Prayer - The Ultimate Weapon

The text below is from http://www.parentsforchrist.com/content/articles/38.shtml


~ Reverand Dennis W. Smith Sr.



GOD commands us to pray unto Him without ceasing. He wants us to call on him everyday, all day. God's word is power. God says, "We have not because we ask not."
Prayer to God should be the hearts render unto His holiness. Prayer unto God must first go through Jesus

Christ in order that God may hear you. God wants us to pray without ceasing in order that we may be in constant fellowship with Him. If we are then in constant fellowship with Him we render no space for the devil to dwell. When you're focused totally on God and you;re operating under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, satan is given no target. But we must remember these truths. To digest this essence of ultimate priority is to invite wisdom to dwell within your life and your family. The Holy Spirit is a gift sent by God. When we pray, we're communicating in the spirit unto the Lord. Having a spiritual mindset is God's command. You can't go wrong with the Holy Spirit operating in your life and guiding your steps.

Prayer is the foundation of our very existence. Without it, we are cut off from the love of God. But through prayer no demon can come against us. You may pray silently or openly and no one can distort that unless you allow it. Godly living and prayer is our choice. Prayer is powerful, prayer heals, prayer blesses others, prayer changes hearts of oppressors, prayer heals the sick and wounded, prayer brings the dead to life, prayer rids afflictions off of the body. With prayer and through honest faith your life and your family can be assured happiness. God answers prayers in His time and by His will. God grants us an open door policy - to be able to pray unto Him whenever we feel. If we ask of our Heavenly Father, we shall receive.

Allowing prayer to manifest itself is the ultimate weapon in your family's life. Be reassured that prayer is a promise. All that is broken prayer can fix, all that is hidden prayer shall find, all that is dirty prayer shall clean, all that is lost prayer shall find. Prayer is all of life because God is all of life. If you then love God and your family you should love to pray. When you pray and believing by faith through the mercy of God, life is yet wonderful. Sometimes prayer is for thanksgiving and other times its for mercy to be granted upon someone else's life. God says,"Every need shall be met". We meet those needs through prayer and only prayer in the Holy Spirit. God's miracles work through intercessory prayer. God wants us to pray for those in distant lands, to pray for the sick we do not even know and to pray for our appointed government officials and heads of state. Prayer fixes all and heals all if it is the will of God. This is so important to remember. When you pray, pray for God's will to be done. Humble yourselves before the Lord. He hears your heart and knows your needs. Many times people pray for a loved one to be healed and when that person dies from an incurable disease, their prayers turn to anguish and God is lashed out at and blamed. God already knows what's going to happen, but we must humble ourselves before His throne. He is a merciful God and does things in His own time. His will might not be for that person to continue living. He created us all and all of our heads are numbered. Your time you do not know. Count it all joy the trials of life that fall upon you. Glorify God, even in the worst of times. Paul the Apostle said, "My work is done, now I go to be with the Father". Through prayer we must glorify God in good times and what we consider bad times.

No weapon formed against us shall prosper; the mighty works of prayer assures us of this. Obey God's law and live righteously. Pray without ceasing and humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord. The presence of the Lord is certified in every step and moment of your life. He is all around us and sees all that we do, even before it has entered our thought. Prayer brings mercy upon your life and it brings promise of life everlasting. TO KNOW GOD IS TO PRAY... TO LOVE LIFE IS TO LOVE JESUS CHRIST... TO LIVE LOVE IS TO LIVE WITHIN THE HOLY SPIRIT.



Submitted on : 28-Mar-2005

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"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6

Triumph in Tragedy

Special thanks goes out to Silent Missionary check out this great website!

Within hours, the freak accident had made national and international headlines.  From behind guarded hospital doors came good news concerning Scott and Janet:  their physical recovery from first and second degree burns would be complete. However, the most astonishing recovery became apparent as Scott and Janet displayed their emotional and spiritual stability.

Pastor Duane Scott Willis and his wife Janet dearly loved the nine children God had given them.  But mid-morning on November 8, 1994, a fiery auto explosion on I-94 in Milwaukee claimed the lives of their six youngest. 

