THE FIVE CONDITIONS OF ANSWERED PRAYER

I. YOU MUST HAVE AN HONEST RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD

John 15:7; "If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, you can ask whatever you wish and it will be given to you."

*How Do I Know If I Have An Honest Relationship With God?

1. Do I or have I refused to admit things that I have done wrong in the past?

Psalm 66:18; “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.”

Isaiah 59:2; “But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.”

Proverbs 28:13; "He who tries to conceal his sins cannot prosper but he who admits them, confesses them, forsakes them will have mercy."

1 John 1:8-9; "If we claim to be without sin, we're just deceiving ourselves. The truth is not in us. However, if we confess our sins, He's faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."

Am I currently in the present ignoring any of God's principles?

1 John 3:21-22 "Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us we have confidence before God and we receive from Him anything we ask because we obey His commands and do what pleases Him. This is His command: To believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ and to love one another as He has commanded us."

3. Do I really want God's will for my life?

1 John 5:14 "This is the assurance we have in approaching God that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us and if we know that He hears us then whatever we ask we know that we have what we've asked of Him."

St. Augustine - "Love God and do what you please."

II. YOU MUST HAVE A FORGIVING ATTITUDE TOWARD OTHER PEOPLE

Mark 11:24-25; "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you've received it and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him so that your Father in heaven may forgive your sins."

Hebrews 12:15 ; "Watch out that no bitterness take root among you for as it springs up among you it causes deep trouble, hurting many in their spiritual lives." (LB)

Lord's Prayer - "Father, forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors."

1 Peter 3:7;"Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives and treat them with respect.... so that nothing will hinder your prayers."

III. YOU MUST BE WILLNG TO SHARE THE RESULTS

Proverbs 21:13; "If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered."

Galatians 6:7; “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: For whatsoever a man soweth,
That shall he also reap.”

1 John 3:22-23; "We receive from Him anything we ask because we obey His commands. His commands are believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ ... love one another as He has commanded us."

*v. 17 "If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?"

James 4:1-3; "What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but you don't get it. You kill and you covet but you can't have what you want. You quarrel and you fight. But you have not because you don't ask God. When you ask you don't receive because you ask with the wrong motive that you may spend what you get on your own pleasures."

IV. YOU MUST BELIEVE THAT GOD WILL ANSWER

James 1:5-7; "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God who gives generously to all without finding fault and it will be given to him. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord. He's a double minded man unstable in all he does."

Mark 9:29 says, "According to your faith, it will be done unto you."

Hebrews 11:6 says, "Without faith it is impossible to please God."

V. YOU MUST PRAY IN JESUS’ NAME

John 14:13-14; "And I will do whatever you ask in My name so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask Me for anything in My name and I will do it."

John 16:24; "You've not asked anything in My name. Ask and you will receive and your joy will be complete."