PART 5 PRAYER

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How Do We Know Whether God Will Hear and Answer the Prayers of His Saints during the Church Age?

What is the Church Age?

The Church Age begins from the day of Pentecost to the rapture of the Church. Jesus promised His disciples (apostles) that after He departed from this earth, He’d send the Holy Spirit, who’s another member of the Trinity, to come and indwell them. This happened on the day of Pentecost. From this time on, the apostle’s mission would be to proclaim the good news that Jesus Christ, the Messiah, who is God, deity, came to earth to die on the cross as a substitute for mankind, paying the penalty demanded by another member of the Trinity, God the Father, for all of the sins that were committed by the entire world, past, present, and future. This ransom opened the door for sinful man to have an opportunity to enter into heaven immediately at physical death, provided they repented to God the Father of their sins and professed belief in Christ, as to who He is and what He has done, at some point in time during their years on the earth.

    

Are you ready to find out whether God hears and answers the prayers of His saints?

Let’s begin by turning your Bible into the Book of John.

 

John 7:36-39

What manner of saying is this that he said, Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come? In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

On the day of Pentecost, the indwelling or Baptism of the Holy Spirit was poured out on one hundred twenty disciples who were waiting for the promise of the Spirit in an upper room at Jerusalem. Jesus, while he was alive on the earth, spoke of this future occurrence of the Spirit that would no longer be on-resting but indwelling. The pre-requisite for receiving the Holy Spirit differed for those living in the Church Age. It wasn’t believing in God as He was revealed in the Old Testament, but it involved repentance and belief in Christ.

Ephesians 2:18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.

Furthermore, by the ministry of the Holy Spirit, a new believer would have direct access to God the Father. Now, we know the first two ingredients that cause God to hear and answer our prayers.

�-�Repentance and belief in Jesus Christ.

�-�Receiving the indwelling Holy Spirit.

Here’s where it gets tricky. If you remember, the second component regarding an Old Testament saint communing with God involved hiding what He said away in their heart and obeying it. And the third aspect was repenting of their sins. But for the New Testament saint, this idea of communion with God the Father is described in a different manner.

Suppose we were to ask some believers what they believed would be the criteria for God hearing and answering their prayers. I wonder how many of them would say that’s simple, it’s not committing certain overt sins, i.e., murder, adultery, extortion, homosexuality, lesbianism, drunkenness, etc. I agree that we, Christians, shouldn’t be practicing them. However, is this how fellowship with God is attained? You might say, I believe this to be so. Let’s consider another avenue.

    

For the New Testament saint to have interaction with God the Father, the Scriptures indicate that there are three pre-requisites concerning this.

The first one is found in 1 John. Please go there.

                                                      

1 John 1:9       

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Sin is no longer confined to committing an overt act, as against a fellow Jew under the institution of the Mosaic Law in the Old Testament, but has to do with what we think in our mental attitude, speak in words, and commit in actions. In whatever way we sin, we should confess such by admitting ourselves guilty to God the Father, who’ll forgive (remission of the punishment in time; restore fellowship with Him; recover the filling of the Spirit) us. And if our sin was directed to a particular person, we should go to them, admit fault, and repent.

The second pre-requisite is also found in 1 John.

                              

1 John 2:5

But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected:hereby know we that we are in him.

The initial idea that might come to your mind when I say that you must keep God’s Word is that you must not commit certain sins according to the many commandments mentioned in the Old Testament. Is this indeed the case? Well, let’s take a look at the word keepeth. This word in Koine Greek means to continually keep on keeping or giving watchful care to the Word of God. In what sense? We should be giving attentive consideration to the Word of God as it provides us awareness of not only who we are in Christ but of all of the spiritual realities that have taken place in our lives at salvation. Are you aware of what some of these are?

Let’s take a look at a few of them.

 

�-�The Holy Spirit quickens us.

By the power of the Holy Spirit, we’ve been spiritually resurrected or have been made spiritually alive with Christ. 

Ephesians 2:4-5 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

 

�-�Our old man is crucified with Christ.

