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Bible Verses about God Answers Prayer
Bible Verses about God Answers Prayer
Note 12
In Scripture, the word “promise” occurs 53 times, “promises” 13 times,
“promised” 48 times, and “promisedst” 3 times, for a total of 117 times.
The word “promise” or “promises” (this verse) carries the idea of a
declaration assuring that one will do what he or she has said. The word
“vow” is a synonym. All of God’s promises are sure because God cannot lie
(Hebrews 6:18). If God broke His word to us, all creation would
self-destruct because it is held together by the power of His Word (Hebrews
1:3).
Note 13
Paul was saying that all the promises of God are true and trustworthy. He
doesn’t say one thing and mean another. If He promised it, He will do it. He
has magnified His word even above His name (Psalms 138:2).
In context, Paul was saying these things because he had told the Corinthians
he was coming back to visit them but hadn’t come yet. He didn’t want them to
think he wasn’t a man of his word (see note 9 at 2 Corinthians 1:17). If his
word in carnal things could be questioned, then the message he had preached
to them could be questioned. He was saying his word was as good as the
Gospel he had preached.
Like it or not, agree with it or not, people do judge the message we share
by our own personal integrity. If we tell people we will do something, we
need to do it. This is true all the way from our business dealings to being
at a person’s house when we told them we would. If that personal integrity
is missing, what we are speaks so loudly that the world can’t hear what we
say.
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The Greek word translated “ask” here is “AITEO,” and
according to the Strong’s Concordance notes on the Greek word “PUNTHANOMAI”
(another Greek word for “ask”), it means to demand what is due. It was used
in Luke 23:23, which says, “And they were instant with loud voices,
REQUIRING that he might be crucified” (emphasis mine). In that instance, it
is clearly more than a passive request.
The American Heritage Dictionary defines “ask” as
1. To put a question to.
2. To seek an answer to.
3. To seek information about.
4. To make a request
of.
5. To make a request for....
6. To expect or demand.
7. To invite.
If
you use “ask” in the sense of definition 6 or 7, it is consistent with
everything already being an accomplished work in Christ. But when used in
the sense of the other definitions, that is inconsistent with Jesus having
already provided everything.
Jesus has already provided our needs through His atonement. The provisions
are waiting for us to receive them. We don’t ask in the sense that we don’t
believe they are already ours. We ask as Jesus instructed us: “Give us this
day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts” (Matthew 6:11-12). It’s
already ours; we just need to appropriate by faith what grace has already
provided.
There are three things spoken of in this verse: asking, seeking, and
knocking. We ask for what has already been provided, we seek what we don’t
know, and we knock to open doors that have been closed.
I’ve often heard that the Greek words for “ask,” “seek,” and “knock” mean to
keep on asking, seeking, and knocking. I looked at every Greek dictionary I
have, and that was not communicated in any of them. This isn’t saying that
we have to plead with the Lord, as is often communicated (Luke 11:5 and 18:2).
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Luke 11:9
“So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; (promise) seek, and you will find;
(promise)
knock, and it will be opened to you. (promise from God)
OT
Prior to the death and resurrection of our
Lord Jesus, Old Testament saints didn’t have a Savior. They, in a sense,
were asking in their own names. They appealed to the mercy of God, as
demonstrated in the sacrifices that covered their sins, but there was no
real atonement.
When Jesus died, He made the real atonement that all the Old Testament
sacrifices illustrated. He became our Savior, and now we can do much more
than approach God in our names, or based on our performance. We can ask and
receive from the Lord in Jesus’ name, or based on His performance. Praise
the Lord!
This is the difference between approaching the Lord in the flesh and
approaching Him in the Spirit. Using the name of Jesus means that we are
claiming the righteousness of Jesus as the thing that makes us worthy to
receive.
It means that we are depending on the grace of God and not
on our performance. Those who ask but believe it is dependent on how well
they perform are actually taking the name of the Lord in vain. It doesn’t
matter if they end every prayer with “in Jesus’ name.” If they aren’t
standing in the grace of God, they aren’t using the name of Jesus correctly.
Note 88
The proper way to pray is to the Father in the name of Jesus. While Jesus
was on the earth, the disciples asked Him for whatever they needed, and
Jesus would ask the Father and get it for them. Here, He was saying that
they should not ask Him anymore, but they should take their requests
directly to the Father.
Note 89
Asking in the name of Jesus means that God treats our requests the same as
He would if Jesus was personally making the petition. Therefore, we can
expect the same treatment from God as Jesus would get. In the business
world, that is called the power of attorney.
