How to Receive Answers to Your Prayers
Sermon Notes - By Pastor Mischa Safdie’, Sun AM, 09/27/09
OPENING COMMENTS: Most of us all remember the old TV Show…”I Dream of Jeannie”. It was one of my favorites growing up. Still is. You had Major Nelson and he is an astronaut. After landing from a space flight, he finds this bottle on shore and there is a beautiful Genie….named “Jeannie” in it…”Thus” we have the show, “I Dream of Jeannie”. Anyway, she grants him any wish he wants and her desire is to please him. As I watched the show, she would always refer to Major Nelson as her “Master”. “Yes Master. No Master.” And he would always get into these funny predicaments. Much like perhaps we would if WE WERE MASTER and GOD WAS JUST A GENIE IN A BOTTLE. Could you imagine how humorous...or how tragic life might be if God actually answered every prayer we prayed in ignorance or granted us every wish we ever made? Unfortunately many professed Christians relate to God just like that. They forget just who really is the “Master”. They think they are the Master and that God is some type of “Genie” who is supposed to do as they say or ask. TODAY’S CHRISTIANITY IN MANY PLACES HAVE IT ALL WRONG AND BACKWARDS.
SO RIGHT NOW WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT PRAYER, HOW IT IS ANSWERED AND WHAT HINDERS ANSWERS TO PRAYER.
- WE BEGIN WITH TWO OFTEN MISUNDERSTOOD PROMISES:
-
Matthew 7:7
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: -
Matthew 21:22
And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.
Comment: The above scriptures are true. But many make the mistake of taking portions of the Bible out of context and do not understand that they must read everything…read all the scriptures about prayer and petitions in order to understand the true meaning of these two verses. God gives many promises in the Bible but there is a part we too must play and fulfill. For instance, the Word says that Christ died for our sins. That is true. But for that to be validated and real in our personal life, we must accept His provision for us. We must come to Him. We must do our part. Heaven is not "automatic" although the offer has been provided. We must do our part to "accept" Christ's provisions on the cross. Likewise, we must do our part in order to see our prayer's answered. Let's look further to gain a better understanding.
- WHAT IS OUR PART IN SEEING THESE TWO PROMISES FULFILLED? WHAT IS OUR PART IN SEEING OUR PRAYERS ANSWERED? IS THERE A PART WE HAVE IN ALL OF THIS?
To preface my remarks, I would like to first say that there are times beyond our control when the answer to prayer is delayed. Such an instance occurred in the Book of Daniel when the answer to Daniel's prayer was delayed as a result of a spiritual battle over that prayer taking place between the demon forces of Satan and the angels of God. And sometimes we too have to fight through and lay claim to our victory in Christ to see prayers come to fruitition. But here it also important to note that Daniel's prayer was only delayed. It was not unanswered. Yet in this message we are dealing primarily with answered and unanswered prayer.
To continue, I would like to provide you with eight important steps in seeing your prayers answered. I am sure there may be more that you can think of but for the purposes of this message, I believe these eight steps woud be a very sufficient and important start for you.
- FIRST, WE MUST ABIDE IN HIM AND HE IN US.
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. (KJV)
- SECOND, OUR MOTIVATIONS IN PRAYER MUST BE CORRECT.
James 4:3
Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.(KJV)
- THIRD, WE MUST COME TO HIM WITH A PURE AND REPENTFUL HEART..REPENTING OF SIN.
Psalm 66:18
If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me: (NASB)
- FOURTH, HE MUST BE OUR DELIGHT.
Psalm 37:4
Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart.(NASB)
- FIFTH, WE MUST SEEK FIRST HIS KINGDOM AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS AND THEN HE WILL ADD THE OTHER THINGS.
Matthew 6:33
"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (NASB)
- SIXTH, WE MUST DRAW NEAR TO GOD.
James 4:8 (American Standard Version)
8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double-minded.
- SEVENTH, WE MUST WALK IN OBEDIENCE.
John 14:23 (American Standard Version)
23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my word: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
- EIGHTH. WE MUST COME TO THE LORD WITH FAITH.
James 1:6-7 (American Standard Version)
6 But let him ask in faith, nothing doubting: for he that doubteth is like the surge of the sea driven by the wind and tossed.
7 For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord;
- HOW DO WE GET FAITH?
Romans 10:17 (New American Standard Bible)
17So faith comes from (A)hearing, and hearing by (B)the word of Christ.
I have heard some state that you do not have to go to church in order to be a Christian and while this may technically be true, it is not a healthy attitude or position to take. The Bible tells us that we are "not to forsake the assembling of the saints" and there is a reason for this. We want to be in an environment condusive to developing and growing our faith. This is an important reason why we should attend church. We need to hear the Word of God. Hearing it stimulates and builds our faith. Church is a wonderful and proper place to hear the Word of God, if it is being taught as it ought by committed, holy, Spirit-filled ministers.
What we hear and listen to is very important. The following is an example of this:
I recall once being in the hospital and very ill. The doctor’s reports were negative and they were preparing to send me to the Intensive Care Unit. I heard all of their comments and my faith immediatly came under attack by the devil. At that time, I felt discouraged, began feeling a sense of fear and I felt powerless. These were all lies of Satan. I did not feel like reading my Bible at that moment, as I was very ill and could not have seen well enough to read anyway. My wife was present and said to me, “Don’t you believe those bad reports.” She began to read and quote scripture to me. “By His stripes you were healed”; “I am the Lord God that heals your diseases and cleanses you from all iniquity.” As I listened my spirit began to respond and my faith began to grow. As they wheeled me into the ICU, I began to say, “JESUS. JESUS. JESUS”. There is power in the name of Jesus. My faith began to respond and immediately my heart rate and heartbeat returned back to normal. The doctors had told me only minutes before that I would be in the hospital and possibly in ICU for several days. But I was home in just a few hours and doing fine. You see, "faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of Christ", as the scriptures tell us.
I pray that this message will bless and encourage you to know that your prayers can be answered and to understand what can help you obtain answers to prayer and what it is that may hinder your answers to prayer.
May the Lord bless this word to your hearts.
Evangelist Mischa Safdie'
Mischa Safdie' Ministries
136 N. Grand Ave., Ste. 278
W. Covina, CA 91791
(951) 796-3936
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