Milwaukee, the nation, -- even the world looked on in amazement as eight days later the bereaved couple explained to the media how they could make it through such a sudden and horrific tragedy. 

The following statements are excerpts from that news conference.

Psalm 34 says, ‘I will bless the Lord at all times.  His praise shall continually be in my mouth.  Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good.’

Janet and I want to praise and thank God.  There is no question in our minds that God is good, and we praise Him in all things.  God is a great God."

It was a split-second decision.

"As far as the accident is concerned, I was looking at the road and was alert.  Our little baby was behind us; Ben was behind us on the other side.  In the back seat were the other four children; they were all buckled in.  I saw the object (a metal brace, 6" x 30", 30 lbs.).  I thought it was one of those blocks that maybe came off one of those flat-bed trucks.  The car in front of me swerved, and I knew I couldn’t miss hitting the object.  I thought if I took it on the tire I might roll the car. 

"When we hit the object, the rear gas tank exploded, taking the car out of control.  I was able to grip the wheel and take the car out of the slide.  

When we were sliding and the flames were coming around the seat, it was a shock—a surprise—like, ‘What is this?’  It was just roaring flames coming up on both sides.  I was yelling to get out of the car.  Janet and I had to consciously put our hands into the flames to unbuckle the seat belts and reach for the door handles. 

 Janet fell out the door while the car was still moving.  Benny was in the midst of the burning; his clothes were mostly burnt off by the time he got out.  The five youngest children, who had been asleep, died instantly. 

No sound was heard by Janet or me as we struggled to get out of the van.  An unknown man took his shirt off his back to soak Benny’s wounds, and another beat out the burning clothes on Janet’s back.  Benny died in intensive care around midnight."

"We believe children are an heritage of the Lord.  We thank God for six precious children-- four rascally boys, a sweet girl, so much like her mother, and a little baby, just beginning to smile and grow.  We understood that they were given of the Lord, and we understood they weren’t ours.  They were His, and we were stewards of those children.  And so God took them back.  He is the Giver and Taker of life. We must tell you that we are hurt and sorrowful as you parents would for your children.  The depth of pain is indescribable. 

The Bible expresses our feelings that we sorrow, but not as those without hope."

"What gives us our firm foundation for our hope is the Bible.  The truth of God’s Word assures us that Ben, Joe, Sam, Hank, Elizabeth, and Peter are in Heaven with Jesus Christ.  We know, based upon the Word of God, where they are.  Our strength rests in the Word of God.  The Bible is sure and gives us confidence.  Everything God promises is true."

"We thank God for His preparation for this trial.  Janet became a Christian as a teenager after reading a Gospel tract that somebody had handed her.  On February 5, 1975, I (Scott) trusted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.  A man showed me that I was a sinner—and I knew my own heart.  Nobody had ever, ever in my life presented the Gospel to me.  I put my faith and trust in Jesus Christ; I believed that He died for my sins.  I became a Christian that day.  Since then God has been working with us. He has prepared us for this trial.  We’re not special people.  We’re sinners saved by grace.  But we’re not taking a short view of life; we take a long view of life, and that includes eternal life.  We realize that someday we’ll stand before the Lord, and the things that are here will matter very little.  God’s grace is sufficient for everybody."

Scott and Janet always speak directly concerning God’s Word and the issues of life. 

Neither would hesitate to ask:  Are you and your household prepared to handle the certainty of death?

God’s Word teaches that 

"it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment" (Hebrews 9:27).

When you stand before the Lord God, what will His decision be concerning you? Do you have absolute assurance that Heaven is your eternal home? Have you trusted in Jesus Christ as your personal Savior from the penalty of your sins? If not, please read and believe the follow statements from God’s Word the Bible, and accept Jesus Christ TODAY!

In God’s eyes we are all on the same level:  "There is none righteous, no not one .  .  .  For all have sinned" (Romans 3:10, 23).  We are all sinners deserving eternal judgment in the lake of fire because "the wages of sin is death" (Revelation 20:15; 21:8; Romans 6:23).

