358-God Will Surely Answer Your Prayer#
358-God Will Surely Answer Your Prayer
(JP Text Group - Brother Guo's Compilation)
Dear family, peace in the Lord, and welcome to your arrival!
The topic of sharing is: He Will Surely Answer Your Prayer
Let’s first read these few verses from John 14:12-15:
12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.” 15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”
Let’s pray together:
Heavenly Father, thank you and praise you! Thank you for preparing such a wonderful time for us to share your word here. Because of our faith in Jesus, we have become sons of the Father, we are loved by you, and we are different from the world. We have the glory of Christ and the authority of Christ. Renew our thoughts and minds, help us stand firm on your word, not looking at the surrounding environment, but only gazing upon your word. Help us to know your truth more, so that no matter what situation we encounter, we can pray to you. We believe you will surely answer our prayers, for this is your promise to us. All glory belongs to you. In the name of the Lord Jesus, we pray, Amen.
In John 14:12-15, Jesus teaches us to pray to Him. Living in this world, we inevitably encounter problems, setbacks, and even despair at times. However, what sets us apart from the world is that when we face problems, we can pray to our Heavenly Father. As children of God, we always have hope and will not easily give up on our dreams. If we do not know God and do not know where the solution to our problems lies, we may seek help from people everywhere. If no one can help, one may fall into complete despair.
The world is created by our God, and He knows how to overcome. Perhaps after we believe in Him, we may not rely on Him, but God still loves us, and this relationship already exists. You must believe one thing: He will surely answer your prayer. His answering your prayer is to train you, to supply you, and to help you live a victorious life in this world. Those who do not believe in the Lord are searching and groping their way forward, but we are different. The principles of victory are already written in the Bible; the truth has been given to us. We just need to find what we need in God's word, pray to Him, and God will grant it to us. Because He has given us a promise, if we seek, we will surely find.
Look at how Jesus did things; we can do the same. Jesus came to the world to set an example for us. In many situations, we may feel lost and discouraged, but Jesus came and, as the Son of God, overcame the world, overcame problems, and overcame death, giving all who believe in Him eternal hope, which means not giving up easily no matter what happens. In times of weakness, we can pray to our God; even in failure, we can still pray to Him. He will bless us, give us strength, and help us stand up again in difficulties and tribulations. He will save us from all evil.
Many people know to pray to God, but when they pray, they see no results. They know to look to God in everything, and they do look, but the situation does not change, and they feel as if God has not heard their prayers... Brothers and sisters, do not ask God why He has not answered your prayers. Instead, look at it from another angle: believe that God will surely answer our prayers. Perhaps the way God answers is different from what we expect, but God will definitely give us an answer. Amen! This is the part we need to be certain about.
The first point of sharing: How Jesus Does Things, We Do the Same
Many people do not know how to pray. To put it simply, your relationship with the Heavenly Father is like that of a father and son. Let’s set aside some rules; when your son seeks you, there are no rules or processes needed. It is the same with us. When you pray to the Heavenly Father, please remember, He is your loving Father, and you are His beloved son. Pray to Him with this heart.
Jesus also encountered difficulties and problems in the world, and He turned to the Heavenly Father in prayer. He often said, “Father, Heavenly Father.” This is His title. I hope every brother and sister remembers this identity when praying. How did Jesus do things when He came to the world? Many times, we fail because our way of doing things deviates from God's way. If we walk according to the truth and do things the way Jesus did, we will easily achieve victory.
Let’s look at what Jesus did in Matthew 9:35-38:
35 And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. 38 Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
When Jesus did things, He thought of the love of the Father. He had three main ministries while on earth: teaching in the synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and affliction. I call this Jesus' three major ministries. Do you see what Jesus came to do on earth? It was to fulfill the Father's will. Many people do not know where the Father's will is or how to walk in it, but this is it. Just look at how Jesus did it, and follow in His footsteps.
Jesus taught people in the synagogues, addressing the Jews who had ingrained concepts. Jesus taught them with truth, wanting to bring them abundant life, but in reality, it was the Jews who persecuted Jesus the most. Many times, when our prayers go unanswered and we keep failing, it is because we have too many ingrained thoughts and fixed mindsets.
