Conditions for Answered Prayer
Looking for a fresh start to the New Year I found this article about prayer taken from the experiences of George Mueller. I have been very impressed in the past by books on prayer written by R. A. Torrey, E. M. Bounds, and many other great prayer warriors. However, it seems many articles written about prayer in this postmodern generation is theoretical compositions put together without actual prayer experiences.
Some of the great writings on prayer have been lost in religious antiquity and not available for us today. So, when I came across this article from the experiences of George Mueller I knew I had some gold nuggets.
Mr. Mueller never asked any human source to help him run the Bristol orphanage or feed and clothe the children. He prayed and God answered with miracles. Many times the children were without food for breakfast. Mr. Mueller had the children set the table then he, the staff, and children prayed. Whist in prayer there was a knock at the door. There stood the local baker with a load of bread. God had woken him in the night hours and impressed him to bake extra bread and take it to the orphanage. The same with the milkman and other business people of the community supplying the orphanage with help due to strong impressions from God placed on their hearts.
Things like this happened continually through the duration of Mr. Mueller s ministry. God always supplied. I too want to pray in such a manner that God hears me and answers my prayers. That is why I share this article with you from a man that received answers from God.
Conditions For Answered Prayer.
George Muller of Bristol, England (1805-1898) has offered five conditions for answered prayer:
1. Entire dependence upon the merits and mediation of the Lord Jesus Christ, as the only basis for His blessing:
"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 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name." (John 14:13, 14; 15:16) (See Matthew 7:7; 11:24; John 15:7; Ephesians 3:20; 1 John 3:22)
2. Separation from all known sin:
"If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened." (Psalm 66:18) (See Proverbs 15:8, 29)
3. Faith in God's Word of promise as confirmed by His oath. Not to believe Him is to make Him both a liar and a perjurer:
"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." (Hebrews 11:6) (See Hebrews 3:18; 4:2; 6:13-20)
4. Ask in accordance with His will: Our motives must be godly: we must not seek any gift of God to consume upon our own lusts:
"This is the confidence 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 whatever we ask we know that we have what we asked of him. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures." (1 John 5:14, 15; James 4:3) (See Job 35:12; Proverbs 1:20-28; Malachi 3:4)
5. Ask aggressively: There must be waiting on God and waiting for God, as the farmer develops patience in waiting for the harvest:
"Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains." (James 5:7) (See Luke 18:1-10)
Taken from Facts of The Matter.