How God Answers Prayer

You suppose to know how God answers prayer.

By
The Man Who Saw God Face To Face
Raphael Okechukwu Nweze


Introduction
         It is very important to educate the general public on how God answers prayer. This reason is that most of the time, people are impatient. They want immediate answers, not minding the implications or consequences. The worst thing is that they want God to answer their prayers, but they are not ready to repent from their evil ways. Many claim to be born again, without knowing the meaning of been born again. Humanity fail to repent because:
  1. Majority do not keep the original Ten Commandments given to the world through those. Many churches are today keeping a set of forged Ten Commandments that is different from what God said.

  2. Majority do not observe the seven annuals festivals ordained by God, which Jesus Christ attended, and which festivals God said are everlasting.

  3. Study or practice Spiritual Science, which is the only comprehensive, science that teaches the Truth.

People should first repent
before asking God to answer their prayers.

How God Answers Prayer
         The following explanations show how God answers prayer:
  1. Repentance is compulsory.

    12 Then the LORD appeared to Solomon by night, and said to him: "I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice. 13 When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, 14 if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 15 Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place. 16 For now I have chosen and sanctified this house, that My name may be there forever; and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually. 17 As for you, if you walk before Me as your father David walked, and do according to all that I have commanded you, and if you keep My statutes and My judgments, 18 then I will establish the throne of your kingdom, as I covenanted with David your father, saying, 'You shall not fail to have a man as ruler in Israel.'

    19 "But if you turn away and forsake My statutes and My commandments which I have set before you, and go and serve other gods, and worship them, 20 then I will uproot them from My land which I have given them; and this house which I have sanctified for My name I will cast out of My sight, and will make it a proverb and a byword among all peoples. 2 Chronicles 7:12-20

    Remark the keywords in God’s statements which are:

  2. Prayers are answered immediately, but take time and follow sequence of events to manifest. Hence, the word of God is creation and the eventual manifestation is evolution. Evolution is the long process of creation.

  3. God answers prayer according to a person’s behavior

    An example was demonstrated in the lives of three kings 13 Then Elisha said to the king of Israel,"What have I to do with you? Go to the prophets of your father and the prophets of your mother."
    But the king of Israel said to him, "No, for the LORD has called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab."
    14 And Elisha said,"As the LORD of hosts lives, before whom I stand, surely were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I would not look at you, nor see you. 15 But now bring me a musician."

    Then it happened, when the musician played, that the hand of the LORD came upon him. 16 And he said, "Thus says the LORD:'Make this valley full of ditches.' 17 For thus says the LORD: 'You shall not see wind, nor shall you see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, so that you, your cattle, and your animals may drink.' 18 And this is a simple matter in the sight of the LORD; He will also deliver the Moabites into your hand. 19 Also you shall attack every fortified city and every choice city, and shall cut down every good tree, and stop up every spring of water, and ruin every good piece of land with stones."

    20 Now it happened in the morning, when the grain offering was offered, that suddenly water came by way of Edom, and the land was filled with water. 2 Kings 3:13-20

  4. Answered prayers may be delayed by the forces of darkness, as was demonstrated in the life of Daniel. Daniel prayed, and God answered him, but the prince of Persia delayed the answer.

    10 Suddenly, a hand touched me, which made me tremble on my knees and on the palms of my hands. 11 And he said to me, "O Daniel, man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you." While he was speaking this word to me, I stood trembling.

    12 Then he said to me, "Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. 13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia. 14 Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come." Daniel 10:10-14

  5. Answers to pray may be delayed because of God’s master plan, in order to synchronize God’s plan with the man’s desire, as demonstrated in the birth and life of Samuel.
    1 Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim Zophim, of the mountains of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. 2 And he had two wives: the name of one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. 3 This man went up from his city yearly to worship and sacrifice to the LORD of hosts in Shiloh. Also the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the LORD, were there. 4 And whenever the time came for Elkanah to make an offering, he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters. 5 But to Hannah he would give a double portion, for he loved Hannah, although the LORD had closed her womb. 6 And her rival also provoked her severely, to make her miserable, because the LORD had closed her womb. 7 So it was, year by year, when she went up to the house of the LORD, that she provoked her; therefore she wept and did not eat.
    8 Then Elkanah her husband said to her, "Hannah, why do you weep? Why do you not eat? And why is your heart grieved? Am I not better to you than ten sons?" 1 Samuel 1:1-8

    10 And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to the LORD and wept in anguish. 11 Then she made a vow and said, "O LORD of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head." 1 Samuel 1:10-11

    But Samuel ministered before the LORD, even as a child, wearing a linen ephod. 19 Moreover his mother used to make him a little robe, and bring it to him year by year when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. 20 And Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, and say, "The LORD give you descendants from this woman for the loan that was given to the LORD." Then they would go to their own home.
    21 And the LORD visited Hannah, so that she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile the child Samuel grew before the LORD. 1 Samuel 2:18-21

    Rachel’s child delivery was delayed until the appointed time for Joseph to come and deliver Israel and nations of the world. Blessed is the he who waits for his blessings at God’s appointed time.

    22 Then God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and opened her womb. 23 And she conceived and bore a son, and said, "God has taken away my reproach." 24 So she called his name Joseph, and said,"The LORD shall add to me another son." Genesis 30:22-24

  6. Learn to inquire from the lord as Moses did often. ………… Sabbath breaker

  7. Prayers are answered when the conditions are fulfilled. "Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. 2 And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the LORD your God:

    3 "Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country… Deuteronomy 28:1-3


  8. Sometimes, prayers are answered in phases, small by small. … lion’s/enemies

  9. Our duty is to present our petitions to God and leave him to answer the way he deems fit.

    8 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
    Nor are your ways My ways," says the LORD.
    9 "For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
    So are My ways higher than your ways,
    And My thoughts than your thoughts.
    Isaiah 55:8-9

  10. In some cases, you are expected to make necessary efforts. For example: a. Elijah-walked forty (40) days … b. Jacob-spent 7 days ….. c. …… CPC others