Why did the Jews persecute Jesus? Because their ideas were inconsistent with what Jesus preached. When there is inconsistency, what should we choose? We should choose to believe in Jesus' way. Miracles and wonders will open up the way ahead. Sometimes we envy the Jews because they have God's laws and commandments to follow; yet we also take them as a cautionary tale because they became stagnant relying on these. Jesus came and did not give up on this group of people; He wanted to teach them with truth to prevent their failure and to stop their problems from worsening.
The second aspect is proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom. Whether it is Jesus' teachings or the content He preached, it is beneficial to us. When He preached the gospel of the kingdom, He might have been addressing Gentiles or uninformed Jews. This gospel is also for us; it depends on which category we belong to. No matter what your problems or needs are, Jesus wants to tell us that He provides for all of us. Facing fishermen and farmers, who are marginalized in society, Jesus preached the gospel of the kingdom to them, encouraging them to simply believe and trust in the Father's provision. These people received healing for every disease, which is the effect of truth.
When faith is correct, life becomes correct; when faith is correct, our lives become increasingly prosperous. This is a very easy concept to understand. Recently, many people have asked me why, despite having received grace for many years, they still face many problems and difficulties. When communicating with them, it seems they understand everything, yet they still find themselves in failure and problems in life. The issue is that when we focus too much on current problems, we easily overlook God's truth. First, we must believe one thing: just as God loves Jesus, He loves you the same. You must believe this. Just as God fulfills Jesus' prayers, He will fulfill your prayers.
Once you establish this point, knowing that God is the God who hears your prayers, you can then make adjustments to see where you need to align your faith with the truth. People certainly have their own thoughts, and what we need to do is align ourselves with the truth. Jesus eagerly desires that His truth be accepted by more people, renewing our thoughts with His truth.
Verses 36 to 38 show that Jesus saw many people and had compassion for them because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. We should also have this vision. Too many people are particularly eager to achieve victory in life, to change their current problems, to change their moods, and to change their living conditions, but their real problem is a lack of truth.
The truth we speak of is not a set of theories but truly receiving God's word into our hearts, allowing this truth to become the basis of our lives.
Jesus said to His disciples: The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. When Jesus said this, there were many people working, busy priests, scribes, and many teachers in the temple every day, yet Jesus said the harvest is too plentiful, but the laborers are few. What does this mean? It means there are too few people doing things like Jesus, too few people with a compassionate heart like Jesus.
We also need to pray for the gospel, asking God to raise up more servants who are in His will to work and gather His harvest. What does this mean? The harvest here refers to those who are harassed and helpless, who need to hear the truth and the gospel. They are particularly eager for their prayers to be answered. It is actually a very simple matter; as long as you believe the truth correctly, your prayers will surely be answered. Jesus does things with the Father's business as a priority, and His work becomes simple.
In Luke 2:48-49:
48 And when his parents saw him, they were astonished. And his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.” 49 And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”
This was when Jesus was twelve years old, worshipping God and offering sacrifices with His earthly parents in the temple. After the activities ended, everyone else went home, but Jesus did not return with His parents; He stayed in the temple to discuss truth with the rabbis. Later, when His parents realized they could not find Him among their relatives, they returned along the same route and found Jesus in the temple. When His parents saw Him, they were astonished and did not understand what Jesus was doing, thinking He should have returned home with them.
As parents, they did not understand that Jesus prioritized His Father's business, asking why He had treated them this way, saying, “Look, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.” As earthly parents, they might worry about what might happen to Him, but from Jesus' perspective, He asked, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” This is a part that all sons need to adjust. We should prioritize our Heavenly Father's business, and everything else will become simple.
One of the biggest reasons Jesus could achieve victory in everything is that He prioritized His Father’s business. In our terms, it means putting God's matters first. When we set aside our current work and prioritize God's business, God begins to take care of the other matters we worry about. How do we do God's business? By caring for souls and not being concerned about personal gains and losses. Jesus did this, and God had already opened the way for Him in all other matters. Amen.
Many people have not made breakthroughs in prayer and do not know how to pray, or even say their prayers go unanswered. You can make adjustments by prioritizing our Heavenly Father’s matters, and everything else will become particularly simple. In past sermons, I have shared many testimonies of people who prioritized the Father’s matters, resulting in their work being greatly blessed by God.