However,

"God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).  Eternal life can be received only as a gift from God.  It can never be earned, because "by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves:  it is the gift of God; not of works, lest any man should boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9).  Through the death and resurrection of Jesus, God’s Son, God provided the only means for man’s salvation.

Eternal life is available to anyone!

"Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Romans 10:13).  Talk to God RIGHT NOW in prayer! Admit to Him your need as a sinner and your trust in Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. 

He will save you NOW!

7 Proofs of the Resurrection

Evidence the Resurrection of Jesus Christ Happened By Jack Zavada, Contributing Writer

Is the resurrection of Jesus Christ an historical event that really happened, or is it only a myth, as many atheists claim?

 While no one witnessed the actual resurrection, many people swore they saw the risen Christ after his death, and their lives were never the same. Archaeological discoveries continue to support the Bible's historical accuracy. We tend to forget that the Gospels and book of Acts are eyewitness accounts of the life and death of Jesus. Further non-biblical evidence for Jesus' existence comes from the writings of Flavius Josephus, Cornelius Tacitus, Lucian of Samosata, and the Jewish Sanhedrin. The following seven proofs of the resurrection show that Christ did, indeed, rise from the dead.

The Resurrection Proof #1:

 The Empty Tomb of Jesus

The empty tomb may be the strongest proof Jesus Christ rose from the dead.

 Two major theories have been advanced by unbelievers: someone stole Jesus' body or the women and disciples went to the wrong tomb. The Jews and Romans had no motive to steal the body.

 Christ's apostles were too cowardly and would have had to overcome the Roman guards. The women who found the tomb empty had earlier watched Jesus being laid away; they knew where the correct tomb was.

 Even if they had gone to the wrong tomb, the Sanhedrin could have produced the body from the right tomb to stop the resurrection stories. Jesus' burial cloths were left neatly folded inside, hardly the act of hurrying grave robbers. Angels said Jesus had risen from the dead.

The Resurrection Proof #2:

 The Holy Women Eyewitnesses

 The holy women eyewitnesses are further proof that the Gospels are accurate historical records.

 If the accounts had been made up, no ancient author would have used women for witnesses to Christ's resurrection. Women were second class citizens in Bible times; their testimony was not even allowed in court.

Yet the Bible says the risen Christ first appeared to Mary Magdalene and other holy women. Even the apostles did not believe Mary when she told them the tomb was empty.

 Jesus, who always had special respect for these women, honoured them as the first eyewitnesses to his resurrection. The male Gospel writers had no choice but to report this act of God's favor, because that was how it happened.

The Resurrection Proof #3:

Jesus' Apostles' New-Found Courage

After the crucifixion, Jesus' apostles hid behind locked doors, terrified they would be executed next.

But something changed them from cowards to bold preachers. Anyone who understands human character knows people do not change that much without some major influence. That influence was seeing their Master, bodily risen from the dead.

Christ appeared to them in the locked room, on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, and on the Mount of Olives. After seeing Jesus alive, Peter and the others left the locked room and preached the risen Christ, unafraid of what would happen to them. They quit hiding because they knew the truth. They finally understood that Jesus is God incarnate, who saves people from sin.

The Resurrection Proof #4:

Changed Lives of James and Others

Changed lives are yet another proof of the resurrection. James, the brother of Jesus, was openly sceptical that Jesus was the Messiah. Later James became a courageous leader of the Jerusalem church, even being stoned to death for his faith. Why?

The Bible says the risen Christ appeared to him. What a shock to see your own brother, alive again, after you knew he was dead. James and the apostles were effective missionaries because people could tell these men had touched and seen the risen Christ. With such zealous eyewitnesses, the early church exploded in growth, spreading west from Jerusalem to Rome and beyond.

For 2,000 years, encounters with the resurrected Jesus have changed lives.

The Resurrection Proof #5:

Large Crowd of Eyewitnesses

A large crowd of more than 500 eyewitnesses saw the risen Jesus Christ at the same time. The Apostle Paul records this event in 1 Corinthians 15:6. He states that most of these men and women were still alive when he wrote this letter, about 55 A.D.

