KEYS TO ANSWERED PRAYERS

Jesus Christ throughout his time here on earth had an active lifestyle of prayer. Jesus Christ did not only perform miracles, preach the gospel, he also engaged himself in prayer. Most times he would seclude himself and go to quiet places to pray. One day after he had finished praying, his disciples said to him, "Lord teach us to pray." and he answered and taught them how to pray. He said " But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your father who is in the secret place, then your father who sees in secret will reward you openly." In the above scripture Jesus carefully laid out three things to do before Praying. (1) GO INTO YOUR ROOM. .--- This could literally mean a Prayer Closet. Prayer is not optional, it is compulsory for every Christian, therefore it is very essential that every true christian must have a Prayer Closet. A Prayer Closet is a specific place where we meet alone with God. It is a place where we fellowship with our Maker, our Father. It has to be a quiet place. It could be your garden, a field, a park, a cave, your living room, your study room, your bedroom, your garage, a church. Moses had specific places where he met with God, he mostly went to the top of Mount Sinai. It was on top of this mountain that God revealed his Glory to Moses and also gave him the 10 commandments. Moses never joked with his Prayer Closet, from time to time he would go up unto Mt Sinai, and stay there for many days. Exodus 19 v 3 "then Moses went up to God and the Lord called to him from the mountain. Jesus Christ while here on earth also had particular places, where he goes to pray. He either went up to Mt Olives or any Mountain top. " Jesus went as usual to the Mt of Olives to Pray." ( Luke 22 v 39 ) "After he had dismissed them, he went up on a Mountain side by himself to Pray." ( Matthew 14 v 23 ). Also Isaac went up to the fields to Meditate. Genesis 24 v 63 " And Isaac went out to meditate and bow down in Prayer in the open country in the evening." (2).CLOSE THE DOOR .--- Closing the door has three literal meanings. A. Close the door to all alternatives. --God is to be your only hope. You have to depend absolutely on God and God alone. Your eyes are to be focused 100% on God . Elijah in the book of 1st kings 18 v 21 asked the Israelites how long would they falter between two opinions, an idol or God. The moment they focused on God, God showed up. B. You are to close the door to all distractions. When you come before God in Prayer you are to let go of anything that would distract you. Your attention and focus should be centered on God and God alone. Take your eyes off the probelm, suituition, or any challenge facing you. C. Close the door to anxiety. Philipians 4 v 6 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." (3). PRAY TO YOUR FATHER.--- Prayer is only to be made to God our Father. The word of God expressly states who we should pray to. As a Christian, God in heaven is our father. God is a spirit and we must not equate God with any image or person. Therefore 1. Prayer is only to be made to God the Father, God the Son, ( Jesus Christ ) and God the Holy Spirit. 2. Prayer is not to be made in any other name, except the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God. 3. Prayer is not to be made to any object, such as wooden image, carved idol, cast iron in any image. In Exodus 20 v 23 God said "Do not make any gods to be alongside me, do not make for yourselves gods of silver, gods of gold." Also in Acts 17 v 29 " Therefore since we are Gods offspring we should not think that Divine nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and mans devising." 4. Prayer is not to be made to any animal. Such as white elephants, cows, tigers, leopard, snake, eagle, etc. In Deuteronomy 4 v 17-18, says " Do not bow down to any animal that is on the earth, or the likeness of any winged bird that flies in the air, the likeness of anything that creeps on the ground or the likeness of any fish that is in the water beneath the earth.". 5. Prayer is not to be made to any human image. In Deuteronomy 4 v 16 it says " Do not act corruptly and make for yourselves a carved image in the form of any figure, the likeness of male or female. " 6. Prayer is not to be made by bowing down to the counstellations , such as moon, stars, sun. In Deuteronomy 4 v 19 states " And take heed lest you lift your eyes to heaven and when you see the sun, the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, you feel driven to worship them and serve them, which the Lord your God has given to all the peoples under the whole heaven as a heritage." 7. Prayer is not to be made to / through any immortalised being, whether dead or alive. Example, religious prophet, celebrated bishop, Pastor, Grand master etc. Jesus is the only way to the father. And Jesus went further and said in Matthew 6 v 7 -8" And when you Pray, do not keep babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words, Do not be like them, for your father knows what you need before you ask him." Babbling here means praying your own way. Jesus said that is how pagans Pray. Pagans do not acknowledge God as their Father, neither do they worship God. But we as Christians have God as our father, hence we must follow the laid down process on Prayer. Jesus laid out the pattern for Prayer in the following verses of Matthew chapter 6 v 9 -13. In this manner, therefore, Pray OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN, HALLOWED BE YOUR NAME. YOUR KINGDOM COME. YOUR WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD. AND FORGIVE US OUR DEBTS. AS WE FORGIVE OUR DEBTORS. AND DO NOT LEAD US INTO TEMPTATION BUT DELIVER US FROM THE EVIL ONE. FOR YOURS IS THE KINGDOM, AND THE POWER AND THE GLORY FOREVER. AMEN.