Prayers with Promise

Prayers with Promise

by Patricia Dailey
Senior Pastor, Bethel Revival Center
43 Norwood St.
Everett, MA 02149

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Jeremiah 33:1-3
Moreover the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah the second time, while he was yet shut up in the court of the prison, saying, Thus saith the LORD the maker thereof, the LORD that formed it, to establish it; the LORD is His name; Call unto Me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.

Call unto Me! This is a prayer with promise: Call unto Me, and I will answer thee. If we call upon Him, He will answer us, shewing us great and mighty things which we know not.

Psalm 91:15,16
He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. With long life will I satisfy him, and show him My salvation.

Here is another prayer with a promise. We can call upon Him with the assurance that He will answer when we are dwelling in the secret place of the most High God.

Psalm 91:1,2
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in Him will I trust.

He has promised to answer; also to be with us in trouble, to deliver us and honor us.

I had memorized this whole passage of Scripture, but one day the Lord drew my attention especially to this portion: Call on Me, and I will answer: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him.

Persistent Asking, Seeking and Knocking

Matthew 7:7
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you

Jesus exhorts us to ask, to seek, and to knock. When we ask, He promises that it shall be given us; when we seek, He promises we shall find; and when we knock, He promises it shall be opened unto us. Prayer with promise: Ask and it shall be given; seek and ye shall find; knock and it shall be opened unto you.

Matthew 7:8
For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

Yes, this is a three-fold promise to those who pray. Jesus is exhorting us to ask.

Psalm 78:41
Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.

To His glory, God is able to answer far beyond what we can ask or think. But sometimes we limit Him by not asking largely.

Ephesians 3:20,21
Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

I thank God we can have confidence that when we ask, it shall be given; and when we seek, we shall find; and when we knock, it shall be opened unto us — it shall, not it may be.

One thing, people give up too quickly. We should keep asking until we receive, keep seeking until we find, and keep knocking until it is opened unto us.

How many times have you lost an important paper or lost your keys? For the life of you, you cannot find them. You search and you search, and you search some more. It might be days you continue searching. You search before you leave for work, search when you get home from work. You search and search for that which you have misplaced.

Sometimes things get thrown out, but usually if we search long enough, asking the Lord to help us, we will find it. (This is a key in searching: asking the Lord to help us find it. And when we do, the Lord does just that, helping us to find that which was lost. I thank God He is faithful to help us when we turn to Him for help.)

Asking in Faith

Now, if we're going to ask, the Scripture tells us to ask in faith believing:

James 1:5
If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

If we ask for wisdom, God will give us the wisdom we need. We thank God that there is wisdom available for us when we ask Him. But let us read on:

James 1:6
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.

You will not receive anything of the Lord if you're double minded about that which you're asking of Him, if you don't ask in faith believing. Why? Because a double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

James 1:7
For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.

We've got to ask in faith. I believe this is the key word to prayer: Ask in faith: not with doubts, not with a double mind. Ask in faith, nothing wavering. Don't begin to doubt that God is either going to answer or not going to answer.

Yes, we should ask in faith and leave it there. When you pray in faith, you have confidence that God is going to answer that prayer. This is what we need to do in this day and hour: When we pray, that we pray in faith, nothing doubting; we pray believing that God is going to work for us no matter how much the adversary fights.

He cannot prevail against the church of the living God (Matthew 16:18). He can fight against us, but he cannot prevail. Why? Because God will fight the battle and the enemy will have to flee. The battle is the Lord's, not ours. It's too much for human beings to handle. If we try to handle it, we'll only make a mess out of it, only make matters worse. So, leave it in God's hands. Don't worry about it. Leave it right in God's hands.

Some worry and worry. They get so upset over the battle that they make themselves nervous and sick over it. But if we just trust, putting our faith and confidence in God, He will work it out. Our enemies wait to see us give up. But He can make our enemies to be ashamed.

Even though the devil fights hard against you to defeat you, God will keep you if you place your trust in Him and let Him fight the battle. He will confound the wise and cause your enemies to be ashamed.