Some people are in business and persistently share our truth every day. Unexpectedly, many clients come to find them to sign contracts, and their business always does the best. What is the reason? It is because doing the Father’s business is much easier than doing the work at hand. When we preach the truth, the Holy Spirit helps us, and God takes care of what we think is difficult. We hand this matter over to our God, allowing Him to grant us wisdom, and we achieve the best results in the least amount of time, just as Jesus was conversing with the rabbis. This is a very important matter.
Although Jesus had the Holy Spirit, we cannot deny all knowledge in the world. We also do not need to stop learning; we can pray and do not need to do anything else. We need to ask God for wisdom and also understand the ways of the world. Therefore, it is very necessary for Jesus to communicate truth and the Bible with the rabbis. I hope brothers and sisters, when applying the truth, do not deny the existing knowledge in the world. These are also gifts from God to help us. However, having the Holy Spirit may allow us to see higher and further. Amen.
Psalm 37:29-31:
29 The righteous shall inherit the land and dwell upon it forever. 30 The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice. 31 The law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not slip.
The righteous can be understood as those who are justified by faith, those who believe in Jesus Christ are called righteous. God has given us a promise: the righteous shall inherit the land and dwell upon it forever. Do not understand this statement too spiritually. Simply put, the things you do in the world, your business, your family, your work, your possessions, etc., are the land you inherit, and you shall dwell upon it forever. This is what God has given us. How can we keep these cities? It is simple: prioritize God's matters, and God will help us guard and protect the land we have now.
What should we do regularly? Here is the method: the mouth of the righteous utters wisdom. Many people do not know how to pray; often discussing truth is proclaiming truth, which is actually communicating with God. When you discuss truth, God helps you and supplies you. You are already connecting with God in doing things. Amen.
Just like when we preach to others, the Holy Spirit is with you at that moment, helping you. When you are communicating with others and listening to their stories, you can pray to God, saying, “Lord, how can I help him?” This is prayer. Over time, it forms a habit of life. No matter what happens, you will pray to the Heavenly Father: “Lord, how do I solve this problem? How do I communicate with this person?” Such prayers may become very short but will be constant.
If you want to establish such a relationship with the Heavenly Father, start by discussing truth, because knowing the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Start by discussing truth, beginning with speaking justice. Do not be like the world, speaking lies and deceit for your own benefit. Speaking too much will lead people away from the truth. If you have spoken many lies, when you pray, you may feel, “I have spoken so many lies; will God listen?” Therefore, cultivate a habit of knowing that God is always supplying you with truth in your life.
Verse 31 says: The law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not slip.
Prayer should be a normal part of life. We should not wait until we encounter a huge problem that we cannot solve, feeling anxious before we remember to pray. We should keep God's word in our hearts, discuss Him, and speak of Him. Prayer should become a norm, and our steps will not slip. Hallelujah. Jesus lived this way. His prayers were constant. After a day of ministry, He would go up the mountain alone to pray to the Heavenly Father.
Some may say, “He is the Son of God, has so much wisdom, the Holy Spirit is with Him, and has all kinds of gifts; what does He need to pray for?” Actually, it is not so. Jesus needed God's supply, both physically and spiritually. He needed the Father’s provision because He was in the flesh, which is weak. Just like us, after working for a long time, we feel tired. Jesus also felt thirsty, hungry, and tired, so He needed to draw strength from the Father through prayer. This is the most important thing.
This is why I always suggest that the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning is to return to God's word, even if it is just reading a little bit of the Bible, placing truth in your heart, and often meditating on it. This is also a form of prayer. Sometimes it is through praise, sometimes through scripture, sometimes through listening to sermons. In this process, placing truth in our hearts will keep our steps from slipping. Amen. Jesus once gave us a promise, saying: we will do greater things than He.
In John 14:23-26:
23 Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me. 25 These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”
When Jesus encountered problems in the world, He prayed to the Heavenly Father, and He also gave us these words: If anyone loves me, he will keep my word. What does this mean? You should do things like Jesus did. How did Jesus do things in the world? We should do the same. Jesus said: And I will come to him and make my home with him. This means God is now with Jesus.
We should also believe that the Heavenly Father is now with our Jesus. What is Jesus doing there? Praying for us, acting as our intercessor. He is our intercessor. Whenever you feel weak, please remember, Jesus is your intercessor; when you feel no one is helping or understanding you, Jesus is your intercessor. Amen. Because Jesus acts as your mediator, your prayers will be transformed by Jesus, and our Heavenly Father will surely hear your prayers.
