Life Plan Devotion #108 [How to get your prayers answered]

Hi, Everyone.
I've had some good responses to the promise in Matthew 7:7. Asking God for something isn't quite as simple as it looks, at first glance. Join me, as we look at the conditions to getting your prayers answered. As we go through each "condition," it will be an opportunity for you to do some soul searching, to see if you meet each condition. Will it be easy? No. Will it be worth it? Absolutely.

Life Plan Devotion #108 [How to get your prayers answered]

Matthew 7:7a "Ask, and it shall be given you..." (KJV)

     Last time, we looked at the 4 principles of asking:
1) Ask as if you expect to get it, which is faith.
2) Ask someone who has the authority to give it to you, which is praying in the name of Jesus.
3) Ask in a way that is clear and specific, which is praying with a clear intention.
4) Ask repeatedly, which is praying with persistence.
     There are 7 basic conditions to answered prayer. Today, we will look at the first condition: 1) Pray in the Name of Jesus. In John 14:13-14, Jesus says, "I will do whatever you ask in My name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask Me for anything in my name, and I will do it" (NIV). Praying in the Name of Jesus is more than just tacking on "in Jesus' Name" at the end of your prayers.
     What is Jesus' Name? Isaiah prophesied about Jesus, when he said, "Unto us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6, NIV). In my searching of the Scriptures, I have found 103 names of Jesus, from A-W, in many books from Genesis to Revelation.
     What is so special about Jesus' name? "God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow...and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:9-11, NIV).
     When I taught high school, I was astounded at how few young people really understood the importance of one's name. Your name is who you are, and it's what you make of it! Every name has a meaning, and in times past, parents chose the name of their new baby very carefully, as it was very often a type of prophecy as to who that baby would become, character wise.
     How often do you hear the name of God or Jesus Christ spoken in a flippant or profane manner? No doubt it takes a "Damascus Road experience" (read the account of Saul's conversion in Acts chapter 9) to appreciate the Name of Jesus. Demons tremble at the sound of that Name, and all Heaven stands at attention when you mention that Name--Jesus.
     Meditate on the Name of Jesus. Look at the names of Jesus used in God's Word, until you get an understanding of Who He IS. How will you know when you get that "understanding"? If you can speak at all, you will echo the words of David, when he proclaimed, "Let all the earth fear [revere and worship Him]; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him" (Psalm 33:8, Amplified).

What this has to do with weight loss: If you are a believer, God calls you "the elect of God, holy and beloved" (Colossians 3:12, NKJV). You are His beloved. You are much loved, which is what "beloved" means. Have no doubt that He wants the very best for you, including a healthy body, and He has given you the powerful Name of Jesus in which to pray to the Father. Speak The Name in awe, and pray it wisely.

Confession:
The Name of Jesus is awesome and powerful, just as is He! When I pray, I pray in the Name of Jesus, as directed by Jesus and in accordance with God's Word, and I am assured that He will do what I ask, for His glory.

Blessings,
Mary

Good morning, Mary.

I love the way the names in scripture are descriptive of the person's character.  One year I was teaching a class on the Old Testament, and one of our class projects was to search for those names, especially the names of God.  One of my favorite names for the Lord is found in Exodus 34:5-7, as Moses went back to the Lord to receive the 10 commandments the second time:

And the Lord descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord.  And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression...

What a wonderful and good and generous God we do worship!

Have a beautiful day,
Vickie (and Eliana)

Hi, Vickie.
It's so good to hear from you and sweet Eliana. :) A friend and I have been looking at some of the names of God, and we just began looking at some of the names of Jesus. It does give one a better look at our God. It's very precious.
I, too, love those verses in Exodus, even the "justice" side of God, where it says, "and that will by no means clear the guilty." God is longsuffering, for sure, but, in the end, our "no" to His Son has its consequence. Oh, but when we say "yes," there is abundant grace and mercy, forgiveness and help.
I love your new avatar picture! You are looking younger with every pound that melts away. You look all "sparkly," too. Wonder what that's from? ;)
Blessings,
Mary