Those who pray in the name of Jesus but then doubt that God would answer
their prayers because they aren’t holy enough are taking the name of Jesus
in vain. If people pray in Jesus’ name, then it is His holiness that God
looks at and not theirs.
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Matthew 7:8
For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it
will be opened.
Note
OT
It is obvious that many people have prayed
for things that they have never seen come to pass. So, in an attempt to
reconcile these promises with our experiences, many have said that God
sometimes says no or that this doesn’t apply to everyone, but that’s not
what this verse says. It clearly states that EVERYONE who asks receives,
etc. How can this be?
The answer lies in the fact that God is a Spirit (John 4:24), and God
moves in the spiritual, or unseen, realm. When He answers our prayers, the
answers come in spiritual form, and whether or not they ever move from the
spiritual realm and form in the physical realm is not dependent on God
answering but rather on whether or not we know how to receive. Faith gives
tangibility to things not seen (Hebrews 11:1); i.e., things that are
spiritual and not physical. See my notes at Daniel 9:23 and 10:12.
Note 50
Prayer that meets the requirements outlined in God’s Word (see note 49 at
Matthew 7:7) is always answered. Many times we don’t perceive the answer
because it always comes in the spiritual realm first before it is
manifested in the physical realm. If we waver (James 1:6-7) from our
confident (Hebrews 10:35) faith, then we abort the manifestation of that
answer. But God did answer. Everyone who asks receives, etc. Compare with
Daniel’s answers to prayer in Daniel 9 and 10.
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Luke 11:10
For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks,
it will be opened.
OT
James 1:5
But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously
and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
Note
OT
We can assume this is a continuation of
the truths that James was expounding on in the previous verses. If we are
in the midst of a trial and don’t know what to do, we can ask God for
wisdom and He will grant it unto us. And He does it without rebuke.
This is very important because most of the trials we encounter are
self-inflicted. They are due, at least in some degree, to some misstep on
our part. If we feel God is angry at us, we might fail to seek His wisdom,
thinking we are just getting what we deserve. But that’s not the way the
Lord is. If we are in trouble, we can ask for His help and wisdom, and He
gives it without rebuke. Thank You, Jesus!
Compare this with Mark 16:14, where Jesus upbraided His disciples after
His resurrection because of their unbelief and hardness of heart. It is
the same Greek word oneidizo used in Mark 16:14 (“upbraided”) that is used
here and translated “upbraideth.” There is a difference between asking a
question for understanding and questioning God in unbelief.
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Job 22:27 he will hear you Job’s repentance would grant
him a renewed intimacy with God. Throughout his speeches, Job begs God for
a response (Job 13:20).
Ironically, Eliphaz—along with Job’s other
friends—will directly benefit from the acceptance of Job’s prayer by God
(Job 42:8–9). |
| This is a specific extension of the prophecy that after
seventy years the Lord would return them to the land of Israel.
When the seventy years of Jeremiah 29:10 have come, then they would pray;
the Lord would answer that prayer and end their captivity, but they had to
call.
We have not because we ask not (James 4:2-3).
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See 1 John 5:14-15.
The fact that the Lord will be with us in trouble makes it clear that
troubles will come, even to those who are abiding in the Lord and saying
so (Psalms 91:1-2).
But this psalm promises us victory in the midst of those troubles.
It’s like the Hebrew children that were thrown into the fiery furnace
(Daniel 3:20-27).
They went through the fire but they didn’t have a single hair singed
nor was there the smell of smoke on them.
It’s amazing to think that God honors us, but that is exactly what this
verse says (1 Samuel 2:30 and Proverbs 3:9).
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Psalm 145:18
The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,
To all who call upon Him in truth.
Note
OT
We have to call on the Lord in truth (John
4:24).
Jeremiah 29:13
Many people say that the Lord hasn’t answered their prayers.
But this verse makes it clear that it’s those who seek
Him with all their hearts that make connection.
It doesn’t work that everyone who calls out to the Lord
gets what they want.
Sometimes they are just wanting enough help to get out
of the mess they are in so they can go right back to living a life of
rebellion toward the Lord.
That’s not the way it works. But those who seek the Lord
with all their hearts will find Him (Matthew 7:7).
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Jesus just spoke of these people being
evil. That would offend large numbers of people today, but it’s true.
Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of
God.” Those who take offense at the very mention of any error on their
part have exalted themselves to a place that puts them at risk (Proverbs
16:18). Humility is a key to receiving the grace and promotion of God (1
Peter 5:5-7).
