Pray from Rest and Receive God's Best

Q1: ARE OUR PRAYERS ANSWERED? WHY?

He who hears and answers us is loving and wise
Our Father loves us. He listens to us.

Sometimes, our prayers may not be answered the way we want them to be answered. But we can still trust our Father in heaven, that He knows best and He wants the best for us.

Remember the times you asked for something that would have proven detrimental to the well being of yourelf or to someone else? Imagine what will happen to this world if everything we ask for comes to pass? Praise God we have a wise and loving God who knows exacly how and when to respond to each of our requests, for our own good.

Our Father witholds no good things from us.

Knowing His heart, we can have confidence that He will not withhold any good thing from His beloved children.

"Now this is the cofidence we have on Him, that if we ask anything according to his will, He hears us." (1 John 5:24)

"For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened...If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!" (Matt 7:8,11)

God has given us the Answer to all our prayers
"So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it will be opened to you...If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!" (Luke 11:10,13).

Have you noticed that in the parallel passages in Matthew 7:11 and Luke 11:13 quoted above, where Jesus taught the disciples on prayer, the terms "good things" and "the Holy Spirit" were used interchangeably?

In response to our asking, seeking and knocking, God has given us the Holy Spirit - in whom we have all good things.

The truth be told, we already have the answer to all our prayers. Our Father answered our prayers when He gave us the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is God's answer to our prayers.

Jesus by the Holy Spirit dwells in us. I wonder how many of us really comprehend this awesome truth - the Creator and Sustainer of all things, the King and kings, the Lord of lords, the Saviour of all mankind, the Fulfilment of all our needs and desires, the Answer to all our prayers, our Lord Jesus Christ, is dwelling in us!

We are not alone and helpless. We are not abandoned. We are not ignored. We are not neglected.
Your prayers are not unanswered.
God hears your cry. Everytime.
You have the Answer. All the time.

Q2: IS PRAYER ASKING OR DECLARING?

Prayer is asking as well as declaring
The Bible teaches us to ask when we pray. Therefore praying is asking. In the gospel accounts, we see that at times, when Jesus prayed, He did not ask but simply gave thanks for the answer He wanted. So praying is also declaring.

Prayer is also hearing

More than asking and declaring, prayer is also hearing. As you ask and declare aloud (in line with God's Word), you expose your own ears to the life-giving and faith-building Word, and your inner man gets nourished and refreshed.


Q3: WHAT MAKES PRAYING IN THE SPIRIT POWERFUL?

Allowing He who prays best to prays for us

"For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered". (Rom 8:26)

"For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful. What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding" (1 Cor 14:14-15)

When you pray in tongues, the Holy Spirit who dwells in your spirit prays. The Spirit of Jesus Christ Himself prays in, for, and through you. When you pray in the Holy Spirit, you pray from the deepest part of your consciousness. You pray from the holy of holies. You pray the perfect prayer.

Faith comes by hearing
"...faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of Christ" (Rom 10:17).

When we hear our prayers in tongues, we are (in a sense) hearing the rhema words of Christ. And faith comes. Knowing and sensing the closeness of our Lord, as we hear His Spirit pray for us, we build ourselves up in our most holy faith.

"...beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith, praying always in the Holy Spirit..." (Jude 20)

Pray from rest and receive God's best
Also, when we pray in the Spirit, we pray from the posture of rest. We do not worry about what we pray for. Instead of focusing on the gifts, we focus on the Giver. We no longer strive for His presents. We simply rest in His Presence.

We are refreshed by the rivers of living waters flowing through us. We experience rejuvenation. "For with stammering lips and another tongue, He will speak to this people…"This is the rest…this is the refreshing…"" (Isaiah 28:11)

God works best when we rest.

When we rest, we enjoy God's best - fullness of righteousness, peace and joy.

~ excerpt fr notes of church caregroup