Three Keys To Answered Prayer
CBN.com — And I say to you ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you (Luke 11:9).
Prayer is an essential part of our relationship with God. Yet, too often we neglect this vital bridge of communication with heaven. In many cases, we don’t pray because we don’t know exactly how to pray — or how often.
Jesus’ disciples clearly saw the effect that prayer had in His life. He spent large amounts of time in prayer, often by Himself. The disciples soon realized that the demonstration of God’s power and wisdom flowing from Jesus’ life directly resulted from the intimate fellowship He enjoyed with His Father.
When they asked Him to explain more to them about prayer, Jesus told them this story:
“Suppose one of you shall have a friend, and shall go to him at midnight, and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves; for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him;’ and from inside he shall answer and say, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been shut and my children and I are in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.’ “I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs. “And I say to you ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it shall be opened.” (Luke 11:5-10)
The three keys Jesus gives for seeing answers to prayer can be summed up as: Be persistent, be purposeful and be personal.
Be Persistent
The first key to answered prayer is persistence — which means “to hold fast to,” or hold onto tightly. God wants us to hold on tightly to His promises in prayer. Don’t let disappointment cause you to let go of your faith.
The man in the parable didn’t give up when his neighbor turned down his initial request. Jesus pointed out that the neighbor wouldn’t get up and give him anything just because he was the man’s friend. But because of his persistence, he would eventually get up and give him what he needed.
The Greek language in Luke 11:10 can be translated, “ask and keep on asking and it shall be given you; seek and keep on seeking and you shall find; knock and keep on knocking and the door shall be opened to you.”
If we call on God, He promises to answer! But we must wait on the Lord and let Him answer our prayers in His perfect timing. Many times the greatest trial comes just before the answer arrives; it often seems darkest just before dawn.
Be Purposeful
The Bible says one of the reasons we haven’t received God’s best is that we haven’t asked Him (see James 4:2). But God wants us to share our hearts with Him. He wants children who are willing to dream His dreams.
The man in this story knew what he wanted and asked with a definite purpose.
Take your needs and concerns to the Lord in prayer. Dare to ask God for your desires. Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart.” Allow God to expand your vision, and spend time in prayer so you’ll be prepared to receive the good things He has in store for you.
Maybe you are dealing with a broken relationship, overwhelming financial burdens, the frustration of ill health, or the salvation of a loved one. The Lord wants you to come to Him in faith about whatever is on your heart. And don’t just stop with your own needs. Ask God for a vision for your community, this nation and the world. Then, begin praying about the situations He impresses on your mind. Remember, the more you pray for the concerns on God’s heart, the more you will find your own needs being met.
Be Personal
The most important key to effective prayer is a personal relationship with our Heavenly Father. The man in the parable went to his friend when he needed help.
Two men in the Bible who are known for their great faith are Abraham and Moses. Both men enjoyed an intimate friendship with God. James 2:23 says of Abraham, “…he was called the friend of God,” and Exodus 33:11 says, “…the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend.” Both men saw God do great miracles in their lives.
But remember, it takes time to develop a close friendship. You can start by involving God in the details of your life and learning to recognize His faithfulness even in little everyday challenges and events. Develop a plan of Bible reading and prayer that works for you. Pray for family and friends who may not know Jesus. And be sure to thank Him when the answers come!
What a comfort to know that God loves us so deeply that He has given each of us an “open line” directly to Him whenever we need direction, comfort or strength. And His continuing promise to us is that He will answer our prayers!
