Thoughts for Life: Can we Know God Hears Our Prayers?

Dr. Wesley L. Duewel: According to 1 John 5:15,
"If we know that he hears us," then we have the confidence that "we have what we asked of him."

But how can you have this knowledge, which is such a key condition of seeing prayer answered?
(Google image, Little girl praying)

1. You have the assurance that God is a prayer-hearing God. David prayed with the assurance, "The LORD will hear when I call to him" (Ps. 4:3). Micah testified, "As for me, I watch in hope for the LORD, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me" (Mic. 7:7).

This assurance upheld Moses, the prophets and the heroes of faith of all ages. God always hears us! Such faith anchors your soul, fires prayer passion, and puts unwavering determination into your will.

2. You may know that you are asking in accord with God's will. Some prayers are always according to His will—the salvation of the sinners (2 Peter 3:9), the blessing and revival of the church, the glorifying of God's name.

I call these "always prayers." But there are some prayers we are not sure of—the healing of a particular sick person at a particular time (James 4:15).

3. At times you know because of an inner assurance. This sense is based upon God's clear guidance, answered prayer, providence in a related aspect of the situation, or a deep inner peace in regard to that for which you pray.

God grants a special inner assurance in your heart when you have been prevailing in prayer. Some people call this experience "praying through."

Sometimes this assurance comes very quickly. You just know within your heart that God has heard and answered. At other times this inner assurance comes after long prayer or united prayer by several of God's children.

Perhaps after hours or days of prayer, the Holy Spirit suddenly reveals that God has granted the request. It is as if God said in clear tones,

"Your prayer is heard, and your request is granted."

Such assurance is the experience of "most men to whom prayer is the basis of their life . . . It occurs again and again." Go forth of China testified to the same clear assurances. (Unknown Christian, Kneeling Christian, p. 43)

Used by permission of the author and Duewel Literature Trust, Inc., Greenwood, Indiana

Mighty Prevailing Prayer

#55 How to Know God Hears Your Prayer
[Original posting]

by Dr. Wesley L. Duewel

(pp. 96-97)) Zondervan

Let's pray-

Jane Ault:

 "I thank you, Lord, for morning light
 For peaceful sleep throughout the night,
 For all your goodness this past year,
 And hope to face the one that’s here.
  
 Lord, I believe you are honest;
 I can depend on your promise.
 Prosperity will come to me,
 If I obey you, every day—
  
 Acknowledging my need for you,
 In everything I plan to do.
 In all my ways and all my days
 I want my works to bring you praise.
  
 I will receive your wise instruction,
 Listen to your kind correction,
 Joyfully, do the things you show me
 Faithfully, write the words you give me
  
 I thank you, Lord, for morning light
 For peaceful sleep throughout the night,
 For all your goodness this past year,
 With hope, I face the one that’s here. 

 Jane Ault  Based on Jer. 29:11
 1/1/2019  A New Year's Prayer

Today's past post on prayer:

#15 The Glory of Prevailing Prayer

Wesley L. Duewel: "The highest glory of Christ upon His sovereign throne today is the glory of His prevailing intercession.

It becomes our most glorious ministry also. There is no more Christlike role than to be a co-intercessor with Christ for the priorities upon His heart."

Today's Bible verses-

Ps. 34:15-18 (NKJV) "The eyes of the LORD are

on the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry.

(v. 16). The face of the LORD is against those who

do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the

earth. (v. 17) The righteous cry out, and the LORD

hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles.

(v. 18) The LORD is near to those who have a broken

heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit."

Ps. 116:1, 2 (NKJV) "I LOVE the LORD, because

He has heard my voice and my supplications. (v. 2)

Because He has inclined His ear to me, therefore

I will call upon Him as long as I live."

Eph. 3:20, 21 (NKJV) "Now to Him who is able to

do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or

think, according to the power that works in us,

(v. 21) to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus

throughout all ages, world without end. Amen."

Isaiah 59:1 (NIV)“Surely the arm of the Lord

is not too short to save, nor is his ear to dull

to hear.”

Our quote today-

~ Max Lucado- "Unceasing prayer may sound complicated, but it needn’t be that way. Do this. Think of prayer less as an activity for God and more as an awareness of God. Seek to live in uninterrupted awareness. As you stand in line to register your car, think, “Thank you, Lord, for being here.” In the grocery store as you shop, think, “Your presence, my King, I welcome.” As you wash the dishes, worship your Maker.

Brother Lawrence called himself the “lord of all pots and pans.” He wrote, “The time of busy-ness does not with me differ from the time of prayer; and in the clatter of my kitchen, while several persons are calling for different things, I possess God in as great tranquility as if I were upon knees at the blessed sacrament.”

So talk to God, always. Besides, it makes more sense to talk to God than mumble to yourself!" From Unceasing Prayer-by Max on Life

A testimony taken from another posting-

~ Larry Ferguson: "Having been working on my house's exterior, I was in the final throws of patching and staining. With another good day, I would surely have it done.

The next day would find me spray painting the rest of the house. I just had a few prep details left. My wife had been helping on and off all day, but my headlight signaled a night shift, and she was done.

So away I went 20' in the air with sanding block in hand, and what happened next took me by surprise!

After abut 1/2 hour of contorting myself to sand some hard-to-reach places, I unknowingly dislocated by left hip. Now I couldn't stand, was in extreme pain, and had to maneuver my way back to the ground.

I wound up crawling down a roof and several ladders, and on hands and knees made it into the house. The tears began to well up as I began to cope with extreme pain, and the thought of how I would finish, or go back to work.

My wife came out of the shower to find me on the floor. I reassured her I hadn't fallen. The fact was I could't stand on two legs and was in much pain.

My wife thought emergency room, but I felt I needed to get the paint off my arms first. So laying half on the bathroom floor and half sitting on the tub, I commenced to scrub up.

By now, the pain was worse. I couldn't even think, and formal prayer wasn't happening. For a matter of minutes all I could say was, "Please, God, help me", as my mind was flooded with the "what ifs."

Then it happened. A voice said, "Larry, 'JUMP' ", and in an instant, it's like I knew what God wanted me to do.

I grabbed the nearest thing and pulled myself up to stand on my right leg. Immediately, I jumped as high as I could on that one leg, and came down on my left.

What happened next was God's hand at work. I heard a crack and felt my hip go back in place! I walked out of the bathroom to greet my wife who was also praying.

The next day, I finished my project almost like it had never happened. Praise God for quick answers to prayer!

The moral of this story could read something like this:

When God says, "JUMP", we need to say, "How high, LORD?!"

(Used by permission.)

Please keep Larry in prayer, as he's going through another tough time with extreme pain in his feet and legs from the knees down. He is to see his doctor for this the 16th of this month, to see if there's an increase or decrease in the problem. Only a miracle can make a difference, as the doctors do not know how to help him.

NOVEMBER 18, 2018