Our old man refers to the sinful and corrupt nature that has been crucified with Christ on the cross through our identification with Him. The body, which has belonged to or has been ruled by the power of sin, may now cease to be an instrument of it and no longer be subject to its control.

Romans 6:6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

 

�-�We’re sealed with the Holy Spirit.

When the Holy Spirit comes into our lives, He’s the seal (stamp of ownership) indicating to God who is His. A seal can also refer to a down payment in the sense of having tasted the [Spirit] we have begun to taste the life of the future world that God had promised¹⁶us.

Ephesians 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

 

�-�We’ve been made an heir through God.

We’re no longer to be treated as servants, bound by the oppression of the Mosaic Law, but as sons - members of God’s family. Because we’re sons, we’re also heirs as those who possess God Himself, partake of His nature, and possess every blessing to which we’re entitled.

Galatians 4:6-7 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

 

�-�We’re given eternal life.

Eternal life is the quality of life one experiences when God rules one’s life. This can also be called the zoe life. It’s also conceived of as life that never ends because it comes from God.¹⁷                                          

John 5:11 And this is the record that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

       

�-�We’re sanctified.

The will of God, which was for the sanctification of men, was accomplished through Jesus’ atonement for sins on the cross. When we believe in Christ, we’re placed in a sanctified state, meaning that we’re in a permanent and continuous state of salvation into which we’re brought and live.

Hebrews 2:9, 11 … Jesus… For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren

These are some of the spiritual blessings/declarations each of us has received at salvation. Are you aware that there are many more? My new book, I AM, Do you know who you are in Christ? contains them. This is available on Amazon.com.

Now, we can reveal the third essential for God to hear and answer our prayers. Are you ready for it?This is to have a divine perspective concerning those areas of weaknesses (e.g., jealousy, fear, anxiety, sexual lust, covetousness, hate, etc.) which inhibit us in our spiritual walk. The Book of Romans will unveil what the divine protocol is in this regard.

                       

Romans 12:1-2

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

We’re to yield ourselves as those who are alive from the dead, appearing as new persons with new habits using a complete change for the better of our mental processes (the changing into new views and feelings that result in the restoration of the divine image) so that we’ll be able to test and approve what God’s will is.

God transforms our minds and makes us spiritually minded by using His Word. As you spend time meditating, memorizing, and making it a part of your inner man, God will gradually cause your mind to become more spiritual. If the world controls your thinking, you are a [conformer;] if God controls your thinking, you are a transformer.¹⁸

Let’s say we have a weakness regarding jealousy. This word in Koine Greek means resentment against someone because of that person’s rivalry, success, or advantages.¹⁹ How can we overcome this oppressive mental preoccupation? We can overpower this by finding out how God would have us to think in this respect. A verse that provides us with the divine perspective in this area of weakness is found in the Book of Hebrews.

Hebrews 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

It says that we’re to be content (depending on God’s providence; satisfied) with what God has given us. As we choose to memorize and meditate upon this Scripture, when a situation arises where jealous thoughts try to creep in, we can apply these transforming Words in their stead. And what actually takes place in our lives is communion with God. What do you mean, you ask? It’s the Holy Spirit filling us with Himself. Huh?

 

What does it mean to be filled with the Spirit?

Please turn in your Bible to the Book of Ephesians.

                  

Ephesians 5:18                                     

…but be filled with the Spirit;

To be filled with the Spirit means that the Spirit fills us with Himself so that we can express the nature of the Spirit-filled life.

Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

This nature is otherwise known as the fruit of the Spirit. Its elements of character are as follows:

�-�Love - self-sacrifice for the benefit of the one loved.

�-�Joy - inner rejoicing which [doesn’t depend on circumstances] because it rests in God’s sovereign control of all things.²⁰

�-�Peace - [restoration of right relationships between people;²¹ the calm, quiet, and order, which takes place in the justified soul, instead of the doubts, fears, alarms, and dreadful forebodings²² (a strong inner feeling or notion of a future misfortune, evil,²³ etc.)].

�-�Longsuffering - patient endurance of wrong under ill-treatment without anger or thought of revenge.²⁴

�-�Gentleness - unruffled disposition; treating others with politeness; making others around us as happy as possible.

