Does God Answer Prayers?

Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today, and forever.

James 5:16 Confess [your] faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

The Bible is literally full of circumstances where God answered the prayers of His children. Christian bookstores are full of books with stories and testimonies of people who have had their prayers answered. If it were not considered politically incorrect in today’s Godless society the newspapers all over this world would be full of stories of God’s mercy and healing power.

Miraculously just such a story has slipped through under the radar; take for example an article disseminated by United Press International and picked up by World Net Daily. It seems city officials in the drought stricken Texas towns of Lubbock and Rockwell took their case for rain to God in the form of resolutions calling for prayer. Imagine within seven days of the Lubbock vote, the rains started. And they haven’t stopped. Some three and a half inches fell in the town over the Labor Day weekend, overflowing some reservoirs and spillways.

It also seems that this was not the first time prayers for rain were met with good results. In January 2004, after a year of drought, the city and county set aside a Sunday to pray for rain and got the second-wettest year since records have been kept.

I believe there are two major themes in the Bible that show us what moves the hand of God to show mercy on His children -- faith and prayer which really go together because when we pray we must believe in faith that God hears our prayers and of course we must have faith to believe there is a God to pray to who answers prayers.

The Bible tells us the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Who is a righteous man or woman? Anyone who has accepted the completed work of Christ as payment for his sin. Those in Christ are justified by His sacrifice and shed blood and are considered saints in God’s eyes. If you carry the seal of the Holy Spirit inside you, then you are righteous. An effectual fervent prayer is the prayer that comes from the completely submitted heart, the heart that knows whatever God’s answer is to their prayer is the answer that is going to be what is best for them.

I would like to recommend a book by Shirley Dobson that is newly released titled ‘Certain Peace in Uncertain Times.’ In this book you will discover P.R.A.Y. - a four step approach to prayer – Praise, Repent, Ask and Yield.

I have written earlier in our series on praying about‘UNITY’and praying in God’s will. If God’s people would come together in UNITY to pray we would see the power of God in such miraculous ways we would be astounded. Satan is a very powerful and wise foe. He is indeed the father of lies and we have allowed his lies to separate churches and denominations to the point that we can no longer pray in unity. He understands the power that would be unleashed if we could forgo our pride and interpretations of scripture to come together as one body ‘The Church’ to seek God’s will. It is not my intention to focus on the different interpretations that divide us or move us to a one world religion. The body of Christ is my only concern, that it be one that shows Christ in all His glory. The entire Bible is about Jesus Christ and our need for a Savior. My concern is that we, His children, learn how to walk close to Him and how to talk to Him and trust in Him with all our hearts.

I would like to hear from those who read this and the other devotions I send out about how God has answered prayers in your life. I know God has answered many, many prayers of mine. I have seen miracles especially in the last five years of my life. I have been told twice in the last five years I have less than six months to live. Once after being diagnosed with lung cancer and once after a major stroke --- I was in ICU for five days and the doctors told my wife if I survived I would be a vegetable. Folks, I’m still here! I have a friend who attends my church who was diagnosed with stomach and liver cancer and given less than six months to live who is going on a year now with both the stomach and liver cancer in remission, all of the above due to the effectual fervent prayers of a praying church. I believe it is very encouraging for us to hear about what God is doing in our lives and I know we are told to encourage each other so if you would like to write to me and don’t mind me relaying your miracle from God, I would love to hear your testimony. I will not use names without permission of course.

We don’t solicit monies for the upkeep of our web-site; we rely totally on the Lord to meet our needs. My ministry is one where I try and help God’s people learn how to walk by faith and learn how to trust Him as their only resource. I have learned that if you try and attain your own resources you may never see the hand of God move in your life. I have found great joy watching as my Father works things out in my life and blesses me daily.

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