Effectual Prayer Is Key To Living the Victorious Christian Life

John is writing to believers who have a true relationship with Jesus Christ. There were many in the church that claimed to be Christians, but did not have a relationship with Jesus. He gave illustrations by the behavior of the people in the church. People that say they follow Christ, yet live like the world profess by their actions that they do not believe that Jesus is the Son of God. He plainly says that those that follow the commands of Christ are Christ followers. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments. 1 John 5:2

Those who do not follow the commands of Christ are of the world. Being a follower of Christ is more than claiming to be a Christian.

When we have a relationship with Jesus, we desire to do His will. We want to please Him, by following His commands and recognizing that His commands are a demonstration of His love for us.

3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.

The commands of God are not restrictions on us that prohibit us from having fun, but are meant to give us the fullness of joy.

You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.

Eternal Life is knowing Jesus

John says that we can know that we have eternal life. The eternal life he is referring to is not a period of time but a relationship with Jesus.

12 He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.

A person has not started living until they have a relationship with Jesus Christ. They can survive but they can never have fullness of life. Only a relationship with Jesus can bring fullness of life. I was happy apart from Christ. There were things and activities that made me happy, but they never brought me fulfillment. As a matter of fact I would constantly have to look at what would make me happy once the first thing didn’t satisfy. I was in a constant state of wanting, because my soul was not fulfilled. When I came to know Jesus Christ, my soul was fulfilled and I didn’t have to seek after worldly things to make me happy. Jesus is all I need! However, when I came to know Jesus, He has given me more than i ever knew I wanted! My joy is not rooted in what He has given me, but the fact that He loves me so much that he gave me what i didn’t know I needed.

Eternal life is knowing Jesus Christ intimately. The way you know you walk with him is when He is your satisfaction!

Prayer Becomes Effectual When You Know the Will Of God.

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Chapter 5

This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.

The question then becomes, how can I know the Will of God.

Three Things You Must Do To Know the Will Of God

Abide in Christ

This simply means that you spend time with Christ and involve him in your life. This means that you talk with Christ about what is going on in your life. Share with Him the things that bring you joy and give him thanks, recognizing that he is the giver of the things that bring you joy.

17 Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. James 1:17

Share with Christ the things that you struggle with and allow him to be your strength.

The Lord is my strength and my shield; My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart exults, And with my song I shall thank Him.

Share with Christ when you don’t have answers to your situations.

5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and [a]without reproach, and it will be given to him.

A relationship with Jesus is about spending time with Him and communicating your life to Him and Listening to what he says to you

Abide in Christ Word

You may ask, “How does God communicate to me?” The answer is He communicates through His written Word. The Bible!

The way it works is you take your situations to the Bible and allow God to speak to you through His word regarding the principles affecting your situation. For example: If you are harboring bitterness toward someone and you are having difficulty forgiving them. You know that it is sin but you just can’t seem to overcome it. What do you do? You go to God’s word and begin to read about what He says about anger and forgiveness. Then you allow the Holy Spirit to teach you how to apply it in your life. This is more than a logical understanding of what the Bible says about anger and forgiveness. It is a Spirit illumination of God’s expectation of your response to His teaching.

You must spend time in God’s word so that it can abide in you, so you will be able to handle the traverses of life.

If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

When the Word abides in you, you will know how to pray, and your prayers will be answered.

Follow the Holy Spirit’s Lead

When the Holy Spirit leads you into the truth of God’s Word, you have a decision to make. You can trust the Holy Spirit or use your own logic to take action. Faith is following the Spirit!

Victorious Prayer is When God Answers.

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Chapter 5

And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.

God will answer every prayer that is in accordance to His will.

Three steps to Answered Prayer.

Ask God to affect His will in your life as you have discerned it from the Holy Spirit Illuminating God’s Word.

It goes like this. Once you are convinced that the Holy Spirit has revealed truth, tell God that this is what you believe His Word is saying to you. You can even pray the passage of scripture to the the Lord. Ask Him to do what He has revealed to you.

Once you ask, believe that it is going to come true.

You can take it to the bank and know that your prayer was heard and that God is going to bring His promise to life in your situation.

5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and [h]without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, 8 being a [i]double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and [h]without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, 8 being a [i]double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. James 1:5-8

Act On the Revealed Truth

Faith demands action. If we trust God, we will act on His revelation.

But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. James 1:22

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