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The Place Where PRAYERS Are
Heard and Answered!
Would you turn with me in your bibles to 2Chr. 7:14-16; (If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. ver.15 Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place. ver.16 For now have I chosen and sanctified this house, that my name may be there for ever: and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually.)
Prayers Heard Or Unheard, Answered Or Unanswered ! ?
Let me say right off; that, if you want your prayers ANSWERED by God, you must first have them HEARD!
Sad to say, there are many sitting in churches all around the world, and in every Association and Denomination that don't know what it is to have there prayers answered. They say; I've prayed and prayed and prayed, but still there is no answer. Friend there is a reason for UNANSWERED PRAYERS.
Now I not preaching about HINDERED answers as in Daniel's case when he prayed and fasted for 21 days until the answer came: I'M PREACHING ABOUT YOUR PRAYERS THAT ARE NEVER ANSWERED!
The reason for UNANSWERED prayers, is UNHEARD prayers! Now UNHEARD PRAYERS are 2 fold. Let's look at James 4:2-4, James in these few verses of scriptures gives the 2 fold reason for UNANSWERED PRAYERS. (Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. ver.3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. ver.4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.)
Reason #1. Unheard and Unanswered; because there never prayed. "YE HAVE NOT, BECAUSE YOU ASK NOT!"
Reason #2. Unheard and Unanswered; because the prayers that are prayed God will not hear. "Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts !"
The second reason is the one that I feel the Spirit of God would have me to deal with in this message.
You may ask; Brother Mike, IF I CAN'T HAVE MY PRAYERS ANSWERED UNTIL I'VE HAD THEM HEARD, WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO HAVE MY PRAYERS HEARD? Now my answer may sound a little strange at first, but don't quit reading and say; boy that Bro. Mike is way off. He doesn't know what he's preaching about at all, until you've read the message through.
Get ready here's the answer: IF YOU WANT YOUR PRAYERS HEARD, YOU'VE GOT TO PRAY THEM IN THE RIGHT PLACE! Are you still there?
That's right you've got to be in the right place before God will HEAR YOUR PRAYERS! And remember: UNHEARD PRAYERS ARE UNANSWERED PRAYERS!
Tell Me, Where Is That Place ?
Let's take a look again at 2 Chr.7:15, ( Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place.) It is clear to see in this verse of scripture that God has GUARANTEED to HEAR the prayers that his people would pray unto Him in Solomon's Temple.
Now we know that Solomon's Temple which God had Guaranteed to hear prayers made in, was a building made of wood and stone. And we know that the building of Solomon's Temple and all that pertained unto it was a foresight and shadow of the temple God was going to make every Born Again Child of God through Christ Jesus.
The place I'm preaching about where God has GUARANTEED to HEAR and ANSWER your Prayers is not a building made of wood and stone, but rather that spiritual place in Christ Jesus.
Jesus explains to the little Samaritan woman at the well, that it's not in a certain mountain or in a certain city that men have to be to Worship God the Father. Look what he says to her in John 4, (ver.21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. ver.22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. ver.23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. ver.24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.)
Friend you are not GUARANTEED to have your prayers HEARD and ANSWERED just because you go to a certain church. And it may even be a FULL GOSPEL, BIBLE BELIEVING, HOLY GHOST FILLED, TRUTH PREACHING church that you go to. Now I want to say, that I Thank the Lord for church buildings where we can come together and pray and seek the face of the Lord. Jesus himself declared as he was throwing over the tables in the temple, and whipping out the money changers, and those that bought and sold there: "My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves." Now I know that there were some prayers being prayed by those folk. Keep in mind, they were in the temple. Some of there prayers probable went like this: Lord let me sell all my doves today. Lord let this be a SELL OUT DAY. Shout Amen. But God's not HEARING THOSE PRAYERS!
You see they were in the temple where they should have been praying right, but they were in the WRONG PLACE! That is: THEIR HEARTS ARE NOT RIGHT! And friend, when your in the wrong place, your seeing the wrong things, and your going to be praying the wrong prayers: PRAYERS THAT GOD DOES NOT HEAR AND ANSWER! But when you get in the right place, you see the right things, and you'll be praying the right kind of prayers: PRAYERS THAT GOD HEARS AND ANSWERS! Hallelujah.
According To God's Blueprint
Let's take a look a the temple king Solomon built. There are a few things about that temple, that are to be evident in our temple if it is going to be a place where God Guarantees to HEAR and ANSWER our Prayers.
#1. Solomon's Temple was built according to God's blueprints. As was the Tabernacle of God in the wilderness. God said to Moses in Ex.25:9, (According to all that I show thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.) Saints of God our lives MUST BE FASHIONED AND BUILT ACCORDING TO GOD'S DIVINE BLUEPRINT. And that blueprint is THE WORD OF GOD! I'm preaching to you about getting your prayers HEARD and ANSWERED!
Rom.12:1 & 2 says, (I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. ver.2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.) We can not Fashion our lives after the worlds blueprint and Pray Prayers that God's ears are attent unto.
Look at what king David charged his son Solomon concerning the building of the House of the Lord. 1 Chr.28:10-12, (Take heed now; for the LORD hath chosen thee to build an house for the sanctuary: be strong, and do it. ver.11 Then David gave to Solomon his son the pattern of the porch, and of the houses thereof, and of the treasuries thereof, and of the upper chambers thereof, and of the inner parlours thereof, and of the place of the mercy seat, ver.12 And the pattern of all that he had by the spirit, of the courts of the house of the LORD, and of all the chambers round about, of the treasuries of the house of God, and of the treasuries of the dedicated things:) Notice, HE GAVE HIM THE PATTERN. This is not his pattern. Praise God this is THE PATTERN OF ALL THAT HE HAD BY THE SPIRIT! And king Solomon built it according to that pattern.
