God Thinking XXXV - Prayer Environment 8

"We are looking at 5 components that must be present for you to provide an environment conducive to answered prayer.

1.    You must keep God’s commandments     I John 3:22
2.    You must ask in faith                                 James 1:6
3.    You must believe God will answer            Matthew 21:22
4.    You must ask in Jesus name                    John 14:147.
5.    You must ask according to God’s will       I John 5:14

4. You must ask according to God's will

“And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask any thing according to His will, He heareth us: V15 And if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him.” 1 John 5:14-15

Why would you want it any other way? 

Have you not done things your own way long enough?

Do you really want the petitions that are not the will of God for your life to come to pass? 

Once you fully understand that:

• God is for you and not against you
• that God gives you only good things  
• that God has protected you day in and day out
• that God has provided for you year after year
• that God has delivered you from a selfish and ungodly life
• that God delivers others through intercessory prayer
• that God inhabits the praises of His people
• that God has prepared a purpose for your life

Once you understand that:

• God gave you all that you have
• that God’s hand of protection is on your children’s life
• that God has healed you many, many times already
• that God has saved you from peril many, many times
• that God has supplied all your needs
• that God has provided your spouse
• that God is saving your children and grandchildren
• that God is working on your behalf every second of your life
• that God has made a way for your dream to come true
• that God has a storehouse of blessings for you to receive  
• that God has made a straight way for you
• that God has paid the penalty for your sins
• that God has cleansed you and made you righteous in Him
• that God has forgiven you of every indiscretion
• that God has cleansed you from all the awful things you have ever said or done to others
• that God has shown you mercy, not like you have shown to others, but the God kind of mercy
• that God has filled you with His blessings

Once you consider all that God has done and is doing, you won’t have a problem with praying according to the will of God.

Once you understand all that God has done, you won’t want anything that isn’t according to God’s will.

Once you believe and trust God, nothing but the will of God will do.

Once you truly trust God and you fully realize that God really does know best, you won’t even think about praying without seeking His will.

But:

• once you do believe that God has a plan and you are in it
• and you do believe that you are His child
• and once you do believe that God lives in you
• once you do believe that God works in you and through you to perform His will

You will pray and you will pray often.  

You will pray to hear from God to find out what to pray for, so that you can pray according to the will of God, and then you will pray in the will of the Father.. 

Excerpt from God Thinking XXXV - Prayer Environment by Keith C. Powell Copyright 2013