Verse 24 gives us a reminder: Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. The word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.
This means that everything Jesus said and did while on earth was the Father’s will. When we are willing to live this way, many things become simple and victorious. This is Jesus, who not only teaches us to pray but also tells us how to live a victorious life in prayer. We can communicate with the Heavenly Father about any problem, and this is prayer. Prayer is mutual communication. We tell the Heavenly Father what we need, and the Father answers our prayers, sending people and surrounding circumstances to work for us. What may seem like a bad thing, our God can change, ultimately turning bad things into benefits for us. What we need to do is continuously renew our thoughts and align ourselves with God's truth. Amen.
Just like a car, after running for a long time, the four wheels may have some deviation, and it needs to be realigned. Every day, we adjust our direction through prayer and truth, adjusting our order and standards, using God's word as our standard. Amen. In such circumstances, many things in life become simple and easy.
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things.
The Holy Spirit dwells in our hearts, teaching us to know His truth and to live by God's word, which is also prayer. The Holy Spirit speaks to you, right? This is the part of our mutual communication in prayer. We tell God what we need, and the Holy Spirit speaks to us, teaching us through truth and reminding us of everything Jesus has said to us. This is very important.
Many people say they cannot hear God's voice. In fact, the Bible gives us many promises. Keep these in your heart. When problems arise, a piece of truth or a word will come out, which is God's word for you at that moment, God's answer to you. Because nothing in this world can exceed the Bible. God already knows what we will encounter in this world and has placed the answers in the Bible.
Ecclesiastes tells us that there is nothing new under the sun. One generation goes, and another comes, but the past events repeat themselves. There is nothing new in the world, meaning that whether ancient or modern, things are largely the same. The ways they happen may differ slightly, but the solutions are all through God's truth.
We just need to be rooted in truth, and through prayer, the Holy Spirit will tell you the ways to solve these problems. Our God is always beyond generations; our God cannot say He does not know about the internet or the advanced technology today. God's wisdom far exceeds these. We need to be rooted in truth, pray more, and God will teach us His truth at the right time. We just need to obey this truth and change some of our past habits. That will be enough.
For example, some people say, “Lord, grant me health.” This is a valid prayer, no problem. However, they stay up until two or three in the morning every day, not sleeping at night, and their bodies become weaker and weaker. They may ask, “Why haven't you heard my prayer?” Brothers and sisters, do you know where this person's problem lies? God has given us principles and a rhythm of life. When the sun rises, we should work during the day and rest at night.
This person does not sleep at two or three in the morning, and their body does not rest, leading to disruptions in bodily functions. It cannot be said that God does not love him or hear his prayers. Perhaps God has also given him scripture saying: Work during the day and rest at night. He may have also heard the Holy Spirit say this to him, but he prefers to stay up at night, feeling energetic, and likes to sleep in during the day. If he is unwilling to change this habit, his body will continue to weaken.
I wonder if everyone understands what I mean? Many times, our prayers go unanswered because there are habits that need to be changed. It is not that God does not love us. If those habits are not changed, it may seem like prayers are unanswered, but one day, when the time comes, those prayers will still be fulfilled.
Take the example I just mentioned. This person says, “Lord, I am your beloved child; please make my body healthy. My body is deteriorating…” But he stays up until two or three in the morning every night, feeling energetic, eating and drinking excessively. One day, his body finally collapses, and he is sent to the hospital. Lying on the hospital bed, the doctor forces him to rest on time, adjusting his schedule. His body recovers.
This is actually God's answer to his prayer. It is just that he was unwilling to change, and ultimately, he was forced to change by external circumstances. I do not want brothers and sisters to reach this point before seeing God's answer. If what I am saying is exactly what you are experiencing, do not say that God has not heard your prayer. God has already heard! Perhaps countless times in your heart, God has already given you the truth, but you did not listen, saying, “This is my personality, my habit; I am unwilling to change…” Ultimately, God helps you through that way, through doctors. It cannot be said that He did not answer your prayer. That way is also a way of answering.
What I want to say is that no matter what you pray for, our Heavenly Father will surely answer your prayer. I hope everyone is spiritually sensitive, knows the truth God has given us, and follows these truths. When you do, prayer will become very quick, and many things will not need to wait until the last moment to see the miracle. They can be solved early on, and easily. Amen.
