Read: Answers to Prayer (Dr. Roels)

Introduction

The Bible gives us many stories about the wonderful ways God answered the prayers of His people. Battles were won, lives were spared, people were transformed, sick people were healed, demons were cast out, children were born, the blind were given sight, the deaf were made to hear, people who had died were raised to life, grieving people were comforted, confused people were given wisdom, perplexed people were given knowledge, and many others were blessed by a special touch of God's grace.

These stories encourage us. When we read about those answers to prayer in the past, we become all the more eager to bring our own petitions and requests to the Lord. Even if some of our own prayers do not seem to be answered right away, we will still continue to pray as we remember those times when God mercifully and graciously answered the prayers of others.

We must also remember, of course, that God sometimes answers prayers with a "No” or "Not now” or "Not yet.” At other times, He may choose to give us even more than we ask or hope for. But whatever the answer may be, we may be assured that God always hears and responds to the humble and honest prayers of His faithful people.

When we read about God's answers to prayer in the Bible, we are reminded that God is genuinely concerned about every aspect of our lives. He is concerned about our health, our finances, our work, our play, our relationships, our minds and our hearts. There is nothing of concern to us that is not also of concern to Him.

But we should not forget that God is more concerned about our spiritual well-being than anything else. If He always gave us exactly what we asked for, we might become boastful or proud or begin to focus too much on the material or physical side of life.

God's primary interest is not that we become materially rich or physically healthy. Rather, His main desire is that we learn to love Him with all our heart and soul and mind and strength and that we love our neighbors as ourselves (Matthew 22:37-39).

God wants us to trust Him and love Him, to praise and adore Him, and to serve and obey Him in every area of our lives. And He desires that we increasingly become more like Jesus (Romans 8:29; 2 Corinthians 3:18). Though He delights in bringing us joy and peace and happiness and often showers us with earthly blessings of many kinds, His primary interest is not in our physical or material well-being or our earthly pleasures.

When God responds positively to our prayers, therefore, He graciously does so in ways that enable us to become fruitful and obedient servants who bring glory to His name and bring blessing to others as we become more like Jesus.

In this Lesson we will look at some of the wonderful answers to prayer that are found in the Bible. By reflecting on these answers, we will be encouraged to pray with increasing confidence, humility, and gratitude.

ANSWERS TO PRAYERS FOR PROSPERITY AND SUCCESS

The three examples of answered prayer which are given here are all from the Old Testament. The followers of Jesus in the New Testament rarely prayed specifically for riches or for material prosperity and Jesus never emphasized them in His teaching or by His example. Even so, Jesus did clearly teach that God does provide for the needs of those who look to Him for their daily needs.

"Jabez called upon the God of Israel, saying, 'Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my border, and that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from harm so that it might not bring me pain!' And God granted what he asked.” 1 Chronicles 4:10

"As long as he [Uzziah] sought the Lord, God made him prosper.” 2 Chronicles 26:5

ANSWERS TO PRAYERS FOR VICTORY

The verses cited here are from the Old Testament at a time when God's people were at war or oppressed by their enemies.

"When Pharaoh drew near, the people of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they feared greatly. And the people of Israel cried out to the Lord. . . . And Moses said to the people, 'Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today.'” Exodus 14:10, 13
(Read Exodus 14: 15-28 to see the great victory the Lord gave them.)

On one occasion Moses prayed to the Lord with his hands held up toward heaven and God gave the people a great victory over the Amalekites. Exodus 17:8-13

"[Their enemies] were given into their hands, for they cried out to God in the battle, and he granted their urgent plea because they trusted in him.” 1 Chronicles 5:20

"The battle was in front of and behind them. And they cried to the Lord . . . and God gave them into their hand . . . because they relied on the Lord, the God of their fathers.” 2 Chronicles 13:14-18

ANSWERS TO PRAYERS FOR WISDOM OR GUIDANCE

It is always appropriate for us to pray for guidance from the Lord and to ask for wisdom as we make decisions or as we seek to know how best to proceed in any situation.

Daniel prayed: "To you, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, for you have given me wisdom and might, and have now made known to me what we asked of you, for you have made known to us the king's matter.” Daniel 2:23

Gideon prayed to the Lord for guidance and for confirmation that the Lord had really called him to lead the people of Israel. God answered Gideon's prayer in a miraculous way. See Judges 6:36-40.

The early Christians often prayed to the Lord for special guidance as they made significant decisions regarding leadership in the early church.

"And they prayed and said, 'You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen ' . . . And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.” Acts 1:24-26

"While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, 'Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.' Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.” Acts 13:2-3

ANSWERS TO PRAYERS FOR SAFETY OR PROTECTION

David and Elisha and Nehemiah were all significant spiritual leaders of God's people in the Old Testament. However, each one of them was also involved in physical conflicts with the enemies of Israel. Most Christian leaders today are not directly involved in physical warfare in the way Old Testament leaders were, but many individual Christians serve in their country's battles and need God's protection just as the people of Israel did. In addition, in many countries today Christians are often the object of persecution. Believers in these countries cry out to God for His protecting grace just as people did in the Old Testament.

