FAITH AND PRAYER

Good evening guys
How are we doing? How did the day go? I'm excited to announce to you that it's time for Bible study
For those that have been reading and studying their bibles, well done, just know that you're growing. For those that haven't, you better start. However, we will be looking at something else today. This was impressed on my heart while preparing for this study.

But let's pray first

Almighty God, thank you for today, Father let tonight's Bible study be exceptional and different. Let's all point to it as a life changing experience. Let these words mix with faith in our hearts to produce fruits in Jesus name, Amen.

I strongly believe that at the end of this study, we will always have answers to everything we ask God for. Imagine a life that gets an answer to every prayer to God. You can live that life, in fact, you have that life.

To get answers to prayer, firstly, you need to know who you are in Christ.
Things get done based on relationships, I'm sure as Nigerians we are familiar with this. The same happens in the spiritual realm, you need connection. What I mean is only sons of God have access to the things of God so you must be born again!!!

If you're born again, praise God you can have answers to all your prayers. If you're not, believe in Christ as the saviour, confess him with your mouth as the Lord and you're saved. Now you're one of us, a son of God.

Second thing to do to receive answers to your requests, you must be spiritually aware. Now what I mean by this is, you may be a believer yet the devil keeps riding you anyhow he likes. Do you even know what God says about prayers? And not just knowing, do you believe what God says?

John 16:23-24
On that day, you won’t ask me for anything. Truly, I tell all of you emphatically, whatever you ask the Father for in my name, he will give it to you.
24 So far you haven’t asked for anything in my name. Keep asking and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.

Do you believe that? Please you need to. Yes I know I emphasized Believe a lot, it's because I've realized that it's the key thing to do. Jesus also emphasized it
Whatsoever you ask will be done. This means that immediately you ask God for something you need to believe it's done.

Not believing it's done is calling God a liar.
So you need to know what God says in his word if you're to receive answers to your requests. God has already in fact given us all things, remember the story of the prodigal son?
Remember the older brother that was unhappy about that treatment of the younger one? The Father told him, "but all that I have is yours. "
To receive answers from God, we must know what he's said in his word.

Another example when you fall sick, what do you do? Yes you pray, but most times we pray because we just want to, not because we believe in it or just so when they ask you have you prayed you'll be able to say yes, I have. That's not the way of a Christan. Let me show you what God says about sickness

Matthew 8:17
This was to fulfill what was declared by the prophet Isaiah when he said, “It was he who took our illnesses away and removed our diseases.”

He took our illnesses away and removed our diseases.

1Peter 2:24
“He himself bore our sins” in his body on the tree, so that we might die to those sins and live righteously. “By his wounds you have been healed.”

Let me tell you something you should never forget

-What Understanding of God's word will do instantly, it can take prayers a while to do it.

That's why the bottom line is always Spending time with God, Studying his word. It'll liberate you, give you access to things you don't have access to and make your life successful when you apply it.
When next you're faced with a challenge, first of all know that you've overcome that challenge because Jesus has overcome the world. Next, tell the challenge what God has said about it be it sickness or whatever.

So next time you're praying, pray as a son of God, and not as a begger. Pray with authority and not with pleading. You're a righteous man and the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man does powerful things (emphasis mine)

Thank you for your time as always, by God's grace we'll continue our study with Ephesians 2 next week.

Father we thank you for today's bible study, I pray you will give us grace to understand your words and put it into practice, we commit this week unto your hands, thank you Lord for answering our prayers, in Jesus name i have prayed.
Amen