I started to pray about the matter and plead the heart of God for wisdom and direction. That was the prayer. It wasn't a prayer for "miracle" money. It was a prayer for wisdom and direction as it related to the financial matter.
During that prayer I sensed something that I've never sensed before. I sensed that I was to stop praying and grab my phone. It was so overwhelming that I had to do it. I never scroll my phone during my devotional times but on this occasion I felt I just had to. So, I grabbed my phone.
I looked at it and the YouTube icon seemed more prominent than any of the others. So, I tapped it and as usual my YouTube feed opened. The first video on the feed was one by Dr. Charles Stanley entitled "Focus on God, not your problems."
The title spoke to my heart. All I needed was the title. The powerful message of the title was as if it came directly from God as His answer to my prayer for wisdom and direction. I was reminded, by the title, to focus on God and not on the financial situation. By focusing on God I would be demonstrating my faith in Him. I knew that God would see me through this challenge. He would not leave me to face it alone.
I noticed the video was only about 6 minutes so I watched it ... 3 times.
In the video Stanley shared that there was a time that he was facing quite a challenge. He told a story of how a certain elderly lady conveyed a powerful message to him. To hear it for yourself just view the video above. Trust me, you'll be blessed if you do.
Does God Still Answer Prayer?
Indeed He does.
I got my answer. God spoke in terms I could easily understand by saying,
"Tony, you're focusing on the problem and that's a problem."
This reminder from God caused me to feel joyous and at peace.
You may ask, "Do you still have the financial challenge?" At the time of this writing, yes. But God has been doing things that are making it much more of a molehill than a mountain. I'll just leave it there.
How to Get Your Prayers Answered
Countless books have been written, sermons preached, and Bible studies taught about how to get our prayers answered. I'm sure that most of them contain timeless truths.
But for me, it starts in my devotional time. I have a set time to pray. I want to spend time with God each day in prayer and Bible reading. During these times I glean so much from the Lord.
1 Thessalonians 5:17 teaches us to pray without ceasing. If your habit is to only pray on a "need to" basis, then don't expect much by way of answered prayer. Prayer should be something that is part of your daily life, not something you turn to only in crisis. It should contain things like praise, thanksgiving, confession, Bible reading, and intercession on behalf of others.
I am very honest with God in my time with Him. He already knows my sins and shortcomings. I never make a claim to perfection with the Lord. So, I spend some time in confession. Confession is simply agreeing with God that my actions can be, and often are, sinful.
Then I ask for forgiveness and He gives it.
After confession I praise Him for being the loving God of mercy and grace that He is. Reading biblical passages helps with this, especially passages from the Psalms. Reading the Psalms as though they were prayers to God is so uplifting and encouraging. I feel so close to the Lord as I read and pray the Psalms. God often causes me to focus on only one sentence out of an entire Psalm. That will be be His direct word for me at that moment or that day.
I conclude my prayer time by making intercession for others and making my requests known to Him (Philippians 4:6). As I pray I think of so many people that need a fresh touch from the Lord or those who need His grace and mercy. Typically person after person come to mind. I simply pray for them by mentioning their name or sharing a small bit of insight into what they are facing. That is usually sufficient because God knows the details of what they are facing. However, there are situations on which I devote much more of that intercession.
I never have a list of personal requests. God has done so much for me that personal prayer requests don't dominate my prayer time. But there are times, like this financial issue, that cause me to request His guidance and direction.
One thing I bring to my prayer and devotional time is expectancy. I honestly expect God to be God in all sitautions as He has always proven to be in my life. He has promised to never leave me nor forsake me and He has kept that promise. There's no reason for me to expect anything other than what he has promised.
I have certainly forsaken Him and taken several trips in the ways of the wicked. I have been forsaken by friends I thought would stand by me no matter what. Perhaps I gave them no reason to stand with me.
But in the seasons of my life when I waded in the mire, God has been true to His promise even when I told Him I didn't deserve His presence and certainly not His grace.
To get your prayers answered, expect God to be God.
I don't think there is a set formula for getting prayers answered. I think that loving God enough to spend time with Him in prayer and in His Word is sufficient.
We love Him, because He first loved us (1 John 4:19) ... right?
Tony
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To get the free devotional guide click HERE.
Please share this post with anyone who may need to be encouraged.
P.S. I am currently deep into the initial growth stage of “Project Next.” I am looking for people to join me in this project. A health and wellness company that has been amazingly successful in Europe is now focused on growing in the American market. The opportunity is HUGE! So much of my time is now reserved for my expanding project team. I am currently looking for 3 people who want to work from home and be a part of something new and exciting. If you are currently dissatisfied with your bigger picture progress in life and would like to learn how the project may help you move forward, send me an email and we can arrange a time to talk. prayerguideforme@gmail.com
P.S.S. Want to detox, rid yourself of extra body fat, and change the entire trajectory of your health in a 21-day window? If that sounds at all appealing, shoot me an email (prayerguide4me@gmail.com)and I’ll share a very unique and effective program that has been massively successful in Europe over the past seven years. I’ll send you a program guide that will allow you to learn the details, and a link where you can move forward if you choose to. As an aside, this program will require some discipline:-) but it’s a lot easier than what I do every day of my life!
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