Open Heavens 23 April 2015: Thursday daily devotion by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Secrets of Answered Prayers

Topic: Secrets of Answered Prayers [Thursdays April 23, 2015]

Memorise: If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. - John 15:7

Read: John 16:23-27

23 And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.

24 Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.

25 These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father.

26 At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you:

27 For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God.

Bible in one Year: Judges 6:36-8:28, Matthew 25:31-26:5

MESSAGE:

Although prayer is at the very heart of our relationship with God, not all prayers are answered by Him. There is therefore a need to understand the secrets of getting answers to our prayers. First and foremost, you need to understand God’s original blueprint concerning and aspect of life you are praying about, and align your prayers with it. God said in Isaiah 55:8-9 that:

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Although God’s thoughts are higher than ours, His thoughts are directed towards giving us peace, joy and fulfilment in life. No matter how much good you want for yourself, you can never get something better than God’s best for you. Oftentimes, people ask God for something that He is not involved in. such prayers will definitely go unanswered. You need to learn to wait for God’s timing. It is dangerous to be impatient with God. What is the motive behind your request? Why are you in such a hurry? Patience is an indispensable virtue for all believers in Christ. There is hardly any promise of God that can be fulfilled in your life without the application of patience (Hebrews 6:12). Until patience has had its full impact on your life, you cannot get the best from God. In addition to the aforementioned, the secrets to answered prayers include thanksgiving and praises. If you can give thanks and praise while praying effectively, closed doors will be forced opened by God as He inhabits your praises.

Your attitude during the period of waiting for the manifestation of your answered prayers is very crucial to God. You must know how to conduct yourself during your waiting period. There are people who think the world should come to an end just because the answer to their prayers has not yet manifested. Some women who are waiting for God to give them the fruit of the womb begin to wear sad looks; while some men trusting God for a job suddenly become monsters to everyone around them. It does not matter how much trouble you are facing, provided you keep on praying, God will be there to make sure you have a great testimony in the end. Always remember that negative situations will not bow to your attitude. The moment you see the appearance of an unpleasant situation, go immediately into your closet and begin to call on the Almighty God (Psalm 50:15). Don’t wait till the storm is overwhelming before you cry out to Him.

Action Point: Put aside that sad look and let the glory of God radiate through you as you await God’s best.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer's Ministries.

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