As I continue to set the stage for meaningful prayer for our children, I would like to look at some key scripture verses about prayer. The first thing that I would like to establish is that God always answers our prayers. Let us turn to Isaiah 65:24– Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear (NIV). In Mathew 6 Jesus is instructing us how we should and should not pray and why. Look at what verse 8 says: Do not be like them [the hypocrites], for your Father knows what you need before you ask him (NIV). Not only does He answer us immediately, but He knows exactly what we are in need of before we ask.
Having said that the question becomes, if God answers our prayer immediately, why am I not seeing any results. Here is a possible explanation. Sometimes the answer to our prayer is manifested immediately but at other times the manifestation is delayed. This is seen in the book of Daniel. In Daniel 9:1-23 we find Daniel’s prayer to God concerning the children of Israel who was coming to the end of their 70th year in captivity. Daniel in his prayer was seeking God for specific instructions on what should be done. In verse 23 we see the immediate manifestation of the answer to his prayer through the angel Gabriel: As soon as you began to pray, an answer was given, which I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed. Therefore, consider the message and understand the vision (NIV).
What did Gabriel say? – As soon as you began to pray, an answer was given. However f we look just a little further in chapter 10: 1-3. We find a different scenario. In these verses, Daniel is seeking God for an understanding of the vision he had concerning a great war that was to come. He waited and mourned for 3 weeks and it seemed that God did not answer his prayer. Let us take a look,
Verses 1-3: In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia, a revelation was given to Daniel (who was called Belteshazzar). Its message was true and it concerned a great war. The understanding of the message came to him in a vision. At that time I, Daniel, mourned for three weeks, ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips; and I used no lotions at all until the three weeks were over (NIV).
It would seem that the first answer came in 3 seconds and the second was taking 3 weeks. Listen what the angel said to him Verses 12-13 Then he continued, “Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia (NIV).
God answered Daniel’s prayer but the answer was delayed by Satan (Prince of Persia). So sometimes it is not God who has not answered but there is some other force that is delaying the manifestation of God’s answer. The bible clearly states in Ephesians 6:12-For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. We need to recognize that there are evil spiritual forces lurking around waiting for any opportunity to create havoc not only in your life but in the lives of our children.
The other thing that I would like to discuss is the fact that when we pray we need to pray according to God’s will. I John 5:14 mentions this: This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us (NIV).
James 4: 2b-3 ………You do not have because you do not ask God. 3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures (NIV). In the KJV instead of “wrong motives” we find the words “ask amiss” so my understanding is that even when it comes to our children we cannot just ask for things just to ask for it, neither can we ask with the wrong motives in mind. Our purpose should be that God’s will be fulfilled in their lives. What is the will of God you may ask? God’s will is in his word. In John 15: 7- If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. The more we study and live by the word of God the more we know the nature of God and what He wants of us. We cannot know God’s will if we are not in His word.
Prayer is a very powerful weapon, but as with any weapon that we have we need to know how to correctly operate it. The weapon is ineffective if we have no idea what to do with it. Frankly speaking we could end up hurting ourselves instead of hurting the enemy. James 5: 16-18 also reminds us how powerful our prayer is. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops (NIV).
In His Service,