Answered Prayer
Is Assurance

Friday, April 04, 2014

Table of Contents
* The Lord Answers the Prayer of the Righteous
* God is not Listening
* Answered Prayers are Assurance
* Unanswered Prayers
* Blessings
* Example of the Backslidden

The Lord Answers the Prayer of the Righteous
When the Lord answers our prayer we can be assured we are among the righteous (saved, sanctified, born again)

Prov 10:24  "The fear of the wicked, it shall come upon him: but the desire of the righteous shall be granted."

The wicked will receive what they fear, but the righteous shall have their prayers answered.

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God is not listening
The wicked do not have God's ear.  The saved that are acting like the wicked do not either.  This is why the backslidden often think they have lost their salvation.

But when prayers are answered, we can be assured that we are among the righteous! saved! brethren!

Prov 15:29  "The LORD is far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of the righteous."

God distances Himself from the wicked lost, but He hears the requests of the saved.

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Answered Prayers are Assurance
Great encouragement is realized by the saint with answered prayers, he knows that he is saved.

Psa 37:4  "Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart."

Want what God wants and He will give you what both of you want.

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Unanswered Prayers
No matter what the wicked want, God does not hear them, unless they want to be saved.  God does not hear the backslidden unless they want to ask forgiveness.

John 9:31  "Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth."

God does not hear the lost sinner nor the backslidden, but hears those that worship Him and do what He asks.

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Blessings?
Don't confuse blessings with answered prayer.  There is no assurance in blessings.  Blessings fall on the good and bad alike.

Mat 5:45  "That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust."

Take assurance in wanting what God wants and receiving it, not in simply receiving something good, that may come to the good and bad alike.

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An example of the backslidden

James 4:3  "Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts."

The backslidden that are consuming their desires, ask and do not receive, having asked in error.

This is why the backslidden often think they have lost their salvation, because they, being backslidden, ask for themselves instead of others and do not have answered prayer.

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G. Steven Andres
Psalms 45:17
Missionary Evangelist
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