cried out to the Lord as well.

If we call upon the Lord, will He answer us? Yes, if we have met the conditions that Moses, Aaron and Samuel met. First, they listened to God's Word. "He spoke to them in the cloudy pillar" (v. 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" (John 15:7). We want to talk to God and tell Him about all of our problems. He wants to talk to us and tell us about all of His promises. We should listen to Him first, and then He will listen to us.

Second, they obeyed Him. They kept His testimonies and the ordinances. Obedience is important to answered prayer. If we're abiding in Christ, we will obey His Word, and then we will be able to call upon Him.

Third, they confessed their sin. God forgave their sins, and He enabled them to do what He wanted them to do. As a result, they wanted to exalt the Lord. The purpose of prayer is to glorify God. "Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at His holy hill; for the Lord our God is holy" (v. 9).

How glad I am to know that my High Priest in heaven is interceding for me. I can come to Him any time for the grace that I need.

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Do you enjoy answered prayer? Do you listen to God's Word and obey it? Is your heart clean of unconfessed sin ? Meet God's conditions for answered prayer and let Him bless you.

Psalm 99:1-9 (New International Version)

1 The LORD reigns,
let the nations tremble;
he sits enthroned between the cherubim,
let the earth shake.

2 Great is the LORD in Zion;
he is exalted over all the nations.

3 Let them praise your great and awesome name—
he is holy.

4 The King is mighty, he loves justice—
you have established equity;
in Jacob you have done
what is just and right.

5 Exalt the LORD our God
and worship at his footstool;
he is holy.

6 Moses and Aaron were among his priests,
Samuel was among those who called on his name;
they called on the LORD
and he answered them.

7 He spoke to them from the pillar of cloud;
they kept his statutes and the decrees he gave them.

8 O LORD our God,
you answered them;
you were to Israel [a] a forgiving God,
though you punished their misdeeds. [b]

9 Exalt the LORD our God
and worship at his holy mountain,
for the LORD our God is holy.
Footnotes:

1. Psalm 99:8 Hebrew them
2. Psalm 99:8 Or / an avenger of the wrongs done to them