How To Get God To Answer Prayer

Background to passage: Last Supper, farewell discourse

John 14:1–13 ESV

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.

In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.

And you know the way to where I am going.”

Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?”

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.”

Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?

Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works.

Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.

Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

Opening illustration: The Prayer that God Cannot Ignore: How to Force God to Answer Your Prayer Every Time, by Prophet Uebert Angel

Main thought: As we end our month of Prayer and Fasting on Tues, knowing that we have labored in earnest in prayer while focusing on God, will God hear? Will God answer? Will God pour out his blessing on this church? Will God use us to impact this community for the kingdom as we have asked? This is a text that is mind-blowing in possibility. Jesus said it multiple times. This we know from this text, Christ will do for us whatever we ask upon two conditions: 1) in my name, 2) for the Father’s glory.

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1) In My Name (v. 13)

John 14:13 ESV

Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

1) In My Name (v. 13)

Explanation: What does it mean to pray in Christ’s name? Just tack on the special phrase at the end of our prayer? 1) Through his blood as our access, 2) for the continuance of his work, 3) and according to his will.

No condition as in John 15:7, “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” No condition as in 1 John 5:14–15, “If we ask anything according to his will he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.” No condition as in Mark 11:24, “Whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”

John 15:7 ESV

If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

1 John 5:14–15 ESV

And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.

And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.

Mark 11:24 ESV

Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

Illustration:

Application: Three things

Through his blood. We acknowledge that the only way that we can approach the throne of God is because of the death and resurrection of Christ. We base the hearing of our prayer on the fact that the veil was ripped from top to bottom, giving us access. The fact that we have been born again by the precious blood of Christ is our humble expression of our unworthiness to do it upon any of our own merit. So, let’s examine a typical prayer.

For the advancement of his kingdom. This comes right from this text when speaking of the works that Christ did to testify of the Father, we will continue to do even greater works because we have the Holy Spirit. These works will be to testify of Christ and his kingdom which has come. When we pray that the church will prevail against the powers of darkness, we can truly claim that we are praying in Christ’s name. For example, a common prayer request.