DOES GOD ANSWER?
The only sure way to make a doubter belief is to make him/her experience the power of God. This for sure puts an end to all the cynicism and doubts that often robs off the reality of God and break our holds of Him. We have heard much sermons and academic speeches but we need personal revelation knowledge of God. Just one experience of miracle shall dispel all our doubts and turn our cynicism to praise. Some people do not believe in God and others who believe, doubt that He hears and answer all prayers. They claim that they have prayed several times and have received no answer. Is it that God answers and they have no signs or evidence? Something could have intercepted or delayed the answer. Does that surprise you? Read Daniel 10:12-13. The scripture says Satan can delay but cant deny what God has approved. Again, does God answer all prayers? The response on verse twenty three of Daniel chapter nine may amaze you, You are highly respected. So as soon as you begin to pray, the Lord gave you an answer I have come to tell you what it is ..
Another condition that could quicken God to answer prayers is: Are you praying or playing? Most times we could position ourselves to pray but have a lot of distractions in our minds and our focus deflected. Are you sure you were not doing lip service? The heart may be right with God but the head may be wrong in error, yet Gods mercies prevail. When Saul, later named Paul started praying, God answered [Acts 9:11-12]. Do you wonder all the years Saul of Tarsus prayed as a practicing Jew, his prayers did not touch God? Had he not repented and accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior? Perhaps, he was still searching for God or God chasing him to get him to the place and purpose of his calling in life. I do not intend to suggest that God answers only Christians prayers. Rather the Epistle of James says, If any of you need wisdom, ask God for it. He will give it to you. God gives freely to everyone. He does not find fault. But when you ask, you must believe; you must not doubt. People who doubt are like waves of the sea. The wind blows and tosses them around. A man like that shouldnt expect to receive anything from God. He cant make up his mind. He can never decide what to do [James 1:5-8]. Indeed, the prayer of the righteous avails much.
If God would not answer, He wouldnt ask us to: ask [A], seek [S] and knock [K] = [ASK]. He taught, if you ask you will receive, if you seek you will find and if you knock it shall be opened to you. The Psalmist says, I love the Lord because He hath heard my voice and supplication. Because He had inclined His ear unto me, therefore will I call upon Him as long as I live [Psalm 116:1-2]. King David testifies, I cried out to the Lord with my voice and He heard me out of His holy hill [Psalm 3:4]. He continued, But know that the Lord has set apart him that is godly for himself; the Lord will hear when I call unto Him [Psalm 4:3]. King David shared throughout the various Psalms, the unshakeable basis of his implicit faith and trust in the Lord. He discovered that the Lord of mans experience is one that hears and answer prayers. The Psalmist expressed to the world how readily available the tremendous power of God to those who call unto Him in faith. Those who invite God into their daily experiences; He comes in and not only dwell but become the solution.
The Psalmist expected God to answer his prayers and request. He commenced in Psalm 4:1 saying, Lord, faithful God, answer me when I call out to you. His expectation was the underlying power and basis for his prayers, praises and thanksgivings. He did not ask God for asking sake but believed He will receive a suitable and a more appropriate answer; sometimes even better than what he desired and asked for. He trust in Gods judgment and believed in the efficacy of his prayers. When He was sick, he told God he depended on Him alone for healing and God did it because it was a prayer of faith. The Psalmist believed that God could do exceedingly and abundantly beyond what we ever asked or desired. God is interested in total cure and healing. Sometimes God gives us exactly what we asked for. At other times He gives us something better than we asked for. God could reject, ignore or even delay answers when our request is short-sighted, baseless and with wrong motives. On the other hand He could withhold our request when He has better plan for us. We ought to understand that Hes God and can do whatever He likes. More so, He knows the future even before the beginning of the world. It may not always be in our interest but to His glory. Sometimes God allows us to suffer our thorns in the flesh [sharp pains]. Apostle Paul begged God thrice to take away these pains and thrice God heard him and answered, My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness [2 Corinthians 12:9]. God neither made life easier nor removed the nagging thorns on the flesh of Paul but He did promise him the spiritual resources equal to lifes demand. He helped him made the best of the thorns and let it make the best of him. God didnt answer Pauls petition the way He made it but He had answered Paul himself- L. Griffith
Why is faith an underlying factor in our receiving from God? Leonard Griffith opined in God in mans experience that, Faith opens our eyes to the fact that God is answering many of our prayers Its our faith that gives us the assurance that Gods more than enough and can do whatever He decides to do; is dependable and worthy of our trust. Little wonder the scripture assures: For with God nothing shall be impossible [Luke 2:37]. More often than I can remember, I have to ask myself when Prophet Elijah stood before a large crowd of Israelites surrounded by both worshippers of God Almighty and Baal; he called on the God of heaven. Did he ever think for a minute, supposing God did not answer? Or just threw his whole faith on God, trusted He will honor Himself? And indeed, He did send down fire to consume everything wood, fire, water and pieces of lamb for sacrifice.
As if that was not enough, amongst the various exhibitions of Gods power in the scriptures, Jesus demonstration in Mark 1:40-42 endears my heart. Jesus preached throughout the synagogues in Galilee and cast out demons. In the large crowd where the dignitaries and the important personalities gathered, a leper [an unclean] walked in and knelt down begging Jesus, saying unto Him, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. He did not mind that he belongs to the untouchable, dirty and an outcast. Do you wonder how some were already covering their noises and those seated near the altar area where Jesus sat had to move or changed their seats? They did not want to be contaminated because leprosy is a deadly disease and very contagious. Jesus looked at the leper beyond his outward disposition into his faith; moved by compassion He put forward His hand and touched him and said unto him, Yes I can, be thou clean.
The Psalmist prayed for healing of his whole personality. In some places, he cried to God to deliver his soul. He believed that many organic illnesses had spiritual causes guilt, resentment, depression, unforgiveness, fears, plaques and lust, etc. These must be identified and dealt with, and then its physical symptoms disappear. Healing therefore is supposed to deal with the totality of the problem. In another instance, when Jesus saw their faith He said unto the paralyzed man, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee [Mark 2:5]. That means the penalty is remitted, the sense of guilt removed and you are made right and now in good standing with God.
The Psalmist prayers were an expression based on his relationship with God. Griffith said it was not a neon-marked emergency exist to be taken only in time of calamity when all other exist are blocked. When the Psalmist prayed to God his heart was spiritually conditioned to receiving an answer and he recognized it as such in praise and thanksgiving. It therefore means if it never seemed to us that God answers our prayers the reason could be that we have not believed and spiritually conditioned to receive it and recognized an answer.
Reach: Evangelist Ogbonnaya, Godswill at: weefreeministries.org or P. O. Box 710025, Houston, Texas, 77272.