When Does God Answer Prayer?

Text: Daniel 9:20-22

 "And whiles I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the LORD My God for the holy mountain of my God; Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation. And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give Thee skill and understanding.”

Introduction 

There is a misunderstanding on the subject of God answering prayer. There are people who say answers to prayer depend on God, whilst others say it depends on the believer. Some say God may answer some prayers and not answer others. But what does the Bible say on this subject? Well, we shall look at three points today:

1.God Answers Prayer Instantly.

Daniel 9:23 says, "At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to shew thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision.”

Mark 11:24 says, “Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.”

When you pray to God, He answers at the time of prayer. To every prayer or request, there is an answer that is available. The angel Gabriel told Daniel that he was given a command to bring an answer in the beginning of supplication. It is said that the manifestation of Daniel’s answer took three minutes. Mark tells us to believe that we receive at the time of prayer.  He says if you do that, you will have whatever you desire.

2. What Hinders An Instant Manifestation to Your Prayer?

Daniel 10:2-3 says, “In those days I Daniel was mourning three full weeks. I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.”

In this scripture we find that Daniel prayed for three weeks before seeing the manifestation of the answer. It is the same Daniel praying to the same God he prayed to in Chapter 9. We hear the Angel speaking to Daniel in Chapter 10:10-11, “And, behold, an hand touched me, which set me upon my knees and upon the palms of my hands. And he said unto me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak unto thee, and stand upright: for unto thee am I now sent. And when he had spoken this word unto me, I stood trembling."

But why does the manifestation take 3 minutes in one prayer and 3 weeks in another? Well, the Angel Gabriel gave an answer in Daniel 10:12-13, “Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.”

There is a demonic opposition. Daniel did not know why the answer delayed. But even if he knew, he could not do anything because in the Old Testament, Satan had power over human beings. They just waited for God’s intervention. We will see the difference with the New Testament as we continue. So man did not have power over demons in the Old Testament. So your prayers are opposed. That means that the manifestation is hindered.

3. What to Do When The Manifestation is Hindered?

Whether or not we receive answers to our prayers, God is not the variable. That means God has already answered your prayers in the spirit realm. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He never changes. What He has done for one, he can do for anyone else. He answered both of Daniel’s prayers instantly.

In the Old Testament, Daniel looked forward in faith to what Jesus would do. In the New Testament, we look back in faith to what God has already done through Christ. Faith is the bridge for receiving from God. Daniel did not move out of faith and quit praying. Had he quit praying and believing, he could have not received his answer.

We learn that if you keep your faith and confession, you will see the manifestation to your prayer. God does things according to the power that is at work in us according to Ephesians 3:20, “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us"

Our faith is the bridge through which God’s provision reaches us. God is a Spirit, so He moves in the spirit realm to supply whatever we need. In the New Testament, God has given us authority and power. So you have a responsibility according to James 4:7, which says, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." 

You must submit to God and resist the devil. You don’t have to passively wait for God to do something for you. He has already played His part. 

Conclusion

Don’t be deceived by the enemy into believing that God answers prayer at His own time. And that at times He chooses either or not to answer. God always answers instantly. It is our responsibility to receive from Him by faith.

God has already moved by His grace in the spirit realm. We need to manifest his supplies into the physical realm.

The Spirit Realm Controls the Physical Realm

Text: 2Kings 6:14-15

"Therefore sent he thither horses, and chariots, and a great host: and they came by

night, and compassed the city about.

And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold,

an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto

him, Alas, my master! how shall we do?"

Introduction

The Syrian king was in war against the king of Israel. He would send ambushes out to try

and destroy the army of the king of Israel.

However, the Syrians lost every time they did that. The king of Israel knew their plans and

strategies beforehand. They were shocked by such. The king of Syria thought there was a

traitor among them according to 2 Kings 6:11-12, “Therefore the heart of the king of

Syria was sore troubled for this thing; and he called his servants, and said unto them,

Will ye not shew me which of us is for the king of Israel?

And one of his servants said, None, my lord, O king: but Elisha, the prophet that is in

Israel, telleth the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber.

Today, we shall look at three points on the spirit realm being in control of the physical:

1. See In The Spirit Realm.

After the Syrian king was told that the prophet Elisha told the Israelite king of their plans,

they went to try and attach him. Elisha’s servant saw the Syrians with horses and chariots

surrounding their home and panicked. But Elisha told him not to fear according to 2Kings

6:16, “And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be

with them.”

There is more to life than what you can see, taste, hear, smell, and feel. We don’t confess

positively in order to make something real, but we confess the Word in order to manifest

what is real. Realize that spiritual truth and physical truth don’t always agree. But if you will

believe, speak, and act on spiritual truth, it will overcome the physical truth.

2. Pray That Your Eyes May be Opened.

According 2 Kings 6:17, the Bible says, “And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee,

open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man;

and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round

about Elisha."

Elisha’s servant was not operating in faith the way Elisha did.

The prophet was confident, he was not afraid. He then prayed for his servant’s eyes to be

opened. Physically, his eyes were open, but he was spiritually blind (carnal).

