The Results of Prayer

I think that some people don’t pray very much because they just do not believe in it.  O’ they believe in prayer, they just do not fully believe in it.  It is actually pretty simple, if they believed that prayer would bring big results, then they would be praying all the time.  There is a connection between solid firm belief and action.  For example if I really believed that Silver would go to 300 dollars an ounce and I had the money, I would purchase some.  I talked to an old miner named Jim Carson.  After he retired he was kicking himself for not believing and taking action in a similar way.  Years ago he was working in a gold mine near Elko Nevada.  Gold prices had dropped and the mine needed to raise some funds.  The mine knew that Gold prices would go back up.  They could get regular financing but they would rather raise money by giving the workers an opportunity than to go to a bank.  They offered the miners a deal to purchase Gold even below the low market price.  He would have made 12 fold on his investment.  He believed it was a good deal, and he had the money, he just did not believe it enough to take action.  Later he was on a fixed income barely getting by.  What a missed opportunity.  What regret.   I think many Christians believe in prayer but like Jim they do not believe enough to take action.  Christians are also missing great opportunities to see God work in the lives of men but they will not invest the time and effort in prayer.  I believe that many of them will be like Jim on day with regret that they did not believe enough to act.

The fact is that God will answer God honoring prayers with results.  We looked at some examples from the book of Acts of a praying church and the powerful results they had.  Today I want to look at some more examples in the Word of God of prayer and its results.

I  Prayer can result in Wisdom.

1Ki 3:6  And Solomon said, Thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.

1Ki 3:7  And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in.

1Ki 3:8  And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude.

1Ki 3:9  Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?

1Ki 3:10  And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.

1Ki 3:11  And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment;

1Ki 3:12  Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.

1Ki 3:13  And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days.

Solomon asked for wisdom for reasons that pleased the Lord.  He did not ask so he could make money.  He did not ask for selfish reasons.  He asked for the benefit of others.  He asked so he could properly lead the people that God loved.  And the result was that God answered his prayer.

1Ki_4:29  And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore.

1Ki_4:30  And Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt.

His wisdom was so great that rulers from other countries would come to see his wisdom and it brought glory to God.

1Ki 10:1  And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to prove him with hard questions.

She came to prove him with hard questions.  She did not believe the reports of Solomon’s wisdom.  The wisdom that came as a result of prayer.

1Ki 10:6  And she said to the king, It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom.

1Ki 10:7  Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the half was not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard.

1Ki 10:8  Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom.

1Ki 10:9  Blessed be the LORD thy God, which delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel: because the LORD loved Israel for ever, therefore made he thee king, to do judgment and justice.

She left with a different attitude after she seen the results of a prayer for wisdom.  She said Blessed be the LORD thy God.

Praying for wisdom for the right reason will bring results and in the end Glory to God.  And we are promised that we will see results if we will ask.

James 1:5  If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

Praying for wisdom from God is a very biblical prayer that God promises to bless with results.  You can see the results of God given wisdom in your life if you will pray about it.

II  Prayer can bring the result of direction.

The people of God had been disobedient and under the chastening hand of God for quite some time.  God had decided that it was time to deliver them and so he calls Gideon.  Gideon was not a brave warrior.  He was processing grain in hiding when God called.   He was not a giant of a man.  I believe that was one of the reasons why God chose him.  God wanted all the glory for the deliverance.  To make sure of that God even cut the size of Gideon’s men to only 300.

The point of this lesson is not to recount all of that.  What we want to look at is Gideon’s prayer.  He knows that he is, in and of himself, not up to the task.  He is unsure of traveling down the road that is ahead of him.  I believe we all get there at some point or even many points in our lives.  Do I go this way or that, do I do this thing or not.  So Gideon does a wise thing and asks God for direction.

Jdg 6:36  And Gideon said unto God, If thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said,

Jdg 6:37  Behold, I will put a fleece of wool in the floor; and if the dew be on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the earth beside, then shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said.

Jdg 6:38  And it was so: for he rose up early on the morrow, and thrust the fleece together, and wringed the dew out of the fleece, a bowl full of water.

