Through this study, you will take an adventure in prayer. You will become renewed in your excitement for spiritual things and about God Himself, His faithfulness, and the integrity of His Word. You will begin At the Workbench. You are going to receive answers to your prayers.
If you already have received answers, you will be further inspired and become even more full of faith in God. Through spending time with God in prayer you will experience the priceless treasure of developing a relationship with God.
The price paid at Calvary affords us the opportunity to be born again and to come into the family of God, which is the Christian’s greatest gift. The relationship we can then have with our God is the next greatest gift.
Prayer is the key to a close relationship with God. I promise you, that as you engage in this adventure in prayer, you will never be the same again.
Prayer need not be tedious. God does not require you to perform a list of prerequisites before He will answer you. Yet there are things that God asks of us.
Before you Get Started: Forgiveness
Before you pray, you need to be sure there is nothing between you and God. You need to ask for forgiveness of your sins. You also need to forgive others of anything you have against them. How can we ask for forgiveness if we refuse to forgive others their trespasses against us (Luke 6:37 and 17:3)? If I feel like I can’t forgive, I ask for His help: “God, I can’t forgive, but I ask You to love and forgive in and through me by Your Holy Spirit. Please give me the grace.” This will work!
Leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your
brother, and then come and offer your gift. Matt. 5:24
Enemies to Answered Prayer
Look at the list of hindrances to prayer below. Take time to pray about these issues in your life. Once you’ve done it, you will be more likely to recognize these things as hindrances in your walk with God. You will want to take each issue to God, removing these obstacles from your life as soon as possible. Here are some of the enemies and roadblocks to answered prayer:
- Unforgiveness (Matthew 5:23–24)
- Hatred ( John 2:11)
- Doubt (Matthew 21:21; Mark 9:14–29)
- Fear (Matthew 14:30)
- Unconfessed sin (Isaiah 59:2)
Steps to Freedom
- Confess. After you examine yourself, ask God to forgive and cleanse you: If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9
- Accept forgiveness and cleansing. Walk in faith with a conscience void of offense toward God. Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Hebrews 10:22
- Receive Forgiveness. Forgiving others is powerful. According to the above study, receiving forgiveness brings emotional and physical benefits to the forgiver’s life. It also can benefit the lives of those being forgiven. Perhaps there can now be the opportunity for healing in a severed relationship in your life. Forgiveness gives us a clear conscience and peace of mind. “Forgive and be forgiven” is good advice.
Before you get to the first Prayer Workshop, you need to examine yourself. Confess all sin; make sure you are willing to forgive. Now you’re ready for the workshop!
What Is MY Part?
- Confess and receive forgiveness for any sin, including unforgiveness, doubt, unbelief, fear, and anything else that might be between you and God (1 John 1:9).
- List your requests. “…Let your requests be made known to God” (Phil. 4:6).
- Take authority over the enemy. Pray that God will “overthrow and overturn the works of darkness” (2 Chron. 25:8).
- Pray in detail. Make specific (scriptural) WHATEVER IT IS, GOD CAN FIX IT! royalty free photo from istockphoto.com requests to the Father in Jesus’ name. You can always add “If it be Your will” on the end of a prayer if you don’t know the will of God.
- Place your trust in His specific promises. Know that it is faith in Who God is, in His integrity, and in the integrity of His Word in which we rest our faith [see chap. 8].
- Thank God and praise Him for what He is doing according to His will “…by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God” (Phil. 4:6).
What Is GOD’S Part?
God is faithful. His promises are true (1 Cor. 1:20). His Word is true (Rom. 3:4). He will watch over His Word to perform it (Isa. 55:11).
At the Workbench
- There is joy in knowing that God is alive and well and that He is interested in you! He wants to answer your prayers. Did you know that in two of the gospels it says, “Everyone who asks receives” (Matt. 7:8, Luke 11:10)?
- Jesus said to ask and we would receive that our joy be full (John 16:23–24). 5
What’s the Point?
- Do I need to forgive anyone? Am I blaming God for disappointments or things I do not understand?
- Do I have any unconfessed sin in my life?
- How is my attitude toward God and others?
- Have I left anything out? Are there things I should have done that have been left undone?
- Do I forgive myself?