Luke 11:11-13 records Jesus saying nearly identical words. In Luke 11:13,
Jesus specified that the Holy Spirit was one of the “good things” He would
eagerly give His children. Therefore, the religious doctrine that we have
to beg and/or tarry for the Holy Spirit is not accurate (see my note at
Luke 24:49).
Note 51
God is love (1 John 4:8)! And His love for us is infinitely greater than
any physical relationship we can compare Him with here on earth. We can
apply this principle to any command or example we find in God’s Word where
His standards for relationship are revealed (Matthew 7:9-11, 18:21-22;
Ephesians 5:22-23; and 1 Timothy 5:8), and we can be assured that He will
much more than meet those standards Himself.
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| Asking in the name of Jesus is more than
just words.
This is speaking of asking and expecting to receive
solely on account of what Jesus did for us.
It is not coming to the Father on the basis of any worth
or merit of our own but putting total faith in what Jesus did for us.
Those who simply say the words, “in Jesus’ name,” but
then proclaim their own worth or are condemned because of their
unworthiness are not truly coming to the Father in the name of Jesus.
Note 22
If the previous promise didn’t convince the disciples that the Father
would accomplish the same miracles through them as He had through Jesus,
then this one should have.
Jesus reiterated the truth of John 14:12 in different
words, thereby underscoring the certainty of this promise.
Then in John 14:14, He repeated this same promise again.
It was very uncharacteristic of Jesus to repeat Himself three times in
immediate succession.
This must, no doubt, be interpreted as Jesus assuring
His disciples that this seemingly unbelievable promise was, in fact, true.
As explained in Hebrews 6:17-18, God did the same thing
with Abraham.
Anyone who would doubt the statement of John 14:12
because of it being such a departure from the norm could not, in a pure
heart, doubt the meaning of Jesus’ three statements when taken as a whole.
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| There are certain qualifications to this promise even
though they aren’t stated here. Matthew 21:22 says, “And all things,
whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.” And James
1:6-7 says, “But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.
For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and
tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the
Lord.” Therefore, faith is a prerequisite to receiving, whether stated or
not.
We also have to ask for things according to God’s will (1 John 5:14-15),
which is His Word. We can’t just get whatever we want. We might want some
things that are bad for us, and the Lord will not grant those things, just
as good parents will not give their children whatever they want (James
4:2-3).
The Lord has already provided every good thing we will ever need. It’s
a part of Christ’s atonement. Faith only appropriates what God has already
provided by grace. So, if it isn’t already provided through Christ, we
can’t get it through prayer and faith. See my note at Ephesians 2:8.
Note 23
These awesome promises of miraculous power through faith must never be
taken and applied in any way that is contrary to the rest of Scripture, or
they will not work (Matthew 7:7).
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John 15:16
You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and
bear fruit,
and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the
Father in My name He may give to you.
Note OT
| People will often say they found the Lord.
But the truth is that the Lord found us.
He wasn’t lost, we were. We can’t come to the Lord
except His Holy Spirit draws us.
John 6:44 says, “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent
me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.”
The Lord didn’t choose us for failure but success.
His will is that each one of us bears much fruit that lasts.
We aren’t supposed to just make converts but disciples
who will continue in God’s Word.
John 8:31-32 says, “Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him,
If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall
know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
Note 63
We didn’t find God; He found us.
God wasn’t lost; we were.
It is God who draws us to Himself (John 6:44), gives us
the faith to believe (Ephesians 2:8), and works His pleasure in us
(Philippians 2:13).
Remembering our debt (Romans 1:14) will motivate us to
bring forth fruit.
Note 64
We all have a God-given purpose in this life–to bring forth fruit.
Just as a person plants a tree and expects to reap fruit
from it, God expects fruit from us (Luke 13:6-9).
Note 65
Notice not only that Jesus ordained us to bring forth fruit but also that
our fruit should remain.
Many times we Christians, in our zeal to bring forth
fruit, aren’t too concerned with whether it lasts or not.
That is not the way God feels.
Only the fruit that lasts will receive the Lord’s stamp
of approval.
No doubt His statistics will vary greatly from ours.
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Note 87
Ever since sin entered the world, man has always had to go through some
mediator to approach God. This was because of God’s holiness and man’s
sinfulness. In the Old Testament, sacrifices and priests were symbolic
mediators. In the New Testament, Jesus is our High Priest mediator
(Hebrews 3:1 and 9:15).
However, Jesus’ mediation was greater than anything that had ever existed
before in that He not only was pure but also actually cleansed and
purified the ones whom He was representing. Now we can come directly to
the Father in His name. This is what Jesus was referring to, and it was a
radical statement to the disciples.
It is awesome to think that we can commune directly with Almighty God, the
creator of heaven and earth, but that is exactly what Jesus provided for.
