When I Prayed, God Answered!

I Want to spend the rest of this month talking about ON OUR KNEES. You guessed it; it’s a prayer focus. Why? Because (1) prayer and corporate prayer, for that matter, is on par with preaching and teaching as the FOUNDATION of a healthy church, (2) Praying together is vital to experiencing God’s presence in unique ways, and (3) The tendency among believers, even those who occupy leadership positions in the church, to think of prayer gatherings not as FOUNDATIONAL but as an extra-curricular activity in their lives and the life of the church. Let us fall ON OUR KNEES in symbolic terms and seek the God of heaven who will lead us forward in a new and fresh way.

On that FOUNDATION, I want to cite a passage that is perhaps appropriate for our forward actions. Acts 4:31 “And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.” – Look at someone and tell them; When I Prayed, God Answered! Now give God some praise. When I Prayed, God Answered!

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer.

There’s a creditable Christ-like communicative expression birth out of the church of old that goes something like this “I love the Lord. He heard my cry and pitted every groan. As long as I live while trouble rise, I’ll hasten to his throne.” Such a lyrical expression springs from the heart and soul of one who has searched the delightful depths of the divine and, having had experience with the almighty, has concluded that the God of grace and the God of love and the God of peace and the God of hope and the God of joy can bless anybody. God can make a way for anybody. God can deliver anybody. God can dry any tear. God can heal any hurt. God can soothe any sorrow. God can lift a bow-down head. God can save any sinner.

I am looking at some standing and sitting trophies occupying the holy walls of this church right now who should agree and attest to the fact that when God did what he did, he did what he did because you prayed. Therefore we have resolved within our own disposition with our effort to reach our destination that “as long as we live while trouble rise, we will hasten to his throne.” God will hear you, and God will answer you. We would not have this admonition and, for that matter, ammunition if God would not answer prayer.

Psalms 4:1 “Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have relieved me in my distress; Have mercy on me, and hear my prayer.”

Jeremiah 33:3 “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.”

Luke 18:1 “...men always ought to pray and not lose heart,”

Matthew 6:6 “...when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in private; and your Father who sees in private will reward you publicly.”

Philippians 4:6 “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;.”

If you forget those bible passages, go back and get grandma’s theology who sat in the corner without a formal education, no carpet on the floor, no cushion on the pew, no chandelier from the ceiling, and said, “Jesus is on the main line call him up and tell him what you want, and added her own little verse and said, “his line is never busy call him up and tell him what you want.” The person next to you is a living witness that God will answer prayer when you pray. And even if they didn’t pray, somebody prayed for them, had them on their mind, took out a little time, and prayed for them. And you ought to be glad somebody prayed for you because some doors will never have been opened, some mountains will never have been moved, some obstacles will never have been overcome, the enemy will never have been held at bay, sickness will never have left your body, death would never have been defeated had we not called on the Lord in prayer and since the way was made we have a living testimony now that When I Prayed, God Answered. And enveloped in our prayers, brothers, and sisters, according to this text, are four things: God answers prayer immediately, God answers prayer when you finish praying, God answers prayer focused on God, and God answers specific prayers.

When the disciples returned from their scolding session with the Sanhedrin, the whole assembly came together in prayer. As they prayed together, in one mind, the Spirit of God moved upon them and filled them with His presence and power. When They Prayed, God Answered the prayers of His people and:

First, God answered prayer immediately. There are times when the need is pressing, and God need not delay his answer. There are times when you need God right away. And because God knows you need him right away, he answers immediately. Matthew 14:30-31 “But when Peter saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him...”

Second, God answers prayer when believers finish their praying. The phrase “when they had prayed” describes a past-tense situation. When the disciples had prayed their request through, they did not stop praying but persevered until God was ready to act on their behalf. The lyrics of the song Saints Don’t Stop Praying were foundational to the saints of old when they sang, “Saints don’t stop praying, for the Lord is ny, saints don’t stop praying, He’ll hear your cry, for the Lord has promised, and his word is true. Saints, don’t stop praying. He’ll answer you.” You got to keep on praying. You gain strength when you pray. Somebody said I get great consolation when I pray…even if He doesn’t answer, you feel better after you pray. When you pray, you’re speaking to God, “I need You,” “I can’t handle this by myself,” but I know you can handle it.

Third, God answers prayers focused on God. When we pray prayers focused on God, God will unleash His manifest presence and power for missional advancement. The text confirms this three times:

· When the place they were assembled in prayer was “shaken” by God’s holy presence.

· When the Holy Spirit filled everyone.

· When they had a bold and powerful speech.

James 4:3 “You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.”

Fourth, God answers specific prayers. Specific prayer results in specific answers. The disciples specifically asked God to give them the boldness to preach the Gospel; that is exactly what He gave them. They also had asked specifically for God to manifest His presence through signs and wonders, which He also did through the shaking of the building.

With the monumental breakdown of America’s moral and spiritual life rapidly increasing, the American church and culture as a whole stand in urgent need of God’s mercy and intervention through a shaking of spiritual awakening. It can happen when we pray. We often run to prayer when we are shaken, but these disciples prayed to be shaken.

When They Prayed, the building is shaken. When They Prayed, the believers are shaken by the Holy Spirit. When They Prayed, the city is shaken with the power of the Gospel. That’s a whole lot of shaking going on! The people of God can unleash the power of God to shake things up and shake things loose! I can feel the tremors of prayer beginning to shake again. And everyone can join in. Let me ask you to try something. In this new year, begin to pray to God. You don’t need eloquent words, proper grammar, nice sentences, or anything. God is not so concerned with your prolonged prayer as He is your powerful prayer. Just talk to the One who is able to answer any prayer.

 Prayer will heal the sick.

 Prayer will cause the sinner to be forgiven.

 Prayer can restore your faith.

 Prayer can deliver you from addictions.

 Prayer will give you peace.

 Prayer will give you joy.

Pass me not, O gentle Savior; Hear my humble cry. While on others Thou art calling, Do not pass me by.

What a Friend we have in Jesus, All our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry, Everything to God in prayer!

I come to the garden alone, While the dew is still on the roses; And the voice I hear, falling on my ear, The Son of God discloses. And He walks with me, And He talks with me, And He tells me I am His own; And the joy we share as we tarry there, None other has ever known.

1 John 5:14-15 “This is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.”

I was sinking deep in sin, Far from the peaceful shore, Very deeply stained within, Sinking to rise no more, But the master of the sea, Heard my despairing cry, From the waters lifted me, Now safe am I.

The Devil thought he had me, but safe am I.