The second point of sharing: When You Rely on His Word to Do Things, You Will See Power
John 14:13-14:
13 “Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.”
These two verses state very definitively: Whatever you ask in my name, I will surely do. Many people say this statement is too absolute. Someone once asked me, “Does this mean that whatever we ask, God will accomplish?” My answer is yes, whatever you ask, God will accomplish, comma, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. Hallelujah.
You are His child, loved by Him.
So when you ask the Father for something, our Father accomplishes it for the purpose of glorifying Himself through you. This is the prerequisite for God to accomplish whatever you ask. If we say, “Lord, I just want to ask you to let our enemy have an accident, encounter problems, and die a cruel death…”
I want to tell you that this matter cannot bring glory to our Heavenly Father through you. It will only make those around you feel that you are terrifying. If you pray to God for Him to send down a thunderbolt to strike that person dead, people will be afraid of you. This will not bring glory to our Heavenly Father, so God will not accomplish this. Do not waste time praying for such matters.
When you understand that Jesus' heart is always to save, comfort, and help people, and take this as a principle, praying out of love, whatever you ask, God will surely accomplish. In your life, the things you need will be accomplished because the Heavenly Father loves you. It will bring glory to the Father through you. Here it says, whatever you ask in my name, I will surely do. Jesus is your intercessor. When you pray to the Heavenly Father in Jesus' name, our Heavenly Father will surely accomplish it for you. Hallelujah.
Still, the same statement: if your heart is filled with deceit and malice, such prayers will not be accomplished by God. Conversely, when you often meditate on truth, meditate on Jesus' love, how can malice and deceit arise in your heart? This connects with what was shared earlier. If you often meditate on God's word, meditate on His truth, meditate on what Jesus has done, and follow in Jesus' footsteps, malice and deceit cannot exist in your heart. When you pray with the heart of Jesus Christ, whatever you ask, God will surely accomplish.
Many times, our prayers are like this: just as we have an idea, God has already accomplished it before we even have time to pray.
In the past, I have shared many such testimonies with you. I just happened to have such a thought, and before I could pray, God had already accomplished it. Why? Because God knows our needs in this area, and He knows why we pray for this matter: to help more people, to build up more people. God immediately accomplishes it for you. Hallelujah. This is why I often encourage everyone to meditate on God's truth, to meditate on God's word. You will find that God answers your prayers particularly easily, and what God gives you is far better than what you asked for. The meaning of this statement is very simple: whatever you ask in my name, I will surely do, which means God will definitely hear your prayers. Hallelujah! Some people are afraid of asking wrongly. Under the New Covenant, believers have this concern: what if I ask wrongly?
Let’s look at what this scripture says:
James 4:1-3:
1 What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? 2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, to spend it on your passions.
Many people become afraid of the term “wrong motives,” saying they cannot pray casually or ask God casually. What if they ask wrongly? God will punish us! There is no such statement. What they refer to as “wrong motives” is what this scripture is expressing. We need to see what James is trying to convey, and then we will no longer worry that our prayers are made with wrong motives.
What causes quarrels and fights among you? It turns out that when there are quarrels and fights between people, praying for God to punish the other party does not come from your passions that are at war within you. Brothers and sisters, if there are passions within people, if God accomplishes your prayers, those passions will only grow larger. If you hate someone and curse someone, if God fulfills your prayer, your curse will only grow larger.
Just like Lamech in Genesis, his descendants became greater than their curses, one being sevenfold and the other seventy-sevenfold. This curse grows larger within people, and that becomes troublesome. God will not accomplish matters of quarrels and fights between us. Such prayers are called “wrong motives.”
The second aspect is that you desire. Desire is a very bad thing. God gives, but you are not satisfied and want more. If God accomplishes such matters for you, it will only harm you. So God will not accomplish matters of desire. Some may ask, “How can I know if it is desire?” Actually, you do not need others to discern for you; you know clearly whether it is desire. It is greed, dissatisfaction with the present, greed, jealousy, murder, fighting, and quarreling. God will not accomplish such matters.
Sometimes we need to look at what the purpose of the prayer is. Is it to build others up? Or is it to satisfy your own desires? Is it to elevate your own reputation or to make yourself appear stronger than others? That is desire.