By Craig von Buseck , CBN.com Ministries Director
at 6:37 pm
thank you Lord for that open line which serves as a communication for me, your creation and to You, my all in all.
at 12:41 am
Maraming salamat po God sa mga answer prayers na dumadating sa amin..ur the GREAT GOD..I LOVE YOU LORD….PURIHIN ANG PANGINOON…AMEN
at 10:52 am
sobrang bless po ako sa topic na ito,ito po ay nakakatulong sa akin bilang gabay at nagbgay sa akin ng pag asa..akoy nagpapasalamat sa Dios lagi sya nagbubukas at ngbbgay pgmamahal at di nya ako pinababayaan sa lahat ng oras…akoy nagpapasalamat sa Dios dahil sa pamamagitan ng 700club akoy hinubog at binago ng ating panginoong Hesus..God bless 700club..
at 9:53 am
im grateful to God what He is doing in my life. He is indeed answering my prayers. everytime i pray for something, immediately, dumadating na agad ang sagot Niya. it’s so amazing talaga. totoo Siya! He is Truely the Living God! i thank God for lending me His ears as i am praying silently to Him. it seems that my prayers is as loud as thunder to His ears. at nararamdaman ko na nakikinig Siya coz i feel wonderful joy in my heart. yung nakakakilabot na saya. then after that, me sagot ng darating sa aking panalangin sa Kanya. He is our God Almighty, the God of all. i give thanks to Him, In the name of Jesus
at 6:19 pm
Lord thank you for all the blessings that i received for my self and for my family, i ask you for forgiveness to what I’ve done in the past and in the present of my life. I am sinner despite all this you always forgive me . you are my father your are my savior , you are my provider. all things are possible because of you lord without you i can not live on this earth.. bless all the nation bless all the sinner accept they wrong action, thak you lord for everything.
at 9:12 am
Shane, we thank you for narrating us this message. We encourage you to join a bible study group, and if you want us to refer you to a group very near your place, you may email us your interest and your complete contact details at the official email ad of the 700 Club Asia Prayer Center at prayforme@cbnasia.org.
at 10:51 pm
THANK YOU LORD FOR EVERYTHING, I SURRENDER MY LIFE TO YOU.
at 11:02 pm
Ako po ay lubos na nagpapasalamat na nabasa ko ito dahil nalaman ko po na walang imposible kung talagang manalangin sa Diyos ng tapat dahil ibibigay talaga nya ang iyong hinihiling. Nabigyan po ng linaw ang aking pag-iisip na manalig lamang sa Panginoon dahil walang imposible sa kanya pagkat siya lamang ang may alam sa lahat. Lord, alam mo ako na minsan po sinusubukan po ang king paniniwala sa iyo, huwag mo pong hahayaang aagawin ito ni satanas sa akin..tulungan mo po ako Lord na mas lalo pa po akong magtitiwala sa iyo at huwag ko pong hayaang madadala ako sa pagkabalisa dahil po sa mga iniisip ko. Ako po ay magtitiwala lamang sa iyo ng lubos kahit po mga pagsubok sa buhay ako po ay tinulungan. Sa iyo ko lang po ipagkatiwala ang lahat lahat ng sa akin. Salamat po Panginoon ko tulungan mo po ako sa lahat lahat.. Patawarin mo po ako sa aking mga kasalanan at gabayan mo po ang aking pamilya, gayundin po si ante Sabeth Lim na isa din po siya na tumutulong sa akin gabayan mo po sya Panginoon. Salamat po.
at 1:10 am
para akong binuhay ng message na yon ah. parang lalong nagliyab ang dating nakasindi lang na apoy ng pananalig sa Diyos. haha. astig na Amen Lord! thank you po Lord!
at 11:20 am
thank you LORD for enlightening because of this topic…YOU are so great and my HEALER…
at 7:23 pm
^^,<)GÖD is indeed a listening God.HE hears our prayer even the silent desires of our heart.i am blessed to kn0w Him,to have Him in my life.Prayer is a powerful way of c0mmunicating to God,to utter praises & to send in request.We are all blessed to be given an opportunity to talk to Him 24/7,n0 limitati0ns,n0 load needed,n0 busy line.Everytime i pray i felt that there's God up there who truly cares for me,HE just listen & send me message of c0mfort.Ang bilis magreply ni Lörd,& the best thng about praying,all worries are swept away when we are facing difficulties & afflicti0ns.when we entrust everythng to Him ,n0thng to worry about,because whatever His resp0nse it will always be for our own g0od.HE löve us so much.GLORY BE TO G0D!