The servant was amazed when seeing the mountain full of horses and chariots of fire round

about Elisha. Now you need to see with eyes of your spirit. See all things through the Word

of God. The spirit realm is more real than the physical.

Jesus saw things the same way as Elisha according to Matthew 11:15, where He says, “He

that hath ears to hear, let him hear.”

Jesus expected people to have spiritual ears. Hear with your heart. Believing God’s Word is

seeing in the spirit.

Elisha believed God’s promises according to Psalms 91:11-12, “For he shall give his

angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their

hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone."

He had once seen horses and chariots physically before according to 2 Kings 2:11-12,

“And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a

chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up

by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the

chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took

hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces.”

This time Elisha believed. He didn’t have to see.

3. The Spiritual World Created the Physical World.

Hebrews 11:3 says, "Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by

the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do

appear." 

God used spiritual substance i.e. things, which were real in the spirit realm to make the

physical. You need to first deal with things in the spirit realm in order to manifest what you

desire in the physical.

The Creator is always greater than the creation. Elisha understood these things. Since he

believed he had angelic protection surrounding him, he boldly walked out to the enemy.

He raised his hand and smote them with blindness. He commanded them to hold each

other’s hands and led them to the king of Israel. He then prayed that their eyes be opened

according to 2 Kings 6:18-20.

Elisha believed in the power that was available to him in the spirit realm, so he took the

entire Syrian army. He used the spiritual weapon. The spirit realm is real.

All these mean that you can take control of your life in the spirit realm. Once you lose the battle in the spirit, you won't succeed in the physical realm.

God Has Supplied All Your Needs

Text: Ephesians 1: 1- 3

“Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:

Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.”

God has supplied all your needs. The letter to the Ephesians was written from the perspective of what has already taken place. I want to answer some questions in order for you to understand the subject.

What do we mean by the phrase, “all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ?”

Some people just to say this means spiritual things, not in a practical way.

This is an old way of expressing the truth that God has already blessed us with everything  and  it is in the spirit realm. God has done everything for you and deposited it in your born again spirit.

He is a Spirit and He communicates with us on a Spirit to spirit basis. So to experience what He has deposited in you, you must draw it out of the spirit into the physical realm.

Example:

If someone were to deposit money into your bank account, you would not be able to enjoy  the benefits of that money until you went to the bank and withdrew the money. In order to benefit, you must follow all the necessary steps to get the money. The same applies to the things of God.

Your assignment to experiencing the things of God

In order o experience the things of God, your assignment is to learn to receive.

Example:

Someone is making a prayer, "Please God heal my body." If this person  does not hear or feel anything, he just wonders, 'Lord, what is going on?"

God also asks a question, "What does 1 Peter 2:24 say?" The Bible tells us in this portion of scripture that by His stripes, we were healed. Note that this is past tense, so it was done. What you need to do is to claim it as yours because it is.

Ephesians 1: 19- 21 indicates that the same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead is working in us. If you don't draw from that power, you are like someone who is dying of thirst having a well of water next to him.

There are other foolish prayers we make before God like, "God, we ask you to come and be with us in our service today. O Lord meet with us." But this is a wrong approach. God explains it clearly that He will neither leave us nor forsake us according to Hebrews 13:5. In Mathew 18:20, He promises that where two or three are gathered in His name, He shall be there in the midst.

So doing things outside the Word of God is allowing our senses to dominate us. The best approach is to begin to receive what God has already done for us. We should confess right in order to get what we want.

You Have Been Saved by Grace Through Faith

Text: Ephesians 2:8

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God”

Introduction

There is a need to understand grace and faith. This is because without either of the two, you cannot receive anything from God.

Today, we shall look at the two important components of our salvation.

1.God Moved by Grace.

When you read 1 Peter 4:10 the Bible says, “As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.”

The grace of God can be defined in several different ways. Most people define it as unmerited favor. That is true. However, that definition is not complete. Grace also refers to something God did for you but independent of you.

God made a provision for your salvation before you ever needed it. The other thing with the grace of God is that it is consistent. That means it is the same for both a Christian and none Christian. If we read Titus 2:11, the Bible says,   "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men"

Grace represents everything Jesus did for you. But it is not sufficient for your salvation to take place i.e. it does not work alone. This now takes us to our final point.

2. Respond by Faith.

“For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and

be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things

which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.” (Mark 11:23-24).

Maybe before I talk about the scripture I have just read, may I explain somethings. Faith is not something you do that makes God move. Studying the Bible, confessing the Word, acting the Word, etc., are not all involved in the faith process, but in themselves they are not “faith”.

These things do not make God do anything. Faith is your response to what God has already done by grace, not something you do to make God do something. It is simply your response to what God has already provided by grace. Faith receives.

Conclusion

Today you have learned about the two components of our salvation, which are grace and faith. Once you have grasped the two, you should not have a problem in experiencing all that God provided for you. I hope this teaching has made an impact in your life.

God bless you till next time.