God-given Conditions for Answered Prayers

2 Chronicles 7:13 – “When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people,

2 Chronicles 7:14 – if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

We all desire some assurance that our prayers are heard and answered. We get excited and do appreciate answered prayers. However, nothing hurts and frustrates like a prayer that isn’t answered. What do we do for our prayers to be answered?

In our passage today, God tells King Solomon, during dedication of the temple, a message that may have the conditions for answered prayers. Let us explore and understand these conditions for answered prayers. Remember God spoke them Himself!

(1) If my people who are called by my name. A condition for answered prayer is that you must be identified as God’s person. You must be called by God’s name.

Matthew 7:21 – “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

Matthew 7:22 – Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’

Matthew 7:23 – Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

You can be an active church person. You can perform miracles, speak in tongues, and even raise the dead, but you are not God’s person. You may think you fully belong to God. People may think you are a man or woman of God. But God will say at the end that He doesn’t know you.

When God says, If my people called by my name pray I will answer, He may not be referring to some church hypocrites whom He will tell I never knew you. Are you really God’s person? Are you really called by His name? Are you sure He won’t say at last that He never knew you?

How can you claim to be God’s person, yet some Bible teachings you don’t follow. Some commandments you break. Change of church you have rejected, you prefer you normal place where you have been going even if they do things contrary to the Bible. Are you really God’s person?

To be God’s person follow everything the Bible says. To be God’s person confess and repent your sins frequently. To be God’s person join the right church, a community of people who study the Bi le and do what it says even if it’s inconvenient. To be God’s person, lead others to God. To be God’s person the Holy Spirit changes you and those who see you will call you by God’s name!

If my people who are called by name will pray, I will answer, says God. That is the first condition for answered prayers. All conditions must be met for prayer to be answered. Do you meet this condition according to the Bible?

The only prayers that God answers from those who are not His people, are prayers of confession and repentance. Prayers that restore our relationship with Gods. Prayers asking for a new start.

(2) Humble themselves. A humble person is easy to relate with. A humble person is teachable. A humble person excels but remains civil and humane to everyone. A humble person is a great person who can be reached. A humble person is like Jesus Christ. God answers prays of humble people only!

If we humble ourselves, God will listen and answer our prayers. No humility no access to God. Have you humbled yourself? Have you been intentional in making sure you are humble? It is a condition for prayers to be answered!

(3) Pray and seek my face. God wants us to ask for what we want. He wants to hear from us. He wants us to enjoy depending on Him. “Persistent prayer has been made a condition for receiving” EG White. No prayer no answers.

We don’t pray to inform God what He doesn’t know, He is Omniscient- all knowing. We pray as part of our relationship with God. We pray to demonstrate our dependence on Him.

Seek His face suggests a desperate search for God. Jeremiah 29:13 you will seek me and find me, if you seek me with all your heart. This is opposed to routine prayers that have no touch of feeling. This is passionate intentional prayer!

(4) Turn from wicked ways. Stop sinning. Sin gets in the way of God blessing us. Sin obstructs the blessings. Sin cuts off our relationship with God, yet we need God in order to survive. Turn from your wicked ways and prayers will be answered. Turning away from sin is a condition for answered prayers!

The Bible verse ends the list of conditions by making a promise. Then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sins and heal their land. Then I will answer their prayers. After the conditions are fulfilled, God will answer the prayers.

On our own, these conditions are impossible. If we allow the Holy Spirit to empower us, these conditions will be possible. May God help us meet these conditions and May our prayers be answered today by God’s grace. In Jesus’s name, Amen!

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