Have You Met This Basic Condition for Answered Prayer?
By Rick Warren
“Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us” (1 John 3:21-23 NIV).
The Bible says God has laid out five conditions to answered prayer: you have an honest relationship with God, you harbor no unforgiveness toward anyone, you’re willing to share the results with other people, you ask God in faith, and you pray in Jesus’ name.
Have you been overlooking any of these conditions?
Maybe you’ve been holding a grudge. Maybe you’ve been nursing resentment and you’ve allowed bitterness to build up in your life.
Maybe you’ve been refusing to admit some wrong in your life. You’ve known it was there, but you haven’t wanted to go to God and say, “You’re right, God; that’s wrong. I admit it.”
Maybe you’ve prayed, but you’ve never really expected God to answer. If you don’t expect God to answer, you’re just wasting your time. Or maybe you haven’t been abiding in God’s Word and growing in faith.
Maybe you haven’t been willing to share God’s blessings with other people. You’ve been hesitant to give back to God a percentage of all the things he’s blessed you with.
How about praying in Jesus’ name?
You can’t pray in Jesus’ name unless you know him as your Lord and Savior. The most important question is, “Do you have an honest relationship with God?” I’m not talking about church membership or being religious. I’m talking about a relationship, where you know God personally. You can start a relationship with him today.
Then, you can pray: “God, I have not been meeting one or more of these conditions, and now I understand why I see so few results in my prayer life. Today I want to recommit my life to forgiveness and generosity, to a willingness to share and give back to you what you’ve given to me. I want to believe in faith. Lord, thank you for the Bible — how it helps me and is so practical and relevant to my life. When I meet the conditions that you’ve laid out for me, I can see tremendous results in my life. Thank you that prayer is no big mystery but simply a conversation with you. Thank you for the privilege of prayer. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”
If you prayed the prayer above, please write and tell me at Rick@PastorRick.com. If you’ve decided today to follow Jesus, I’d love to send you some materials as you begin your journey with him.
If you still have questions, and want to learn more about becoming a follower of Christ, watch this video: What does it mean to be saved?
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Put Jesus at the center of your Christmas!
Many people step into the Christmas season run down and worn out. And by the time January rolls around, they’re so exhausted that they’ve completely missed the real reason for the season.
But there’s really no better time to recalibrate your heart toward Jesus than during the holidays. And Pastor Rick Warren’s book, The Purpose of Christmas, can help you fill your Christmas with more of God’s love and peace by making Christ the center of your life.
This resource shows you . . .
• What Christmas means for your salvation
• How to surrender to God’s will
• Practical steps to overcome discouragement
• Why we celebrate Christmas at all
• How Christmas can be a time to make peace with others
The Purpose of Christmas is our way to thank you for your gift below to help more people learn, love, and live the Word – so request your copy when you give!
From all of us at Daily Hope, may you experience God’s peace and joy this holiday season!
This devotional © 2017 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
You can listen to Rick Warren on OnePlace.com.