Undoubtedly they told others about this miracle. Today, psychologists say it would be impossible for a large crowd of people to have had the same hallucination at once.

Smaller groups also saw the risen Christ, such as the apostles, and Cleopas and his companion. They all saw the same thing, and in the case of the apostles, they touched Jesus and watched him eat food. The hallucination theory is further debunked because after the ascension of Jesus into heaven, sightings of him stopped.

The Resurrection Proof #6:

Conversion of Paul

 The conversion of Paul records the most drastically changed life in the Bible. As Saul of Tarsus, he was an aggressive persecutor of the early church. When the risen Christ appeared to Paul on the Damascus Road, Paul became Christianity's most determined missionary. He endured five floggings, three beatings, three shipwrecks, a stoning, poverty, and years of ridicule. Finally the Roman emperor Nero had Paul beheaded because the apostle refused to deny his faith in Jesus.

What could make a person willingly accept-even welcome-such hardships? Christians believe the conversion of Paul came about because he encountered Jesus Christ who had risen from the dead.

The Resurrection Proof #7:

They Died for Jesus

 Countless people have died for Jesus, absolutely certain that the resurrection of Christ is an historical fact. Tradition says ten of the original apostles died as martyrs for Christ, as did the Apostle Paul.

 Hundreds, perhaps thousands of early Christians died in the Roman arena and in prisons for their faith. Down through the centuries, thousands more have died for Jesus because they believed the resurrection is true.

Even today, people suffer persecution because they have faith that Christ rose from the dead. An isolated group may give up their lives for a cult leader, but Christian martyrs have died in many lands, for nearly 2,000 years, believing Jesus conquered death to give them eternal life.

Quotes By D.L. Moody

"It is the only happy life to live for the salvation of souls."

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"God sends no one away empty except those who are full of themselves."

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"Someday you will read in the papers that D.L. Moody of East Northfield, is dead. Don't you believe a word of it! At that moment I shall be more alive than I am now; I shall have gone up higher, that is all, out of this old clay tenement into a house that is immortal- a body that death cannot touch, that sin cannot taint; a body fashioned like unto His glorious body."

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"A good example is far better than a good precept."

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"A man ought to live so that everybody knows he is a Christian... and most of all, his family ought to know."

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"Character is what a man is in the dark."

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"Church attendance is as vital to a disciple as a transfusion of rich, healthy blood to a sick man."

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"Death may be the King of terrors... but Jesus is the King of kings!"

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"Faith makes all things possible... love makes all things easy."

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"Give me a man who says this one thing I do, and not those fifty things I dabble in."

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"God doesn't seek for golden vessels, and does not ask for silver ones, but He must have clean ones."

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"God never made a promise that was too good to be true."

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"I have had more trouble with myself than with any other man."

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"I know the Bible is inspired because it inspires me."

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"If I take care of my character, my reputation will take care of me."

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"It is a masterpiece of the devil to make us believe that children cannot understand religion. Would Christ have made a child the standard of faith if He had known that it was not capable of understanding His words?"

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"Light for every darkness, life in death, the promise of our Lord's return, and the assurance of everlasting glory."

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"Never think that Jesus commanded a trifle, nor dare to trifle with anything He has commanded."

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"No man can resolve himself into Heaven."

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"Preparation for old age should begin not later than one's teens. A life which is empty of purpose until 65 will not suddenly become filled on retirement."

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"The Bible will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from the Bible."

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"There are many of us that are willing to do great things for the Lord, but few of us are willing to do little things."

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"There's no better book with which to defend the Bible than the Bible itself."

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"We are told to let our light shine, and if it does, we won't need to tell anybody it does. Lighthouses don't fire cannons to call attention to their shining- they just shine."

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"We can stand affliction better than we can prosperity, for in prosperity we forget God."

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"We talk about heaven being so far away. It is within speaking distance to those who belong there. Heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people."

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"Where I was born and where and how I have lived is unimportant. It is what I have done with where I have been that should be of interest."

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"Where one man reads the Bible, a hundred read you and me."

