What does it take to hear from God? Is there a secret "formula" to get your prayers answered? Many people ask these questions every day. Some are frustrated because no matter how many times they pray the same prayer, they never get an answer.
My question to the people having this problem is this; Are you looking for the answer you want? Or are you open to hearing what it is God wants? Are you seeking to do God's will, or are you seeking God to fulfil your will? Do you see the difference? The problem isn't that God is not listening, the problem is that a lot of times, we're not listening!
So what's the solution? The first thing we have to do in order to have effective prayer and to hear from God is to surrender ourselves to Him. These verses shed light on how to do this;
“If anyone wants to become my follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me." (Luke 9:23)
"Therefore I exhort you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a sacrifice – alive, holy, and pleasing to God – which is your reasonable service." (Romans 12:1)
"My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe my ways." (Proverbs 23:26)
"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13)
To deny yourself means to seek God's will before your own. It means giving up on anything that is displeasing to God. It means self-sacrifice. Is this too much for God to ask of us? Considering what Jesus did for us, it's reasonable!
Here's an example! When Jesus foresaw the pain He was going to endure, He prayed; “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” (Luke 22:42)
The next step for effective prayer is FAITH! If you are praying to God but lack faith, your prayer is ineffective. If you are seeking God, you must first believe He is God and that He is able to do everything we ask of Him!
"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." (Hebrews 11:6)
"Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:21)
“Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:20)
"Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God." (1 Peter 1:21)
"If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do." (James 1:5-8)
Conclusion: If you want to hear from God, you must surrender your life completely to God, and you must have faith! If you're only praying to get what you want, without any regard for what the Lord wants to do with you and your life, it's as if your prayers are hitting a brick wall and coming back to you void. Submit to God, and although you may not get what you want every time, you will always get just what you need. I call it "LTO", Listen, Trust, and Obey.
God bless!
My question to the people having this problem is this; Are you looking for the answer you want? Or are you open to hearing what it is God wants? Are you seeking to do God's will, or are you seeking God to fulfil your will? Do you see the difference? The problem isn't that God is not listening, the problem is that a lot of times, we're not listening!
So what's the solution? The first thing we have to do in order to have effective prayer and to hear from God is to surrender ourselves to Him. These verses shed light on how to do this;
“If anyone wants to become my follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me." (Luke 9:23)
"Therefore I exhort you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a sacrifice – alive, holy, and pleasing to God – which is your reasonable service." (Romans 12:1)
"My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe my ways." (Proverbs 23:26)
"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13)
To deny yourself means to seek God's will before your own. It means giving up on anything that is displeasing to God. It means self-sacrifice. Is this too much for God to ask of us? Considering what Jesus did for us, it's reasonable!
Here's an example! When Jesus foresaw the pain He was going to endure, He prayed; “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” (Luke 22:42)
The next step for effective prayer is FAITH! If you are praying to God but lack faith, your prayer is ineffective. If you are seeking God, you must first believe He is God and that He is able to do everything we ask of Him!
"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." (Hebrews 11:6)
"Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:21)
“Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:20)
"Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God." (1 Peter 1:21)
"If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do." (James 1:5-8)
Conclusion: If you want to hear from God, you must surrender your life completely to God, and you must have faith! If you're only praying to get what you want, without any regard for what the Lord wants to do with you and your life, it's as if your prayers are hitting a brick wall and coming back to you void. Submit to God, and although you may not get what you want every time, you will always get just what you need. I call it "LTO", Listen, Trust, and Obey.
God bless!
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