God Answers Prayer

By Oluwagbemiga Olowosoyo

When believers pray right heaven responds.
Really painful that they don't often pray as they ought.
This book tells how to pray and the simplicity of it.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Jun 20, 2012
• ISBN: 9781105877742

Book preview

God Answers Prayer

God   Answers   Prayer

Oluwagbemiga Olowosoyo

©2012 Oluwagbemiga Olowosoyo.

ISBN 978-1-105-87774-2

1 Grand Street,

Bridgeport.

CT 06604

Tel: [phone]

P. O. Box 36706,

Dugbe, Ibadan

Oyo State, Nigeria

Tel: [phone]

E. Mail: [e-mail]

Website:  www.olowosoyo.org, www.olowosoyo.com.

All rights reserved.  No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or be transmitted, in any form or by any means, mechanical, electronic, photocopying or otherwise without the prior written consent of the publisher.

Bible quotes are from the King James Version unless otherwise stated.

Dedication

I want to dedicate this book to my brother

Oluwafemi Akinwale Olowosoyo

You are a wonderful support.

Introduction

One of the greatest powers ever given to man is the power to pray. But it is unfortunate that most believers do not understand what it means to pray.

The devil dominates our lives. He controls our finances and all circumstances around us. All of a sudden, witches and wizards have become very important in our generation. Most demonic powers have shifted place from the hidden places and they have moved to the church. All because we don’t pray.

A study in the history of the early church in Acts of Apostles would baffle any sincere believer. That church was very different from our church. They had victory continually. They operated as if demons did not exist. They converted whole cities. They brought changes in people’s lives. On a daily basis our church is full of failures. We fail to live a Christian life. We fail to win souls to Christ. We fail to impact our society. We long for miracles but we fail to see them. All because we cannot pray.

Turn for example, to Acts 2:42, ‘And they continued steadfastly in the Apostles teaching, in the breaking of bread and the prayers.’ The early church was a praying church. It was a church where they prayed not merely occasionally, but where they all ‘continued steadfastly …. in the prayers.’

The whole church prayed, not a select few, or a praying squad. And they prayed with steadfast determination. In Acts 6:4, they said, ‘We will give ourselves continually to prayer.’

Such a church or ministry or individual cannot be stopped or hindered. They will go on steadily, surmounting  all forms of opposition and limitations.

Unfortunately the church has departed lamentably from prayer. A large percentage of believers today do not believe in prayers’ ability to bring to pass anything that would not have happened. They see prayer as a religious exercise. And some of our preachers feel so too. And they teach it.

The small percentage who believe in prayer’s ability do not make use of this mighty instrument that God has put in our hands. Those who use the power, use it wrongly. They turn prayer into witchcraft. They make every effort to use prayer to destroy others. And since God is the source of the power of prayer, it is failing to work for them.

I think it would be safe to say, that the church of Christ was never perfectly organized  in history as it is today. Our machinery is wonderful. It is just perfect. But unfortunately, it is machinery without power.

The power of prayer is still available as before. If men and women would step on prayer grounds. If we would meet the principles or conditions of prevailing prayers. God has not changed. He would respond to us. Then we won’t need to tell stories about God that answered Elijah with fire. We won’t eulogise about how the Israelites crossed the Red Sea. No! we will have daily experiences of His greatness in our own life and ministry too.

Prayer is the key that unlocks all the storehouses of God’s infinite grace and power. All that God is, and all that God has, is at the disposal of prayer. That is, prayer can do anything that God can do. Therefore prayer is omnipotent.

Let us begin to pray, now.

Part One - What is Prayer?

Chapter One: What  is  Prayer?

Prayer is an art of communication between man and the supernatural.

From the beginning of existence man had always looked for ways to control his environment. One of such ways devised by man to control his environment is prayer.

Man had always known that there are stronger forces in existence that control existence. And he had always made efforts to get the assistance of such powers. The major way by which he communicates with such powers is called prayer.

In Africa, the understanding of man in history, had been that certain spirits were enabled to coordinate the affairs of life. These beings or spirits later assumed the position of gods. These are comparable with the pantheon of gods in the Greek mythology.

Over time, people began to carve the images of these gods as they perceived them. Then they began to worship them.

Also, there were human beings who achieved enormous greatness. It was customary to deify them when they died. Some of such were worshipped as ancestors in their tribes; whereas some others were bigger than one tribe or clan, therefore they assumed the status of gods.

On a regular basis requests were made to such deities and gods. Prayer is the name given to such requests.

In essence, therefore, prayer is the request made by the lesser being to the higher being.