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"God stands in no need of our strength or wisdom, but of our ignorance, of our weakness; let us but give these to Him, and He can make use of us in winning souls."

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"There is much mourning to-day over false 'isms,' infidelity, and the like, but sum them all up, and I do not fear them one half so much as that dead and cold formalism that has crept into the Church of God."

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"God has no children too weak, but a great many too strong to make use of."

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"Some people think God does not like to be troubled with our constant coming and asking. The way to trouble God is not to come at all."

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"The Christian on his knees sees more than the philosopher on tiptoe."

6 reasons why prayers are not answered

By David Wilkerson

http://www.tscpulpitseries.org/english/undated/tssixrea.html

The devil's final strategy in deceiving believers is to make them doubt the faithfulness of God in answering prayer.

 Satan would have us believe God has shut His ears to our cry and left us to work things out for ourselves.

I believe the greatest tragedy in the church of Jesus Christ today is that so few now believe in the power and effectiveness of prayer. Without meaning to blaspheme, multitudes of God's people can now be heard complaining,

 "I pray, but I get no answers. I've prayed so long, so hard, without any results. All I want is to see a little evidence of God changing things. Things go on as usual - nothing happens. How long must I wait?"

They no longer visit the secret closet because they are convinced that their petitions, born in prayer, are somewhere miscarried at the throne. Others are convinced that only Daniel, David, and Elijah types can get their prayers through to God.

In all honesty, many saints of God struggle with these thoughts –

 "If God's ear is open to my prayer, and I pray diligently, why is there such little evidence of His answering?" Is there one certain prayer you have been praying for such a long time, and as yet it has not been answered? Have even years gone by and still you wait, hoping, yet wondering?

Let us be careful not to charge God, as did Job, with being slothful; and unconcerned about our needs and petitions.

 Job complained, "I cry unto thee and thou dost not hear me; I stand up, and though regardest me not" (Job 30:20).

His vision of God's faithfulness was clouded by his present difficulties, and he ended up accusing God of forgetting him. God rebuked him soundly for it.

It's time we Christians took an honest look at the reasons why our prayers are aborted.

We can be guilty of charging God with neglect, when all along our own behaviour is responsible.

Let me name six, of many reasons why our prayers are not answered.

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Reason One: Our Prayers Are Aborted When They Are Not According To God's Will.

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We are not at liberty to pray at random for whatever our selfish minds conceive. We are not permitted to come into his presence and vent our silly notions and mindless ramblings. If God signed all our petitions without discretion, He would end up giving His glory away.

There is a law of prayer! It is a law meant to weed out beggarly, self-centered prayers - while, at the same time, making it possible for honest seekers to ask in confidence. In other words, we can pray for whatsoever we will, as long as it is His will.

"If we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us" (1 John 5:14).

The disciples were not praying according to God's will when they prayed with vindictiveness and revenge. They petitioned God thusly,

 "Shall we command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?" Jesus answered, "You do not know what manner of spirit you are of" (Luke 9:54,55).

Job, in his sorrow, begged God to take his life away. What if God had answered such a prayer? Such praying was contrary to the will of God. The Word warns, "Let not thy lip be hasty to utter a matter before the Lord."

Daniel prayed the right way. First, he went to the Scriptures and searched out the mind of God. Having gotten clear direction, and sure of God's will, he runs to God's throne with a mighty assurance.

 "And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer" (Daniel 9:3).

We know too much about what we want and too little about what He wants.

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Reason Two   :     Our Prayers Can Be Aborted When They Are Designed To Fulfil An Inner Lust, Dreams, Or Illusions.

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"Ye ask and receive not because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lust" (James 4:3).

God will answer no prayer that would add to our honour or assist our temptations. In the first place, God answers no prayer of a person who harbours lust in his or her heart. All answers are dependent on upon the plucking out of our hearts the evil, the lust, and the besetting sins.

"If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me" (Psalm 66:18).

The test of knowing whether or not our request is based on lust is very simple. How we handle delays and denials is the clue J.