at 2:08 pm
tunay na nakikinig ang Panginoon sa bawat prayers natin…need lang natin maghintay sa kasagutan. at maraming salamat po Lord God sa lahat ng answered prayers at para sa mga susunod pa..
at 9:20 pm
Amen! May sabi nga sa Aklat ng Mangangaral 3:1 “Ang lahat sa mundong ito ay may kanya-kanyang panahon, may kanya-kanyang oras.” Alam ng Diyos ang tamang pagkakataon sa ating buhay pagkat sa Kanya nagmumula ang lahat.
at 4:42 pm
Lord thank you vr much…You are really working with my life. You changed my life Lord. You’re so amazing!I love you Lord. To CBN Asia…thank you very much for the daily devotional readings…you are God’s instrument of His Love… transformation is working with me now…its so great. Thank you very much CBN Asia and More power.
at 11:01 pm
Hi Virginia, God Loves You. Praise God for that! God Bless you more! If you need prayers, you may call our prayer center numbers 8107717/8107176
at 4:51 pm
thank you fr this wonderful blog. It really comforts me, not: a lot.. actually i do have dream that i almost loosen my holding, but then thanks God I read this article, it cheers me up.
[ Lord, I will not giving up to pray that person, amen]
at 4:54 pm
I mean note:
at 2:00 pm
All glory to God. God’s is full of compassion and He is our great comforter. We are blessed that God comforts you in the midst of your trials. We are here to pray for you please call our Prayer Center number 810-7717 / 810-7176 God Bless you!
at 3:31 am
praise the lord haliluya,yes i already prove to god ang kanyang kabutihan.kahit napakahirap na trabaho basta ask him to help you wd all your heart.parang wala ang trabahong napakahirap lalong lalo na pagsinasabayan ang worshiping songs napakakagaan ang feelings.thank u lord your always guide me.i feel inlove to you lord especialy sa iyong mga salita.salamat po sa the 700 clubasia my faith is more & more growing.godbless u all in jesus name amen….
at 9:48 am
Jeje, to God be all the glory, honor and praises! Allow us to share you this verse found in Philippians 4:13 that says, “we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength. “Kaya’t pakatatandaan ninyong si Yahweh na inyong Diyos ay Diyos, at siya ay Diyos na hindi marunong sumira sa pangako. Tapat siya sa lahat ng umiibig sa kanya at sumusunod sa kanyang mga tuntunin. Ipinadarama niya ang kanyang pagmamahal hanggang sa ikasanlibong salinlahi.” Deut. 7:9
at 5:27 pm
Thank you Lord for everything, the gift of life,all he blessings, my family,the business and above all for dying in the cross for us. We love you Father and we will hold on always to your promise. Despite of some trials arises we know we can handle it easily for you are there to guide us.To God be All the Glory! Amen.
at 4:53 pm
Thank you Lord Jesus for your comfort…..Holy Spirit than you for your touch and the answer to my prayer….
at 5:31 pm
God bless you, Caroline. Continue on casting your cares upon Jesus, because he really cares for you.
at 4:49 pm
JESUS, thank you for everything.. I hope and pray that you will continue to guide and blessed me and my love ones. I offer you my life..I LOVE YOU LORD
at 6:23 pm
Thank you for being passionate unto Him, Merlyn.
Truly God will grant the desires of your heart and salvation to your family.
at 8:13 am
For me, God always answers our prayers… either YES, NO and LATER! it’s how we listen that matters.
at 5:27 am
That’s alsp right Kiko! Thanks for your comment and God bless!
at 6:38 pm
Thank you Lord for everything i received even in a difficult things. I know there is a purpose why it happened? What i know you are beside me you never leave me or forsake me because you love your children who faithfully serving you. I love you Lord more than anything in this world. I always serve you even in a bad times i encounter because your promise is a promise that never fade.
at 7:29 pm
Amen to this Leth
Keep up the faith and remember that our God is faithful. God bless you 