�-�Goodness - gracious giving; no strings attached.

�-�Faith - faithful to one’s word and promises; faithful to God’s promises.

�-�Meekness - humility; submissiveness of spirit to God and man.

�-�Temperance - being able to say no to one’s own desires; mastery of one’s own desires and impulses.

 

Now you know the three keys for God to hear and answer our prayers.

�-�Repent of (turn from) our sins to God the Father and believe in his Son Jesus Christ. The result of which is the receiving of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

�-�To learn about what sin (mental, speech, actions) is, confess (by admitting oneself guilty) it to God the Father, and repent (to change one’s way of life as a result of a complete change of thought and attitude with regard to sin and righteousness²⁵).

�-�Learn about, memorize, meditate, and apply God’s perspective in His Word regarding any area of weakness that activates the filling (control) of the Spirit, who’s available for divine intervention and guidance (e.g., strengthening, protecting, comforting, giving us a Word in season for ourselves or others, providing discernment of what we’re listening to from the pulpit, helps us develop His spiritual qualities, etc.).

 

This isn’t to say that we shouldn’t attend the gathering of the saints and learn about the many other essential doctrines of the faith (e.g., forgiveness, redemption, justification, eternal security, etc.). But I hope what I’ll say next doesn’t offend you. Initially, our spiritual walk shouldn’t be characterized by doing good works. Yes, you heard that right.

Unfortunately, many churches advocate that a Christian’s life should be exemplified by doing good for others and volunteering to accomplish whatever the leadership of the church is asking for. In this case, the emphasis is on outer performance and not inner renewal. Recognition, therefore, comes from man and not God.

Spiritual growth, however, should start from within, in our inner person. As we grow, learning how to put off the old man and put on the new will allow us to operate in accordance with the ministry of the Holy Spirit, who provides us with divine motivation to serve God and others. Conversely, when this occurs, our good works will be performed with the correct perception and power source.

With that said, consider this question.

 

Does God hear and answer the prayers of His regenerated ones in the Church Age?

Yes, He hears them. However, His answer will be yes or no, depending on whether we’re walking in the Spirit. Consider this: if His answer is yes, it will be in His time and manner.

Ephesians 6:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

     Praying in the Spirit is a yes.

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

If we pray while operating in sin, he’ll still hear us, but we’ll be unable to be granted what we seek. When we ask for certain things in prayer, and God doesn’t grant them, the reason for His response of not allowing us to receive them is because they’ve been asked amiss (from wrong motives with a view toward self-indulgence and carnal gratification.²⁶ A key aspect of prayer is whether our mental attitude, speech, or actions are godly before we make the request.

So, before praying to God the Father, we should be self-reflective of our thoughts, words, and actions. If nothing sinful comes to mind, ask God the Father to reveal such in the name of His Son through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. If something becomes evident, confess it to God the Father or whomever we’ve offended and begin our prayer again.

 

Now that we know what the requisites are that cause God to hear and answer our prayers, what else should we learn about our petitions?

Some questions come to mind.

    

What, when, how long, and how often should we pray for?

But before we attempt to answer these questions, let’s try to determine what we can find out about them, concerning our utmost example, Jesus. However, before we do, I’ve provided an article about God not answering our prayers. This might provide us with additional information on this aspect of it. Enjoy.

 

WHY DOESN’T GOD ANSWER OUR PRAYERS?                   

Does God really mean it when he says that he will give us what we ask for?

Bible texts come to our minds, such as Matthew 7:7, “Ask, and it will be given to you”...  Will He really answer when we call? Isaiah 65:24: “Before you [call,] I will answer, while you are still speaking, I will hear.”

 

Does God answer prayers?          

Have you ever asked the question, why doesn’t prayer work? [Why, at times, does it appear that God ignores us when we pray to Him?] Many have prayed for God to intervene and solve a problem that they are struggling with, but sometimes [God’s] apparent answer is silence.

 

God knows what’s [best.]

Even when we feel that God [isn’t answering our prayers, we] can always know God is a God of love. The Bible tells us He loves us:

John 3:16. [“For] God so LOVED the world”.......
Jeremiah 31:3, “I have loved thee with an everlasting love.”....