 Prayers founded on lust demand hasty answers. If the lusting heart does not get the thing desired, quickly, it whimpers and cries, it swoons and faints - or it breaks out in a spell of murmuring and complaining, finally accusing God of deafness. 

"Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not" (Isaiah 58:3).

The lustful heart cannot see God's glory in His denials and delays. Yet did God not get more glory by denying Christ's prayer to save His life, if possible, from death?

Shudder to think of where we would be today had God not denied that request.

God, in His justice, is obligated to delay or deny our prayers until they are purged of all selfishness and lust.

Could it be there is one simple reason why most of our prayers are hindered? Could it be a result of our ongoing flirtation with a lust or besetting sin? Have we forgotten that only those with clean hands and pure hearts can set their feet on His holy hill?

Only a total forsaking of a pet sin will throw open the gates of heaven and unclog the blessings.

Instead of yielding, we run from counsellor to counsellor - trying to find help to cope with despair, emptiness, and restlessness. Yet, it is all in vain because sin and lust have not yet been plucked out.

Sin is the root of all our problems. Peace comes only when we surrender and forsake all lust and secret sin.

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Reason Three: Our Prayers Can Be Denied When We Show No Diligence to Assist God In The Answer.

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We go to God as if He were a kind of rich relative who will support us and give us all we beg for, while we lift not even a hand to help. We lift our hands to God in prayer, then put them in our pockets.

We expect our prayers to get God to working for us, while we sit idly by, thinking to ourselves, "He has all the power; I have none, so I will simply stand still and let him do the work."

It sounds like good theology, but it is not. God will have no idle beggars at His door. God won't even allow us to be charitable to those who on earth refuse to work.

"We command you that, if any would not work, neither should he eat" (2 Thessalonians 3:10).

There is nothing unscriptural about adding sweat to our tears. Take, for example, the matter of praying for victory over a secret lust that lingers in the heart. Do you simply ask God to take it away miraculously, then sit by, hoping it will die on its own?

 No sin has ever been slain in the heart without the cooperation of man's own hand, as in the case of Joshua.

 All night long, he lay prostrated and mourning over Israel's defeat. God set him on his feet saying,

 "Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face? Israel hath sinned. Up, sanctify the people..." (Joshua 7:10-13).

God has every right to rouse us from our knees and say,

 "Why sit around lazily, waiting for a miracle? Have I not commanded you to flee from the very appearance of evil? You are to do more than simply pray against your lust, but you are commanded also to run from it. You cannot rest until you have done all that is commanded."

We cannot go about all day long giving in to our lust and evil desires, then run into the secret closet at night to pray for a miracle of deliverance.

Secret sin causes us to lose ground with God in prayer, because unyielded sin is actually siding with the devil.

One of God's names is "Revealer of Secrets" (Daniel 2:47). He must bring to light the hidden secrets of darkness, no matter how saintly the one who tries to hide it. The more pains one goes to in hiding sin, the surer God is to expose it. The coast is never clear to secret sin.

"Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance" (Psalm 90:8).

God will protect his own honour above the reputation of those who sin in secret.

God exposed David's sin in order to keep His own honour before ungodly men. And David, who was so jealous of his own good name and reputation, even today stands before our eyes exposed and still confessing - every time we read about him in the Scripture.

No - God will not allow us to drink from stolen waters, then attempt to drink at His holy fountain. Not only will our secret sin find us out, it will deny us God's best and bring on a flood of despair, doubt, and fear.

Don't blame God for not listening to your prayers if you're not listening to His call to obedience. You will end up blaspheming God and accusing Him of negligence, while all along you'll be the culprit.

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Reason Four: Our Prayers Can Be Aborted By A Secret Grudge Lodged In The Heart Against Another.

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Christ will not deal with anyone with a wrathful and unforgiving spirit. We are commanded to "lay aside all malice, envy, and evil speaking, and as newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the Word" (1 Peter 2:1,2).

Christ will not even communicate with a wrangling, jangling, unforgiving person. God's law of prayer is clear on this matter,

 "Lift up pure hands without wrath or doubting" (1 Timothy 2:8). By not forgiving the sins committed against us, we make it impossible for God to forgive and bless us.