For a Christian, prayer is the attempt made to communicate with God. This means that prayer originates from man.

Chapter Two: Why do We Pray?

Just as I said in Chapter 1 above, man needs help from the supernatural world to subdue the physical world. Therefore man had always prayed to the spirits from the beginning, based on the level of understanding.

This is reflected heavily in Athens when Paul visited them in Acts 17: 16- 31. They had so many temples for all kinds of idols. They also had a place dedicated to the unknown God. They had a craving to fellowship with the supernatural. But they were ignorant. Yet they went on in their ignorance, until Paul explained to them. In essence, I am saying that every human being prays. But the person they pray to, differs from person to person.

A Christian is different. He has a covenant relationship with God. Therefore God is committed to establish him and to help him dominate upon the earth.

God is the maker of all things. He delegated the affairs of life unto man in the Garden of Eden. But man sold out to the devil. Adam handed over the affairs of the world to the devil. And since then the devil became the prince of this world. He did whatever he wanted, wherever he wanted.

Since then the devil and his demons have introduced all kinds of evil into the world. Oppression, obsession, possession, depression, affliction, failures, bondages and all kinds of evil had become normal in the world. And man could not deliver himself. Neither could he gain access to God because of the enormity of his sins.

Then God made an arrangement of reconciliation with man through the blood of Jesus Christ, His son who died in the place of man. Since then every man who believed in the work of redemption, and accepts Jesus Christ has access to God.

Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.

For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Hebrews 4:14 - 16

We pray to seek help in times of need. God is now committed to assist us just like every father is committed to help his son.

A landlord is not expected to enter his house anyhow after renting it out to a tenant. God has handed over the world to man. Even though the devil stole it from man, yet God cannot interfere. However, when a man invites God legally, He could interfere.

God is the maker of all things. He delegated the affairs of life unto man in the Garden of Eden. But man sold out to the devil. Adam handed over the affairs of the world to the devil. And since then the devil became the prince of this world. He did whatever he wanted wherever he wanted.

In essence prayer is the only way by which man could establish dominion on earth.

And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint.Luke 18: 1

Chapter Three: Does God Answer Prayers?

Some years ago I led a team of brethren to pray for a man who was critically ill and admitted in the hospital. This man was the father of a young convert, and we felt God needed to heal him to demonstrate His faithfulness.

The zeal and fervency of our prayer shook the entire ward. The way we all sweated convinced everyone that God must have answered the prayer.

Therefore, we were all shocked and highly embarrassed when the same man died some hours later. Most of us concluded that God does not answer prayers. I felt God answers only when He wanted.

However, as I walk with God more, I  have come to a better understanding of God's style.

Unfortunately, there are so many people who are struggling at the stage where I was. They are wondering if God answers prayers. Some are even worse, they wonder if God actually exist.

It would be strange to expect God to respond to us the same way a computer would respond. Maybe that is the reason why we often think that God does not answer prayers. Or that He does not exist.

I can liken people like that to a man of 30 years old, whose legs were amputated when he was 2 years old. He couldn't ever remember using the legs. He made a conclusion that man does not need legs, and whoever made legs for man was very wasteful. Would you consider him right? No, I suppose not. As a matter of fact, I would consider him foolish to talk about what he is not aware of.

I read the story of a certain man who popularly insisted that God does not exist. According to him, he had an experience when he was a soldier. His friend, who was another soldier, was fatally wounded, and he prayed that he should not die. Unfortunately, the man died to his hurt. Then he concluded that God does not exist.

God is not a thing. He is a person. Most people assume they could switch Him on anytime they wanted. Of course, we are used to electric appliances. But God is not an appliance.

It would be strange to expect God to respond to us the same way a computer would respond. Maybe that is the reason why we often think that God does not answer prayers. Or that He does not exist.

Therefore, in an attempt to answer this question, I want to ask another question: How easy is it to receive answer from the president of your nation?

God is the President of the world. He is also the Father of all spirits. Every power belongs to Him. But He is just. He would not break any of His principles. Sentiments are silly to Him. Emotions are meaningless. Human reasoning is foolish to Him. Only those who comply to His principles enjoy His response.

Isaac prayed hard to God for his wife because she was barren.

God answered his prayer and Rebecca became pregnant…

Genesis 25: 21

The Bible is full of stories like this one. Here we found a man who was in a family crisis. He had confidence in God as the solution to his crisis. He called upon Him, and He granted his request.

Chapter Four: The World is Mocking  Us

From whence cometh wars and fightings among you? Come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?

Ye lust, and have not: ye