Proverbs 4:20-22,
"My son, attend to my words;incline thy ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes;keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them,and health to all their flesh"
Many believers or followers of Christ today are asking for something in prayer from God but never even want to know the will of God and understands His word. It is very important to know the will of God first if not,we will only be praying in vain. For example, a woman asking for the peace of mind in her matrimonial home and praying that God should let her find the favour of her husband but she never know what the Bible says, this is when the Bible says and command that wives should be submissive to their husbands,and when she didn't follow the word of God,she is only praying in vain unless she search what the word says and she obliged to it, this is when she can now pray to God concerning her marriage. A wife that doesn't accept that her husband is the head of the house but doing what she likes and never respect her husband, how will such wife see the face of the man at all even though she prays till heaven fall.
Likewise, when a person that call himself a believer or follower of Christ and praying to God for victory over his enemy and after praying,goes to an herbalist for help for same thing, it is very difficult for a prayer like that to be acceptable before God. The Bible in Exodus 20:3 says, "thou shalt not have any other gods except me".
Jeremiah 17:5-6,
"Thus saith the LORD;cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm,and whose heart departeth from the LORD. For he shall be like the heath in the desert,and shall not see when good cometh;but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited."
When a man who is spending lavishly or devourers are in his life and prays to God for such spirit to cease from him and that whatever he does, should prosper,how will his prayer be answered when he never pays tithes to the house of God? The Bible says, "pay your tithes into the storehouse" which is the house of God. When you work and pay your tithes,you will also have savings for yourself instead of the money going without a reasonable calculation for it.
Therefore,it is very important to know the commandments of God and obey them before praying to God. That is when prayers can be answered because it is on a solid foundation. Proverb 28:9 says, "He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law,even his prayer shall be abomination". So you need to know the word of God concerning your issue before placing it to God.
Joshua 1:8, "this book of the law shall not depart from thee,and thou shall meditate therein day and night", because when we meditate on the word of God,we will know what is written in there and apply it to our daily life. If you are not concerned about the direction of God in His word to our life it cannot be possible for such prayer to be answered.
John 15:14 says, "ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you" When we are friend of God,He will do what we want. Abraham was a friend of God because he meditate on God's word and follows them in his life, and God established His covenant He made with him till today. John 15:15-16 has made it clear to us that Jesu's Christ has shown us the love of a Father. It is now left to us to heed to the word and become His friend.
1John 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."
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