It's Time For Temple Dedications
#2. After Solomon had built the Temple, he DEDICATED it unto the Lord. 2 Chr.7:5 (And king Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty and two thousand oxen, and an hundred and twenty thousand sheep: so the king and all the people dedicated the house of God.)
You see, the place where God HEARS and ANSWERS Prayers is also a DEDICATED PLACE! So if we are going to have our Prayers HEARD and ANSWERED by God, then we're going to have to have an Old Time Temple Dedication! AND WE ARE THE TEMPLES WHICH MUST BE DEDICATED! Shout Amen Someone.
1 Cor.3:16 &17 (Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? ver.17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.) 1 Cor.6:19 & 20 (What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? ver.20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.) Let's also look at 2 Cor.6:16-18, (And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. ver.17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, ver.18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.)
One of the greatest things that cause our prayers to go UNHEARD and UNANSWERED by God is the failure to DEDICATE and SEPARATE our lives to the cause of God. Hear it, I'm preaching about a place where Prayers are HEARD and ANSWERED. And that place is in CONSECRATED, DEDICATED and SEPARATED TEMPLES!
Filled With Dedicated Things
#3. Once the Temple had been Dedicated, king Solomon FILLED IT WITH DEDICATED THINGS. 2 Chr.5:1, (Thus all the work that Solomon made for the house of the LORD was finished: and Solomon brought in all the things that David his father had dedicated; and the silver, and the gold, and all the instruments, put he among the treasures of the house of God.)
Let me ask you this: HAVE YOU FILLED YOUR TEMPLE WITH TREASURES, OR TRASH? Is your life a TREASURE CHEST, or a TRASH BIN? Come On, Someone Help Me Preach.
Church there is a purpose for everything. Everything has a use and purpose, whether it's purpose be GOOD, HOLY, and RIGHTEOUS, or whether it be BAD, EVIL, and UNGODLY. And dedicated THINGS are things that are given over to be used for a certain purpose. Now we know that the purpose of Almighty God is to REDEEM, RESTORE, RESURRECT mankind from DEATH, and to Set them Free from satan's power. And it is satan's PURPOSE to keep mankind under his evil control. To keep them in chain's and prison houses of SIN, SICKNESS, DISEASE, and DARKNESS.
Realizing that everything has a use and purpose, we must fill our lives with those things which FULFILL THE PURPOSE OF GOD! The music we listen to, the things we read, the things we watch on TV. and on video tapes, the games and programs that you play on your computers, etc. We must ask ourselves: WHAT IS THERE PURPOSE? Are these things furthering God's Kingdom in my life, or are they WEIGHTS and SINS THAT ARE SO EASILY BESETTING, AND HINDERING THE PURPOSE OF GOD IN MY LIFE!
In order for us to Pray Prayers that are HEARD and ANSWERED by God then we must CLEAN THE TEMPLE OF EVERYTHING THAT DOES NOT FULFILL GOD'S PURPOSE, AND FILL IT WITH THINGS DEDICATED TO BE USED FOR THE GLORY OF GOD!
We find a good example of this in Neh.13:7-9 (And I came to Jerusalem, and understood of the evil that Eliashib did for Tobiah, in preparing him a chamber in the courts of the house of God. ver.8 And it grieved me sore: therefore I cast forth all the household stuff of Tobiah out of the chamber. ver.9 Then I commanded, and they cleansed the chambers: and thither brought I again the vessels of the house of God, with the meat offering and the frankincense.) You see Tobiah was an enemy of God's purpose and work. And all the STUFF he had brought into the chambers of God's House had to be cast out, because they were not THINGS DEDICATED TO THE WORK OF THE LORD! Once Tobiah is put out and the chambers were rid of his stuff, they had to be cleaned out. Look at what 2 Cor.7:1 says, (Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.)
Someone may say, "We can't cleanse ourselves, only the blood of Jesus can clean us." You see the blood of Jesus cleansed us from the sins of a life without Christ, but once you receive Jesus as the Lord, and Saviour of your life, it is WALKING AND LIVING IN THE WORD OF GOD THAT KEEPS YOU CLEAN! John 15:3 (Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.) Let's also look at Eph.5:26 & 27 (That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, ver.27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.)
So you see it is up to you and I to LIVE and WALK IN THE WORD that our temples can be cleansed of all things which are not of God's purpose. And a temple that is cleansed of TOBIAH'S STUFF, and FILLED WITH THE DEDICATED THINGS OF GOD, is a PLACE WHERE GOD HEARS AND ANSWERS PRAYERS!
The Place To Pray In For Answers
In conclusion let me quickly give you some scriptures that will help you to know where that place is where God Guaranteed to HEAR and ANSWER your Prayers.
IN CHRIST: John 15:7 (If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.)
IN THE HOLY GHOST: Jude 1:20 (But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,) Rom.8:26 & 27 (Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. ver.27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.)
IN FAITH: James 1:6 & 7 (But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. ver.7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.) Heb.11:6 (But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.)
IN RIGHTEOUSNESS: 1 Pet.3:12 (For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.) Jam.5:16-18 (Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. ver.17 Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. ver.18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.)
YES, THERE IS A PLACE WHERE GOD HEARS AND ANSWERS PRAYERS!
Other Messages: Altar Of God - Sword - Covenant - Don't Drown - Complete Message List