He instructed us to pray, "Forgive us, as we forgive others."

Is there a grudge smouldering in your heart against another? Don't look upon it as something you have a right to indulge in. God takes such things very seriously.

All the wranglings and disputing among Christian brothers and sisters must grieve His heart more than all the sins of the ungodly. No wonder our prayers are hindered - we have become so obsessed with our own hurt feelings and so concerned about our mistreatment from others.

There is also a malignant mistrust rising up in religious circles. Jealousies, uncharitableness, bitterness - and a spirit of revenge, all in God's name. We should not wonder if God shuts the very gates of heaven on us, until we learn to love and forgive. Yes, even those who have hurt us the most. Get this Jonah off your ship and the storm will settle.

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Reason Five: Our Prayers Can Be Aborted By Not Expecting Much To Come Of Them.

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He who expects little from prayer will not have much power and authority in prayer. When we question the power of prayer, we lose it. The devil is trying to rob us of hope by making it appear that prayer is no longer effective.

How clever Satan is, as he tries to deceive us with lies and unnecessary fears. When Isaac was brought the false news that Joseph had been killed, it sickened him to despair, even though it was a lie.

Joseph was alive and prospering, while all this time his father grieved in sorrow - having believed the lie. So Satan is trying to deceive us today with lies.

Unbelieving fears rob the believer of joy and confidence in God. God does not hear all prayer - He hears only believing prayer. Prayer is the only weapon we have against all the fiery darkness of the enemy.

 That weapon must be used in great confidence, or else we have no other defence against Satan's lies. Gods' reputation is at stake.

Our lack of patience is proof enough we don't expect much from prayer. We leave the secret closet of prayer, ready to go on muddling our way through - and we would even be shocked if God did answer.

We think God has not heard us because we see no evidence of an answer.

But of this you can be sure - the longer a prayer is delayed, the more perfect it will come forth at last. Also, the deeper the silence, the louder the answer.

Abraham prayed for a child, and God answered. Yet, how many years went by before he held that child in his arms? Every faithful prayer is heard the moment it is prayed, but God chooses to answer in His own way and in His own time. Meanwhile, God expects us to rejoice in the naked promises and feast on hope while we wait for the fulfilment. Also, he wraps His denials in the sweet package of love, to prevent us from falling into despair.

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Reason Six: Our Prayers Are Aborted When We Ourselves Attempt To Prescribe How God Should Answer.

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The only person we lay down terms to is the one we don't trust. Those we trust we leave to themselves to do what is right. It all boils down to a lack of trust.

The believing soul, after he has unburdened his heart in prayer to the Lord, resigns himself to the faithfulness, goodness, and wisdom of God. The true believer will leave the shaping of the answer to God's mercy. Whatever way God chooses to answer, the believer will welcome it.

David prayed diligently for his household, and then committed all to God's covenant - "Though my house be not so with God, yet He hath made with me a covenant" (2 Samuel 23:5).

Those who prescribe to God how and when to answer actually limit the Holy one of Israel. Since God will not bring the answer in the front door, they are not aware of His coming in the back. They trust only in conclusions and not promises.

 But God will not be bound up to time, manner, or means of answering. He will forever do exceedingly, abundantly more than we ask or think of asking. He will answer with health, or grace that is better than health. He will send love, or something beyond it. He will deliver, or do something even greater.

He desires that we simply leave our requests lodged in His powerful arms, cast all our care upon Him, and go forth with peace and serenity to wait His relief.

How tragic to have so great a God and so little faith in Him.

No more of "Is He able?" Away with such blasphemy! How that must grate on the ears of our almighty God.

"Can He pardon? Can He heal? Can He work a work for me?" Away with such unbelief!

Come, rather, to him "as unto a faithful Creator." When Hannah prayed through in faith, she "rose from her knees to eat, and her countenance was no more sad."

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A Few More Encouragements and Warnings Concerning Prayer:

When You Are Down, and Satan Whispers In Your Ear That God Has Forgotten You, Stop His Mouth With This -

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"Devil - it is not God who has forgotten, but it is me. I've forgotten all His past blessings, or else I could not now be questioning his faithfulness."