God gives us various gifts and abilities, allowing us to serve in the church, not to make us appear great, but to glorify Jesus. If you understand that all your service and work is to show Jesus' glory, God will surely accomplish it for you. This is not a wrong motive. Hallelujah. God also said, “Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.” This does not include desires, fighting, jealousy, or murder. These are what constitute wrong motives.
Some say that wrong motives mean asking for trivial matters. For family matters, this is not wrong. God does not differentiate between big and small matters. For example, if you pray for your child’s health or for work performance, these do not count as wrong motives. These are what we need in daily life. When we ask God, He will give you wisdom and supply. We need to look at the context to understand.
Verse 3 says: You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, to spend it on your passions.
Wrong motives ultimately lead to being driven by desires. Desires will slowly grow into sin and death, resulting in very bad outcomes. Therefore, God will not accomplish these matters. Desires are wasted on your passions, fighting, quarreling, jealousy, and murder. There is no need to pray for such matters. I have already given you examples; we do not need to worry about wrong motives.
Conversely, even if you have wrong motives, do not worry. God will at most not accomplish it! Just like when you are filled with hatred for your enemy and say, “Lord, teach him a lesson.” God will not accomplish this prayer, but He will not punish you for such a prayer either. So do not worry about these matters. It is just that when we have bitterness, complaints, and dissatisfaction in our hearts, we need to come before God and say, “Lord, grant me wisdom, grant me peace, so that I can overcome these desires and problems.” This is the correct solution, the correct prayer. Hallelujah.
Knowing this, when you pray to God, He will surely accomplish it. Why can you be sure that your prayers will be accomplished? Besides what has been said earlier, it is because you believe in everything Jesus did for you on the cross. God will surely hear your prayers. In the Old Testament, many people’s prayers were not heard because their sins had not been resolved, and sin blocked the fulfillment of prayers. But this problem no longer exists. Because of Jesus’ death and sacrifice on the cross, our sin problem has been resolved, so God will surely hear your prayers.
We need to cultivate the habit of believing in everything Jesus did on the cross, meditating on everything Jesus did for you, and receiving all He has done. Your prayers will then be filled with faith. Amen! Do not let your life drift away from the cross of Jesus. When people drift away from Jesus and His cross, they become arrogant and desires arise. If you often meditate on the cross of Jesus, you will remain in His truth, and we will always be grateful to God.
1 Corinthians 1:18-21:
18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” 20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.
Some say prayer cannot be this simple, as if prayer requires a lot of cost. There is a theory that says if God has not heard your prayer, it is because you have too many sins, so you need to cleanse yourself. If after cleansing, God still does not accomplish it, you need to fast and pray, indicating that the problem is serious, and only through fasting can God accomplish it.
These are all human theories. In God's view, we only need to correctly receive His truth, and through faith, we will receive answers to our prayers. Where is our focus in meditation? It is on the cross of Jesus. The message of the cross is our center. To those who are perishing, it is folly; unbelievers do not see any great power in the cross.
In the eyes of the world, Jesus died on the cross, but all our power comes from there. It is a fact that He died, but He also rose from the dead. After the resurrection, the cross became powerful. For those who are saved, this is the power of God. It is also the condition of faith that believes God will surely hear our prayers, knowing that Jesus died for our sins. God will surely accomplish our prayers regarding small issues in life.
Verse 19 says: I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.
What does this mean? When we come before the cross, everything becomes easy. Death, disease, and these difficulties are nothing before the cross. The wisdom of the wise and the discernment of the discerning are of no use in the face of death. The wise, the scribes, and the debaters have no effect in the face of death.
I do not want everyone to believe in a set of theories. If it is a theory, when you encounter problems, you will feel that the theory does not work. This is why many people say they have heard a lot about grace, but it does not work. When you treat it as a theory, it will not work. But if you meditate on the power of the cross of Jesus, He is powerful. These foolish truths refer to the truth of the cross, which can save those who believe. You only need to meditate on Jesus and what He has done for you on the cross. What you are facing now cannot surpass what Jesus has done on the cross. If you often meditate on the salvation of the cross of Jesus, you will let go of human wisdom and see God's wisdom. Amen.
Many times, we complicate prayer. Instead of complicating it, before praying, first meditate on why Jesus went to the cross. What did Jesus do for you on the cross? What happened after Jesus went to the cross? What did it bring you? After meditating on these, then pray and speak. I believe you will have faith. Amen.
