Mature Prayer
Prayer and Maturity
There are biblical prayer guidelines assuring answers when we pray.
Prayer is a widely discussed subject in the word of God.
a. But more ignorance and unsound teaching surrounds the understanding of prayer than any other subject.
b. Many try to elevate prayer over the use of scripture.
They would rather pray than study their Bible.
c. Most people who seem to be proficient in prayer only, are ignorant that their prayers often contradict the word of God. Or they don’t care, “the Holy Spirit told me.”
After Salvation, Then What?
You are not commanded to pray after being saved, but you are commanded to study the word of God.
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:28, 29
“Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 8":31-32
a. The truth does not make us free.
b. Knowing the truth makes us free.
Prayer is not a substitute for study, but a building block to put on the foundation of understanding God’s word.
a. Knowing the word gives us power.
b. Prayer is one method to put the power to work.
Most people who attend prayer groups do not believe in the superiority of the word over prayer. Much of what they say the Holy Spirit told them contradicts the Word.
a. “The Holy Spirit to me” not enough people were praying for the presidential election.”
b. “How many is enough?”
c. “I have something above the Holy Spirit, the Word.”
“So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one.” Ezekiel 22:30
d. The Holy Spirit first leads us into the word, the truth. (John 16:13)
Many prayers are not always answered at the moment but in the future, even after we die.
a. Later presidents can be answers to previous prayers.
b. Jesus said, “Father, forgive them.”
c. They died in faith not receiving the promise. (Hebrews 11:39)
Types of Prayer
Fellowship with God - Thanksgiving, praise, worship.
Petition to God - Money, changing of situations.
Intercession - Prayer for someone else, stand in for them.
Specific prayer - God’s direction and will for your life.
Praying in Tongues for how to pray, or what to pray for.
Prayers of Maturity
Outside of prayer of praise, thanksgiving, or fellowship with God, all prayer is for the mature, the disciple - not just for the convert.
God answers specific prayers, petition, intercession and personal prayers according to certain guidelines.
a. To just say “I believe in prayer” is ignorance of God’s word and His plan for prayer.
b. It is as ignorant as “I believe in cashing checks.”
1. Opening a bank account gives you certain gifts (toaster, checks) and privileges.
2. But you cannot cash a check without an account in the bank.
3. If you have an account, you cannot cash a check without sufficient money in the account.
4. Getting saved opens a bank account. A growing understanding of the word is your currency deposit.
5. “Do you have an account at this bank and do you have money in that account?” “No, but I believe in cashing checks.”
6. Because you are born again does not mean you have sufficient capital to cash a prayer request.
c. Banks have many rules for sashing checks and God’s word has many guidelines for answered prayer.
Who Has a Right to Pray? Doesn’t Everyone?
“Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him.” John 9:31
The unbeliever is covered first.
a. Does God hear the prayers of a sinner, a Buddhist, a Muslim, or Unitarian? It seems not.
b. God will hear the prayer of a sinner who no longer wants to be a sinner. "Lord, be merciful to me a sinner” (Luke 18:13").
c. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6)
“For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus.” (1 Timothy 2:5)
d. Any prayer made to Buddha or Allah, never gets to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
e. The Psalms teach that all other gods worshipped by man are demons.
f. A believers first prayers are thanksgiving because of entrance into God’s courts.
“Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.” (Psalms 100:4)
1. This is true for a time of church praise and worship.
2. But is also true for an entrance into God’s Kingdom.
The believer is covered next..
a. Prayers that can be answered must be prayed by Christians who understand God’s will and do it.
b. “Do you have an account in this bank?”
c. “Do you have money deposited in this account?”
God Answers Prayers His Way - NOT Yours
Prayers are not a formula to get God to do just anything for us.
“I want to be left alone, so I can live for myself. Then when I get into trouble, I want Him to hear my prayer and deliver me.”
Prayer is intended for all seasons of life.
a. In prosperity as well as poverty.
b. In times of rejoicing as well as in times of turmoil.
c. In times of closeness with God not just times of desperation and loneliness.
This is why maturity must guide our prayers.
The most powerful prayer you can pray is praying the Word of praying in line with the Word.
Our Prayer Motive is Primary to Answered Prayer
“Whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” (John 14:13)
“Let him ask in faith (your knowledge of the Word), with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord.” (James 1:6, 7)
“You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.” (James 4:3)
The name of Jesus is not a magic formula in prayer.
Loretta and I prayed for one business opportunity to bring in $10,000. We prayed in the name of Jesus. We only brought in $3000 and we were disappointed.
We believed my boss at Kenneth Hagin Ministries would give us his Lincoln.
We learned, in time, answered prayers increase as our maturity increases.
Knowing What God Does Not Say About Prayer
There are more verses about God’s promises not to answer prayer than those about God’s promises to answer prayer.
“Because I have called and you refused, I have stretched out my hand and no one regarded, because you disdained all my counsel, and would have none of my rebuke, I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your terror comes.
When your terror comes like a storm, and your destruction comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you. Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently, but they will not find me.
Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord, they would have none of my counsel and despised my every rebuke. Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way, and be filled to the full with their own fancies.” (Proverbs 1:24-31)
a. Instead of trying to make God see things as you do, you need to see things as God does.
b. Then prayers will be answered.
God Does Not Answer All Prayer of Christians
Just as we can be assured of drawing money out of a bank if we have an account with money in it, we can be just as assured of answer prayer.
So is the opposite. If we do not come to God by His word and obedience to it, we have no assurance of answered prayer.
“If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.” (Psalms 66:18)
a. To “regard” iniquity, means you know for sure you have sinned and refuse to do anything about it.
b. The sin needs to be forgiven first (1 John 1:9) and the Lord will then hear your prayer.
“For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.” (Psalms 84:11)
c. Answered prayer is related to maturity.
God Relates Answered Prayer More to Our Fellowship With Him Than Our Relationship to Him
But doesn’t the word say, “If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us and we have the petition we desire of Him?” (1 John 5: 14, 15)
a. The key to this verse is “according to His will.”
b. Not only must there be no hidden, known sin, but we must also ask according to God’s word.
We might also ask God for something we are not ready for or cannot handle. God will not give it to us. “No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.”
a. He will withhold something that is not good. ex. a child wants to play with a butcher knife.
b. Someday it may be a good thing. As we have grown and become capable of handling it. - then He will give it.
Prayer and answers to prayers are not a gift of grace but a reward of good works.
a. God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (prayer) (Hebrews 11:6).
b. When we die, our works (includes answered prayers) follow us (Revelation 14:13).
Prayer in the Name of Jesus
“Whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” (John 14:13)
Jesus’ name is not a magic name or a magic wand.
What does it mean to “ask in my name?”
a. The name of Jesus is not a formula to open heaven.
b. The name of Jesus is the power of attorney. We ask as if Jesus was speaking. Power of attorney does not go against our Attorney or against the Law.
c. Does Jesus affirm your prayer? Would He, Himself, pray the same prayer and ask for the same thing?
d. Jesus doesn’t want His name attached to something He does not agree with.
The Entire Trinity Backs Legitimate Prayers
The Father bought us with the blood of His Son, Jesus.
God can answer the prayer of a sinner who accepts Jesus because Jesus paid for the answer to the prayer.
God can answer the prayer of a believer because Jesus paid for everything that pertains to life and godliness.
All scriptural prayer is answered by the power of the Holy Spirit. That prayer is made according to God’s will and paid for by the blood of Jesus.
“The effective, fervent (operative, working) prayer of a righteous man (before God and men) avails (overcomes) much.” (James 5:16)