Jdg 6:39  And Gideon said unto God, Let not thine anger be hot against me, and I will speak but this once: let me prove, I pray thee, but this once with the fleece; let it now be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be dew.

Jdg 6:40  And God did so that night: for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground.

Gideon not only asks once.  He asks twice.  Two things are interesting here.  God in no way expresses any displeasure in being asked.  And God had the patience to answer twice.

God wants to give direction to His people.  We see this pattern throughout the Word of God.  Over and over you will read men like David asking God should I go up.  And you will see God answer.

God still loves His children and will still give direction if we ask for it.  He does not answer in audible words today.  But he does answer.  He can answer sending getting godly counsel, He can answer by speaking in the still small voice to your heart.  And He can answer thru the circumstances of life.  He can open and close doors very easily.  And He can answer thru His Word.  Often you can ask for direction and if you are spending the time in Bible reading God can speak to you thru His Word and give you much needed direction.

You can see the results of getting direction from God if you will seriously pray about it and ask.

III  Prayer can bring Victory

Joshua 10:12  Then spake Joshua to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon.

Joshua 10:13  And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day.

Joshua 10:14  And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the LORD hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the LORD fought for Israel.

The Promised Land in the book of Joshua is not a picture of heaven.  There will be no wars in heaven.  The Promised Land is a picture of the victorious Christian life.  The life that is lived in obedience to God and where we rely not on our own strength.  Instead we rely on Him and He fights for us.

The physical battles in Joshua can be thought of as pictures or illustrations for us.  An example for us on how to fight and win our spiritual battles.  Basically live in obedience to Him, rely upon Him, and pray and ask Him for guidance, strength and help.  And the result is victory.

In these verses Joshua was in a battle against the enemy.  And He needed God’s miraculous help to win.  They were running out of daylight.  If night fell, the enemy would not be destroyed and many of them might get away to fight another day.  So Joshua asked that God would stop the sun and the moon until they finished winning.  And God answered.  God did the miraculous.  God used His mighty power on their behalf so they could win the battle.

We are told to deny the flesh and walk in the spirit.  We are told that the old man is to die with Christ.  That we are to walk in newness of life.  Every person who gets saved has some baggage that they are carrying.  Things they need to get victory over.  And that enemy needs to be completely destroyed.  If not, if some of it is left remaining, it will live to fight again another day.  That is what is being pictured with this battle in the book of Joshua.  The enemy must be completely destroyed so that it cannot rise up again to fight another day.  And God shows by answering Joshua’s prayer that He is willing to literally move heaven and earth to help His obedient children win the victory.

God answered a prayer to stop the sun and moon once just to show the picture of how much power He is willing to use to give us the victory.  He offers us His help.  We just need to ask for it.

Heb 4:16  Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

There is no problem too big for God.  Nothing is beyond His power or His willingness to use His power to help one of His obedient children win a spiritual victory over the flesh.  It could be bitterness, it could be lust, greed, pride, and the list goes on and on.

God loves you.   You can have the results of victory, but you must really pray and ask God to help you win the battle.

Conclusion

Prayer can bring great results.  It can result in getting much needed wisdom, and greatly needed direction on which way to go in life.  Prayer can have the result of bringing victory over a great many things.  Over sin, over the flesh, over temptation, and over any circumstance of life.

But to see the results of prayer, we must be people of prayer.

To receive we must ask.

Mat_7:7  Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

We need to believe that enough to take action and spend the effort and time it takes to really pray.  Please do not be like Jim and end up having lost opportunities and the regret that not acting brings.

 

David prayed and got the results of Forgiveness

Hannah prayed and got the results of a fixed health issue.  Her barren womb.  She also got the results of praying for a male child who would serve God.  God does like to answer prayers for His work.

Elijah prayed and got the results of seeing the people turn back to God and kill the false prophets of Baal.

Moses prayed and got the results of mercy towards the rebellious people.

Hezekiah prayed in 2 Kings ch 19 for victory and won.

You do not have to look very far to find examples of results from answered prayer.

I believe we would see amazing results if we would but pray more.

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