There is another verse, which Jesus gave us as an exhortation after prayer. John 14:15: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”
God answers our prayers not to show that we are different from the world, nor to give us a sense of superiority, but so that after our prayers are answered, we can love the world, help the world, and supply the truth to the world. What is Jesus' command? I believe you already know His command from reading John 13.
Jesus said this in John 14. Let’s look at John 13:34-35:
34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
It turns out that the Heavenly Father hears all our prayers and answers all our prayers for one purpose: to receive His love and live out His love, without departing from this center. Brothers and sisters, the purpose of our Heavenly Father is very simple: to benefit you. It is not to pray for the sake of praying, nor to read the Bible for the sake of reading the Bible. It is through prayer and through reading the Bible that you ultimately receive His love, experience His love, and know through prayer that your prayers are not in vain. You know you are not speaking to the air; your Heavenly Father hears your prayers. It is not to make you feel good about yourself, but to let you know that this truth is a fact and is powerful. When you understand these things, the Heavenly Father hopes you will use these truths to love others. Hallelujah.
Jesus also said, “If anyone leaves father, property, or children for my sake, he will receive a hundredfold in this life and eternal life in the age to come.” This does not mean we abandon our earthly parents, houses, fields, etc. It means to prioritize the Father’s business and pray for souls. When you place Him at the center and make sacrifices, you may experience some losses in other areas, but our God says, “I will take care of it.” You are not losing your parents, property, or family; you are gaining more. Hallelujah.
As recipients of God’s love, we are blessed. At the same time, I want to tell those who are serving that you are blessed. Many people may not understand your sacrifices, and they may not know what you have given for them, but God knows. God will remember you, Hallelujah. All the grievances you have suffered, God will account for them one by one and give you abundant rewards.
This is the meaning of what Jesus said: If you love me, you will keep my commandments. Our principle in doing things is to benefit everyone more. It is not to show ourselves or to invent a new theory, but to spread the love of Christ. I give you a new commandment: love one another. Whether Jesus is healing, delivering, or teaching the gospel of the kingdom, it is all to express the Father’s love. As His disciples, we should do the same. Rest assured, all your prayers are heard by God and answered. Because it is a prayer centered on love, how could God not accomplish it? Amen.
Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. Do you see? Jesus is very clear. Just as He loves us, we should love our brothers. Hallelujah. If you have a heart to love one another, God knows that sometimes we cannot love, but if you first have a heart to love one another, your outward behavior will change.
After reviewing what was discussed today, you will know that God has a promise for you: He will surely hear your prayers. But there is a scope for this, which is within the realm of love, not in hatred, jealousy, or desires. Those things God will not accomplish; they are wrong motives. But if you pray to God in love, for the benefit of others, for the gospel to be spread, for God’s truth to be heard by more people, such prayers will surely be heard by God. Hallelujah. This does not mean we live in a vacuum, forgetting our lives. No, service is reflected in all aspects of life.
For example, we now pray: “Lord, grant me more money so that I can glorify you in this area.” This is acceptable. After God grants you wealth, can you use that wealth to help more people in need? If you have such a heart, God will give it to you, and when you do it, God will give you more. This is one of the principles.
In our work, we say: “Lord, grant me wisdom so that I can do my job well.” If God grants you that wisdom and you do your job excellently, when others ask, “Why are you so smart?” You can tell them, “Because I prayed to our Heavenly Father. We believe in Jesus.” You give glory to our Heavenly Father, and God will give you more.
Our service is in all aspects of life, and we must continuously adjust ourselves in life. When some problems arise and remain unresolved for a long time, it may be that we have some deviations from the truth that need adjustment. Hallelujah.
Let’s pray together:
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise you! Thank you for giving us this opportunity to share your word together. Your promise to us is that you will surely answer our prayers. When we ask in your name, whatever we ask, you will accomplish it, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. We will be glorified because of Jesus and will manifest His glory.
Heavenly Father, please grant me such a heart, to center on love, to receive your love, to share your love, and to continuously know you more through your truth in life, spreading the gospel of Christ. Please help me to achieve victory in all things and let me be a good witness to those around me.
Thank you and praise the Lord. I am willing to look to your truth in all things and live according to the truth. Please grant me the wisdom I need for today. Please use me to manifest your glory through your truth. All glory belongs to you. In the name of the Lord Jesus, we pray, Amen.