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Can you comment on getting prayers answered?


Introduction. Prayer is a very important subject in the spiritual life of a faithful Christian.  Part of prayer is "telling" - offering praise to God and expressing thankfulness for His blessings.  But part of prayer is "asking" - making requests for various spiritual and physical things.

Reasons for praying. Prayer is commanded by God of His children (1 Thes. 5: 17). Christians pray to obtain forgiveness (Luke 11: 4; 1 John 1). Through prayer, wisdom can be obtained (Jas. 1: 5). Prayer can result in deliverance from evil and to find help in time of need (Luke 11: 4, Heb. 4: 16).

Some conditions of answered prayer. Here are a few of the stated conditions for answered prayer: one must pray in belief (Jas. 1: 6), unselfishly (Jas. 4: 3-4), and in Christ's name (John 15: 7-8). According to the scriptures, prayer is a privilege of only those who are obedient (1 John 3: 21-23).

Some hindrances to answered prayer. Family problems can hinder prayer (1 Pet. 3: 7). One who fails to forgive another can also expect his prayer to go unanswered (Matt. 6: 12, 14, 15). Lack of repentance and idols in one's heart can hinder prayer (Isa. 59: 1; Ezek. 14: 3-4).

Remember, the answer isn't always "yes".  Sometimes God's answer to the prayers of the faithful is “no”, or “not yet”, or “here is something better” (Matt. 26:36-46; 2 Cor. 12:7-10). This is because God knows the future and knows what's really best for us (Isa. 55:8). That is why you often see expressions like “if the Lord wills” in scripture (Rom. 1:10; Rom. 15:32; 1 Cor. 4:19; James 4:15).

Conclusion. As we see from the scriptures, there are a number of stated reasons for prayer. We also see some conditions and hindrances of answered prayer. Do you enjoy the privilege of answered prayer?
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