God created us and knows infinitely more than we know. He knows [what’s best for us and what wouldn’t] be good for us. If you have children, when they were very small, sometimes they asked for things that [wouldn’t be good for them] or would harm them. For good [reasons, sometimes parents don’t] always give their children what they ask for, when they ask for it. Parents give them [what’s] best for them.

[It’s] the same way in our prayers to God. God gives us [what’s best for us. We’re God’s children, and He gives us what’s best for us and at a time when it’s] best for us. Our lives must be right with God before He can answer our prayers.

 

Right way

God has certain conditions that must be met before our prayers can be answered. One of the [first] is we feel our need of help from Him. Isaiah 44:3 says, “I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground.” The heart must be open to the Spirit’s influence, or God’s blessing cannot be received. One cannot pour water into a cup [that’s] already full.   

 

Right heart

If [we’ve cherished sins in our lives and refuse to give them up, or if we’re doing things we shouldn’t be doing] and are disobeying Him, we cannot expect Him to answer our prayers. He cannot answer our prayers if we have [unconfessed sins in our lives or if we’re] hanging on to cherished sins. Also, if we refuse to forgive others who have wronged us, God cannot hear us. (See Matthew 6:12 and Ephesians 4:32).

This [isn’t saying you can earn God’s favor to answer your prayers; it will always be Jesus’] blood that makes us [worthy,] but we do need to do our part if God is going to work in our lives.

 

Pray without ceasing

One of the reasons we feel our prayers are not being [answered] is because we stop praying. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says it best, “pray without ceasing.” Paul is more direct in Philippians 4:6, “In everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”

In reality, we [shouldn’t be worried so much about whether God hears our prayers �" He does,] and He does care. What we should be worried about is [if, because of temptations, hard times, and trials, we get discouraged] and give up praying. In Luke 18:1, [Jesus] “spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart.”

 

His time, His will

God is a God of love, and [He’s] interested in every detail of our lives. He hears our [prayers] and answers every sincere prayer if we meet His conditions. We must not expect that every answer will be [“yes” since we’re sinners and don’t always ask what’s] best for us. Sometimes His answer is [“No,”] and sometimes it is [“wait” (Hebrew 10:36).] We need to end each prayer with, “Not my will but Your will.” Even if [we’re] sincerely doing God’s will, and to the best of our ability, following His will for us, He may see that [it’s] best for us not for Him to say “yes” at this time. We must continue trusting Him, regardless of His answer at the moment.

God’s timetable [isn’t] the same as ours. He knows better than we do when [the best time for our prayers to be answered is]. (See Hebrews 6 :13-15). God is eternal and does not measure time as we do. 2 Peter 3:8: “Beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.”

In the story of Abraham, God promised a son to Abraham. But Abraham became impatient when Sarah didn’t bear him a son, so he took his wife’s servant as his wife. Abraham tried to solve the problem in his own [way,] and the result was disastrous. [We’re] still seeing the results of his mistake today. God eventually answered his prayer at the time when He saw it was best for Abraham.

For God to give us what we ask for, we must ask [“according to His will.”] Faith cannot take the place of “asking according to God’s will.” 1 John 5:14, “…if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” If you [don’t ask according to God’s will, it’s] not real faith in God. If God’s answer is [“No,” we still must be willing to wait patiently] and trust God to answer in his own way and in His timing.

 

Trust God

Trust God, even though it may seem like prayer doesn’t [work even] though it may seem like at the moment [He’s] not near and has abandoned you.

Isaiah 41:9,10 says, “You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest regions, and said to you, You are my servant, I have chosen you, and have not cast you away. Fear not for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”

If we have faith and sincerely trust God, [we’ll] not be concerned as to whether the answer is “wait” or the answer is “no” or “yes.” We must just [trust and wait and see if God, in His timing,] will see fit to answer as we have requested, or perhaps He has something better in mind for us. Remember your prayer should end with “Not my will, Lord, but Your will.” (Luke 22:42). “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.” Proverbs [3:5-6]. ²⁷