Now, we are to ask in faith without doubting for one moment, not wavering like the wave of the sea. Remember, a double minded man is not going to receive anything. He is unstable in all his ways.

We have to pray in faith, and that's all there is to it.

Keeping a Clean Conscience

I John 3:21,22
Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him, because we keep His commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.

Confidence towards God: trust in God, faith in God, reliance in God, believing in God.

So, if our heart's not condemning us because of sin, then our life is pleasing unto God, and we can have confidence that we will have just exactly what we prayed for. We have this confidence when our hearts aren't condemning us.

Delayed Answers to Prayers

In some cases, now, the answer to pray is delayed, but that doesn't mean that God is not going to answer. It could be delayed for a long period of time. We can read the psalms and see where David prayed in the midst of many difficult times. He went through a long, dark period of time in his life. It wasn't an easy thing for David to go through, but he went through it.

And we find where Job, also, went through a very hard time. We read in Job that there were months and months that he was in that trial. We don't know how long that he had to go through that horrible experience, but it was a long time.

How would you like to have your body completely covered with boils? If you ever had even one boil, you know how painful they can be.

When I was a little, tiny girl (I don't think I was old enough yet to be in school), I had boils on my body, painful boils. I felt so miserable because of the pain.

And, just think, Job was smitten with boils from the top of his head to the soles of his feet! He sat in sackcloth and ashes, as he scraped his boils. Can you imagine sitting in ashes with open running sores on your body. If Job scraped his boils, that's what they'd be: open running sores. He could have gotten a terrible infection in his body, but it doesn't say anything about that. However, it was very painful.

And when we go a hard, difficult trial, it can be very painful to us. We don't always understand just what God is doing. He has a perfect timing. His time clock is not our time clock. He has a set time — a plan and purpose for the trial — and a timing to bring us through.

It's not that He's not going to answer. He will answer prayer when we pray in faith believing, nothing doubting.

When He said to call upon Him and He would answer us, He meant what He said. When He said He would be with us in trouble and would deliver us, He meant what He said.

He doesn't forsake us because we're in trouble. Thank God, He will be with us, regardless of what we may have to go through. Yes, and He's going to deliver us and He is going to honor us. Thank God for that beautiful promise.

I believe, when all is said and done, if we stick it out, enduring to the end, we will find out that the blessings of God will be rich upon our lives.

If our hearts condemn us not, then we have confidence in God, knowing that whatever we ask we will receive: because we keep His commandments, doing those things which are pleasing in His sight.

Abiding in Christ

John 15:7,8
If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is My Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be My disciples.

This is Jesus speaking. We are to abide in Him and let His words abide in us. If we are doing this, we have confidence when we ask in prayer that we shall receive that which we ask.

Asking in Jesus' Name

John 14:13,14
And whatsoever ye shall ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in My name, I will do it.

We're going to ask in the name of Jesus, and He will answer, that His Father may be glorified in Him.

Asking for the Right Things

I Kings 3:5
In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.

There are those who have a prayer life of, "give me, give me, give me! Bless me. Bless my family."

I Kings 3:7
And now, O LORD my God, Thou hast made Thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in.

I am but a little child. We don't know how old Solomon was here, but he thought of himself as just a little child.

I Kings 3:9
Give therefore Thy servant an understanding heart to judge Thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this Thy so great a people?

King Solomon didn't know how to be leader over Israel, and he asked God to give him an understanding heart to discern the good and the bad in judging all the people.

That was a beautiful thing to ask for. He could have asked for something for himself, but he was concerned for the people. He was humble. He didn't boast that he could handle things. No, he told God he didn't know how to go out or come in.

How often I've cried out to God for understanding to do the things I have to do. I cry out to Him for wisdom, even in the natural things. He guides my hands because I ask Him to. So, God gets the glory in all things.

When I find myself having to do something that I don't know how to do, don't know what to do, I ask God to show me: and, to my amazement, I do the very thing that I cannot do.

