WHEN YE PRAY- PART III

1John 5:14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:

 15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

We know God’s word is truth. So if by God’s word we ask for what we desire he hears us and we have what we asked for. In acting out our faith we don’t believe because we see it but because God’s word says so.

Let’s say I ask God for a pen. As soon as I finish praying I must believe that I have the pen then I shall have it physically. So when I ask God for a laptop, I must believe first that I have the laptop then I will have it physically in my hands through a means God will provide. That is demonstration of faith in praying for our needs. This is of the heart or spirit. It is a deep assurance that indeed it is done. This will prevent you from praying about it again. Of course how can you pray for something you already are convinced has been done for you? You only give thanks to God that it is done for you. This will prevent you from worrying about it again. There will be peace in your heart because you have the assurance that it is done and are only waiting for its manifestation.

This principle is applied to praying for our needs. When it comes to intercession for others a different principle applies: in intercession, we pray continuously about an issue till we receive a note of victory from God. This may happen as soon as we pray, five minutes into the prayer, an hour into the prayer, after five days of praying, one month of praying, etc., depending on the issue and our faith.

This note of victory may come as a vision, a prophecy, an inward witness, etc.. So when the note of victory comes, we stop asking and start giving thanks till we see its manifestation. In Acts 12:1-17, the believers continually made prayers for Peter when he was arrested after the murder of James.

Acts 12:5 Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.

Isa 62:6 I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the LORD, keep not silence, 7 And give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth.

That is intercession. It is different when you are asking for your personal needs:

Matthew 6:7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. 8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

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

Asking for your personal needs over and over again is a sign of unbelief. In this case, we do not repeat our prayers to God in unbelief, instead we repeat our confessions, we keep saying and giving thanks to God that we have what we ask for till we see its manifestation. You may say I persisted in asking God always for a certain need and God did it for me. Well the truth is that the last time you asked which brought you the answer was the time you actually prayed in faith. Before then you were praying in unbelief.

What have you desired? Jesus says pray, when you have prayed believe you have received what you have prayed for and you will see its manifestation. In the same way he says if you shall talk to that mountain, if you shall rise up and talk to that mountain, it shall hear you and it shall do exactly as you asked. You may see the physical manifestation in a minute, an hour, a week, a month etc., all according to your faith. As you grow in faith, the time for the manifestation becomes shorter and shorter. God takes delight in giving us our hearts’ desires. Nothing is too good for the child of God. God wants the best for you. Why don’t you present that need, believe that you receive it and see it done for you. Why don’t you talk to that mountain, believe that indeed it moves and see it move.

Ps 36:7 How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings. 8 They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures. 9 For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.