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Sometimes the fulfillment that true faith desires is granted immediately; at other times it is not. Yet God gives the faith that the prayer has been heard and the request will be granted. The uncertainty concerns the time of the fulfillment, not the granting of the request (see Mat 17:20; 21:21).
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Jesus, our example for prayer, prayed: “All things are possible for You … nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will” (14:36). Our prayers are often motivated by our own interests and desires. We like to hear that we can have anything. But Jesus prayed with God’s interests in mind. When we pray, we should express our desires, but want his will above ours. Check yourself to see if your prayers focus on your interests or God’s.
Forgive!
“And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses,” (Mark 11:25).
“When ye stand praying, forgive.” Let no Christians delude themselves that they have faith sufficient for answered prayer if they secretly hold animosity or bitterness in their hearts against anyone (see Mat 18:35).
Prayer Of Agreement!
“Assurance, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. 19: “Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. 20:For where two or three are gathered together in My name, am there in the midst of them,” (Mat 18:18,19,20).
18:19:“If two…agree.” There is authority and power in the prayer of agreement. Jesus’ statement points to the principle of synergism in the realm of faith and prayer that is,the united actions of two (or more) people harmoniously working together have a greater total effect than the sum of their individual efforts. The psalmist speaks of God bestowing a blessing when brothers live together in faith and unity (Ps 133:1-3). Jesus promises two results of the prayer of agreement:
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• The father takes action in heaven on their request (v.19)
• The presence of Jesus will be in their midst on earth (v. 20).
18:18-20 Jesus looked ahead to a new day when he would be present with his followers not in body, but through his Holy Spirit. In the body of believers (the church), the sincere agreement of two people is more powerful than the superficial agreement of thousands, because Christ’s Holy Spirit is with them.
Two or more believers filled with the Holy Spirit will pray according to God’s will, not their own, thus their requests will be granted.
Persevere!
Read Luke 18:1-8. The persevering widow and the judge.
• Email:[email protected]. Facebook: Yetunde Mercy Olumide
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