THE SECRET OF ANSWERED PRAYER

"THE LORD FOUGHT FOR ISRAEL THAT DAY. Never before or since has there been a day like that one, WHEN THE LORD ANSWERED SUCH A REQUEST FROM A HUMAN BEING.”
Joshua 10:14 (NLT)

• The LORD fought for Israel that day. God will fight for you and you will hold your peace (Exodus 14:14).

• If you actually belong to God, you are on the Lord side, He will surely fight for you. God will not forsake you in the time of your predicament.
• God will answer your request if you walk in close fellowship with Him. No matter how difficult it may be, your request can be granted, If you are in a good term or rapport with God.
• You do not rush to God in prayer in the day of adversity alone, when you desperately need His help. You build relationship with God, when there was no adversity.
• If you rushed to God for help in the day of calamity or adversity, without fellowship or solid relationship on ground, you may not get His attention.
• God will honour your word and prayer based on your level of commitment to Him. If you are not committed to Him, He will not be committed to you as well: "BUT NOW THE LORD SAYS: ‘FAR BE IT FROM ME; FOR THOSE WHO HONOUR ME I WILL HONOUR, AND THOSE WHO DESPISE ME SHALL BE LIGHTLY ESTEEMED [will be insignificant and contemptible and demeaned]" (1 Samuel 2:30 NKJV).

• Joshua made a request that no man had ever made before.

• The uncommon request of Joshua was granted. This could only be attributed to his relationship, past obedience and commitment on the part of Joshua.
• Know that you cannot use God. God would not just answer whoever made such a request, It takes intimacy, unwavering commitment and submission for you to get such an audience from God.
• Thus, the secret of answered prayer is a deeper commitment to God—the willingness to follow Him and do His will all the time, whether convenient or not.
• If you only relate with God because of what you wanted from Him, He perhaps might grant your requests, but you would not be among those who could get His attention at the time of distress.
• Christianity or being a believer in Christ or being a disciple is a call to walk with God in a covenant relationship. It is not about taking from God and abandon Him when you seemed not to need His services.

• If you are not serious with your Christian life, you only get committed and serious when you have a need, once the need is met you go back to spiritual apathy. Know that with such attitude in your walk with God, you cannot receive the best from Him.

• You cannot mock God, you cannot deceive Him, take advantage of Him. No. God is too big and great to play on His intelligence.
• God is all knowing, He knows the intents of every heart—God knows your thoughts: “AS FOR YOU, MY SON SOLOMON, KNOW THE GOD OF YOUR FATHER, AND SERVE HIM WITH A LOYAL HEART AND WITH A WILLING MIND; FOR THE LORD SEARCHES ALL HEARTS AND UNDERSTANDS ALL THE INTENT OF THE THOUGHTS. IF YOU SEEK HIM, HE WILL BE FOUND BY YOU; BUT IF YOU FORSAKE HIM, HE WILL CAST YOU OFF FOREVER" (1 Chronicles 28:9 NKJV).
• If you want to use Him, He knows, you cannot deceive Him.

• A friend of God

• You need to become His friend (John 15:14; Isaiah 41:8; James 2:23), for you to make a seemingly difficult request and be granted—although there is nothing difficult for Him (Jeremiah 32:27; Luke 18:27).
• Strive or work or endeavour to become God's friend (John 15:14). It is done by being obedient to His commandments, and most especially to the specific instructions given to you as an individual believer.
• Build your relationship with God to a friendship level. It takes someone who walks with God in the light of His Word, with a deeper commitment, to ask God for sun to stand still, as Joshua did, and be granted (Joshua 10:12-14).
• Nothing happens by chance. Commitment on your part begets commitment from God towards you. If you did not regard God, acknowledged and honoured Him, and be committed to Him in the time of comfort, He also will not regard you in the time of distress when you needed His help most.
• Joshua said: "LET THE SUN STAND STILL OVER GIBEON, AND THE MOON OVER THE VALLEY OF AIJALON" (Joshua 10:12 NLT).

• God will honour your word if you can honour His word:
28 “WHEN THEY CRY FOR HELP, I WILL NOT ANSWER. THOUGH THEY ANXIOUSLY SEARCH FOR ME, THEY WILL NOT FIND ME. 29 FOR THEY HATED KNOWLEDGE AND CHOSE NOT TO FEAR THE LORD" (Proverbs 1:28,29 NLT).

• If all you want is miracles, blessings, from God, you have no regard for His Word. You would not want to live your life according to His Word, His commands. He also will not listen to you, when you also call (Zechariah 7:13).
• It is the will of God that miracles take place in your life daily, only if you can follow Him and be committed to Him.

• You will not fail in Jesus' name.

• Whatever is not of God in your body that might be working against your health and wellness is cursed and uprooted totally in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.
• The hold is broken and never to rise again in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.
  Peace.

STEPS TO SALVATION
• Take notice of this:
IF you are yet to take the step of salvation, that is, yet to be born-again, do it now, tomorrow might be too late (2 Corinthians 6:1,2; Hebrews 3:7,8,15).
a. Acknowledge that you are a sinner and confess your Sins (1 John 1:9); And ask Jesus Christ to come into your life (Revelation 3:20).
b. Confess that you believe in your heart that Jesus Christ is Lord, and that you confess it with your mouth, Thus, you accept Him As your Lord and Saviour (Romans 10:9,10).
c. As you took the steps A and B your name is written in the Book of Life (Philippians 4:3; Revelation 3:8).

• If you took the steps As highlighted above, congratulations, It means you are saved—born-again. Join a Word based church in your area and Town or city, and be part of whatever they are doing there. Peace!