The same can be true for you if you ask God to help you. If you ask Him for wisdom and you ask in faith, God will give you the wisdom you need.

I thank God for the wisdom He has given me time after time. He has given it because I asked Him to give it to me. I'm not ashamed to tell you that there are many things I have had to do that I didn't know how to do. I'm sure learning how to do them as God shows me and helps me.

God is no respecter of persons. It doesn't matter who we are: If we are faced with something where we don't know what to do, and we ask God to help us, He will give just that understanding and wisdom which we need. When you pray, pray in faith, and you will get the know-how and find that you will know just exactly what to do and when to do it.

Solomon had asked for an understanding heart to judge such a great people, that he might discern between the good and the bad.

I Kings 3:10
And the speech pleased the LORD, that Solomon had asked this thing.

The Lord was pleased with Solomon's request, because he didn't ask for anything for himself.

I Kings 3:11-13
And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment; behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee. And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days.

Solomon didn't ask for long life, didn't ask for riches, didn't ask for the life of his enemies. God was pleased and gave him a wise and understanding heart, and also gave him riches and honor. There would be no king like him in all his days.

I Kings 10:1,6&7
And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to prove him with hard questions. And she said to the king, It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom. Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the half was not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard.

The queen has heard about Solomon's great wisdom and about his greatness, and she came to see for herself. When she saw, she said, the half has not been told.

God can give any of us a wise and understanding heart to do that which we are called upon to do. In this day and hour we need just that: a wise and understanding heart. We need God to really bless us, so that we might be a blessing to God's people.

Some Prayers are Refused

There are times when one's prayers are refused, when they're not answered, because they're not according to the will of God:

Deuteronomy 3:23-25
And I besought the LORD at that time, saying, O LORD God, Thou hast begun to show Thy servant Thy greatness, and Thy mighty hand: for what God is there in heaven or in earth, that can do according to Thy works, and according to Thy might? I pray Thee, let me go over, and see the good land that is beyond Jordan, that goodly mountain, and Lebanon.

Here is a prayer that Moses prayed, but the Lord would not grant his request.

Deuteronomy 3:26-28
But the LORD was wroth with me for your sakes, and would not hear me: and the LORD said unto me, Let it suffice thee; speak no more unto Me of this matter. Get thee up into the top of Pisgah, and lift up thine eyes westward, and northward, and southward, and eastward, and behold it with thine eyes: for thou shalt not go over this Jordan. But charge Joshua, and encourage him, and strengthen him: for he shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land which thou shalt see.

God had already told Moses that he could not enter into the Promised Land because he had disobeyed. God had told him to speak to the rock and it would bring forth water, but he smote the rock because he was upset with the people.

Moses failed to glorify God that day in the eyes of the people. As a result, God said he would not take the people into the Promised Land. He would be able to see the land but would not be able to go in.

Yet, here we find Moses asking the Lord to let him go over and see the good land beyond Jordan. But the Lord would not hear him. He told Moses not to speak to Him any more about the matter.

That was pretty potent. God told him to go up the mount and look across Jordan at the promised land — for he would not go over into the land.

Moses thought he could get God to change his mind, but God said not to ask Him again. He could not enter the land because of his disobedience and failure to glorify God in the eyes of the people that day. He was upset with them and hit the rock in his anger, when God had told him to speak to it.

He had so many people under his care, with all the murmuring and complaining that went on time after time. They murmured about this, murmured about that, murmured about the water, murmured about the food, murmured against Moses and Aaron. What they were actually doing was murmuring against God.

The will of God for Moses was that he would not cross over Jordan into the Promised Land. So when Moses prayed for God to let him enter the land, God denied him his request.

Ask According to His Will

I John 5:14,15
And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask any thing according to His will, He heareth us: and if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him.

We should always want our prayers to be according to the will of God. There's no point praying for something that is not His will, because we won't get an answer.

Jesus had said, "If you ask anything in My name, that will I do" — but that is if we ask according to the will of God and in faith, with nothing wavering.