In John 16:26-27, Jesus revealed that He had reconciled man to God so
completely that the disciples wouldn’t have to pray to Him and then have
Him relay the message to the Father, but they could go directly to the
Father Himself.
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John 15:7
If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it
will be done for you.
Note OT
| Everyone wants to get whatever they pray for
(see my note at John 14:13), but very few are willing to abide in Jesus.
This promise is conditional on our abiding.
It’s not God who fails to answer our prayers if we aren’t
abiding in Him.
Instead, it is Satan who hinders our prayers when we
aren’t abiding in Jesus, and our carnality that results from our
“non-abiding” life renders us powerless to do anything about it.
Note 51
This is not a promise that if we meet certain conditions, the Lord will
grant any request, even if it doesn’t line up with His Word.
When we are abiding in Jesus and His words are abiding in
us, our desires change.
This is not promising that God will change to accommodate us, but rather,
this is a statement that we will change to accommodate God.
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| This has to be taken in context.
The previous verse says we have to have faith without
doubting.
Therefore, that is implied here too.
Other qualifications are implied as well, such as it has
to be consistent with God’s will (James 4:2-3 and 1 John 5:14-15) and we
have to forgive (Mark 11:25-26).
Mark’s Gospel account of this same thing expounds on what Jesus said in Mark
11:24.
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| What a powerful promise! John was confident
of this.
The only reason people don’t ask God for His help is
because they aren’t confident that they will receive what they ask for.
What is God’s will? His Word is His will. We don’t have to just toss out “if
it be Your will” at the end of every prayer and wonder what is going to
happen.
When we pray the Word and know we are asking in agreement
with that Word, we can be confident that God has heard us.
And as the next verse says, when we know God has heard us,
we know we have the results He has promised.
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| God hearing us is dependent on our prayers
being ordered according to God’s will (1 John 5:14).
This isn’t to say that the Lord doesn’t know what we pray
or only “hears” certain prayers.
He hears every word that every person speaks, as revealed
in Matthew 12:36.
But this is speaking of hearing in the sense of harkening
unto or granting our requests.
The Lord doesn’t answer prayers that are contrary to His
will.
This can be explained by understanding that prayer doesn’t make God move.
In the New Testament, God has already moved by grace and
provided everything we could ever need through the atonement of Christ
(Colossians 2:10).
God doesn’t respond to our faith; our faith is a positive
response to what God has already accomplished.
Faith only appropriates what God has already provided
through grace (Mark 11:24).
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| God hearing us is dependent on our prayers being ordered
according to God’s will (1 John 5:14).
This isn’t to say that the Lord doesn’t know what we pray or only “hears”
certain prayers.
He hears every word that every person speaks, as revealed in Matthew
12:36.
But this is speaking of hearing in the sense of harkening unto or
granting our requests.
The Lord doesn’t answer prayers that are contrary to His will.
This can be explained by understanding that prayer doesn’t make God move.
In the New Testament, God has already moved by grace and provided
everything we could ever need through the atonement of Christ (Colossians
2:10).
God doesn’t respond to our faith; our faith is a positive response to
what God has already accomplished.
Faith only appropriates what God has already provided through grace (see my
note at Mark 11:24).
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It is inaccurate to say that God is able to
do “exceeding abundantly” above all we ask or think—period. This verse goes
on to say that what God is able to do is according to the power that works
in us. No power working in us equals no manifestation of God’s power.
The Lord doesn’t work “sovereignly” as the word is most often used; i.e.,
independently of us. He has to flow through us because of the laws of
authority that He established. If the Lord was accomplishing His will
without the power that’s working in us, then things would be much better
than they are. We limit what God can do, because of our unbelief (Psalm
78:41; Matthew 17:20; Hebrews 4:2, and 11:15).
Note 15
Many use only the first part of this verse and omit “according to the power
that worketh in us.” That changes the whole meaning. It is not true that God
will do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, period. He has
that power, but this verse ties the use of His ability to the power that
works in us. No power working in us means there will be no power of God
coming through us.
Jesus told us in Acts 1:8 of the power that we would receive when the Holy
Ghost comes upon us. Romans 1:16 says the Gospel is the power of God unto
salvation (see note 1 at that verse). However, Christ is called the power of
God (1 Corinthians 1:24), and in context (Christ dwelling in our hearts,
Ephesians 3:17), this is Paul’s probable meaning here. The power of God
could also be referring to all the operation of God in our lives including
Christ, the power of the Holy Ghost, faith, the Word, love, etc.
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Source: https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/God-Answers-Prayer