You see, faith should have a good memory. Our rash and hasty words are results of our forgetting His past benefits. With David, we should pray:

"This is my infirmity, but I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High, I will remember the works of the Lord, surely I will remember Thy wonders of old." (Psalm 77:10,11).

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Reject That Secret Whisper In The Soul That Says, "The Answer Will Be So Long Delayed, I Will Not Enjoy It Should It Come."

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You can be guilty of spiritual mutiny by not trusting God to answer at the most opportune time. You can be sure that when the answer comes, it will come in a way and in a time it will be most enjoyed. If what you prayed for is not worth the waiting, it is not worth the asking.

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Stop Fretting About Receiving, and Learn to Rely.

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God never groans or complains about the power of His enemies, but rather the impatience of His own people. How unbelief does break His heart, with so many wondering whether to love Him or leave Him.

God wants us to rely on His love. Love is the principle He constantly acts from, and from this He never swerves. When He frowns with His brow, rebukes with His lips, or strikes with His hand, even in all this, His heart burns with love and all His thoughts toward us are of peace and goodness.

All hypocrisy lies in distrust, and the soul that cannot rely on God cannot long be true to God. When once we begin to question His faithfulness, we begin to live by our own wits and care for ourselves. Like the backslidden children of Israel, we are saying, "Up, make us gods...We know not what has become of Moses..." (Exodus 32:1).

You are no company to God unless you rely on Him.

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When You Are Down, You Are Allowed To Groan, But Not To Grumble.

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How can love for God be preserved in the heart that grumbles? The Word calls it 'contending with God'. What a foolish person to dare find fault with God - He will challenge such a person to lay his hand upon his mouth or else be consumed with bitterness.

The Holy Spirit within us groans, with that unutterable language of heaven that prays according to the perfect will of God. But the fleshly grumble that proceeds out of the heart of the disenchanted believer is poison. Grumbling kept an entire nation out of the Promised Land, and it is today keeping multitudes from the blessings of the Lord. Groan if you must, but God forbid that you should grumble.

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Those Who Ask in Faith Go Forth Praising in Hope.

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"His words are pure as silver tried seven times in a furnace" (Psalm 12:6).

God will not permit a liar or covenant-breaker to enter His presence or set foot on His holy hill. How then can we conceive that such a holy God can ever break His word to us? God has made himself, a name on earth - a name of 'Everlasting Faithfulness'. The more we believe that, the less troubled our souls will be. In the same proportion that there is faith in the heart, there is peace also.

"In quietness and confidence shall be your strength" (Isaiah 30:15).

God's promises are like the ice on a frozen lake - which He says will hold us. The believer ventures out on it with boldness; the unbeliever with fear, lest it should break under him and leave him floundering.

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Never, Never Question Because You Don't Hear From God Presently.

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If God is delaying, it simply means your request is gaining interest in God's bank of blessings. So assured were the saints of God that He was faithful to His promises, they rejoiced before even seeing any conclusions. They went on merrily, as if they had already received. God wants us to pay in praises before we receive the promises.

The Holy Ghost assists us in prayer - and is He not welcome at the throne? Will the Father deny the Spirit? Never! That groaning in your soul is no less than God Himself - and God will not deny Himself.

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Conclusion

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Saints of God - we alone are the losers if we do not get back to watching and praying. We become cold, sensuous, and playful when we avoid the secret closet of prayer. What a sad awakening there will be for those who carelessly harbor secret grudges against the Lord for not answering their prayers, when all along they have been slothful. We have not been effectual and fervent. We have not shut ourselves in with Him. We have not put aside our besetting sins. We have asked mostly to consume it on our own lust. We have been materialistic, lazy, unbelieving, doubtful - and then we wonder why our prayers are not answered.

When Christ returns, He will not find faith on the earth, unless we get back into the secret closet, shut in with Christ and His Word.

Time is short; the day of the Lord is at hand. Should we not then be watching and praying?