David said, "'In my distress I called upon the Lord; to my God I called. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry came to his ears.'” 2 Samuel 22:7
(See the amazing account of God's response to David's prayer in verses 8-51.)

When Elisha was surrounded by enemies, he said to his servant:
"'Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.' Then Elisha prayed and said, 'O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.' So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.” 2 Kings 6:16-17

When Nehemiah was involved with the rebuilding of the wall around the city of Jerusalem, he faced strong opposition from the enemies of God's people.
"And they all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and to cause confusion in it. And we prayed to our God and set a guard as a protection against them day and night. . . . When our enemies heard that it was known to us and that God had frustrated their plan, we all returned to the wall, each to his work.” Nehemiah 4:8-9, 15

ANSWERS TO PRAYERS FOR DELIVERANCE

When the people of Israel were living in Egypt, the Egyptians made slaves of them and placed heavy burdens on them.

"The people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.” Exodus 2:23-24

When the people of Israel in Jerusalem were surrounded by their powerful enemies from Assyria, they cried out to the Lord their God for help. God responded to them with these words:

"'Because you have prayed to me concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria . . . I will defend this city to save it, for my own sake and for the sake of my servant David.'” Isaiah 37:21, 35
(Read Isaiah 37:36-37 to see how God delivered His people from their enemies.)

In the New Testament we read about Paul and Silas and Peter who, on different occasions, had been put in prison because of their faithful ministry.

"Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.” Acts 12:5
(Read Acts 12:6-12 to see how God answered their prayer.)

"About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone's bonds were unfastened.” Acts 16:25-26

ANSWERS TO PRAYERS FOR HEALING

The Lord frequently answered prayers which people offered for themselves or for others who needed healing from physical afflictions. Most of the examples presented here are prayers which were offered for the healing of others rather than for the person who was praying. The one exception to that is Hezekiah's prayer for healing after God had told him that he was going to die.

"Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, and also healed his wife and female slaves so that they bore children. For the Lord had closed all the wombs of the house of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham's wife.” Genesis 20:17-18

"And the king said to the man of God, 'Entreat now the favor of the Lord your God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored to me.' And the man of God entreated the Lord. 1 Kings 13:6

"Hezekiah became sick and was at the point of death, and he prayed to the Lord, and he answered him and gave him a sign.” 2 Chronicles 32:24
(See Isaiah 38:2-6 for God's wonderful response to Hezekiah's prayer.)

"It happened that the father of Publius lay sick with fever and dysentery. And Paul visited him and prayed, and putting his hands on him healed him. And when this had taken place, the rest of the people on the island who had diseases also came and were cured.” Acts 28:8-9

ANSWERS TO PRAYERS FOR THE BIRTH OF CHILDREN

"And Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife, because she was barren. And the Lord granted his prayer, and Rebekah his wife conceived.” Genesis 25:21

"God listened to Leah, and she conceived and bore Jacob a fifth son.” Genesis 30:17

"Then God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and opened her womb. She conceived and bore a son.” Genesis 30:22-23

Hannah, the mother of Samuel, said, "'For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him.'” 1 Samuel 1:27

"The angel said to him, 'Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.'” Luke 1:13

ANSWERS TO PRAYERS FOR FOOD AND DRINK

When the Israelites were wandering in the wilderness, they often suffered from a lack of food and water. Again and again they complained to Moses because of their hunger and thirst. Moses brought their needs to God in prayer, but the people of Israel rarely expressed thanks to Moses for praying or to God for answering Moses' prayers!

"The people grumbled against Moses, saying, 'What shall we drink?' And he cried to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a log, and he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet.” Exodus 15:24-25

God also provided His people with both manna and quail to eat, even though their "petition” took the form of repeated grumbling rather than humble and sincere petition. Exodus 16: 1-36

On more than one occasion God provided His people with water from a rock after the people complained and Moses cried out to the Lord in prayer. Exodus 17:1-7

ANSWERS TO PRAYERS FOR A MIRACLE

The Lord often provided miracles in response to the prayers of His people in both the Old and the New Testaments.

"Moses went out from Pharaoh and prayed to the Lord. And the Lord did as Moses asked, and removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people; not one remained.” Exodus 8:30-31

"[Elijah] stretched himself upon the child three times and cried to the Lord, 'O Lord my God, let this child's life come into him again.' And the Lord listened to the voice of Elijah. And the life of the child came into him again, and he revived.” 1 Kings 17:21-22

"Elijah the prophet came near and said, '. . . Answer me, O Lord, answer me, that this people may know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back .' Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.” 1 Kings 18:36-38
(See 1 Kings 18:39 for the response of the people to this miracle!)

"Earnest prayer was made for [Peter] to God by the church. . . .” and Peter was miraculously set free(Acts 12:5-17).

ANSWERS TO PRAYERS FOR SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS

In the book of Acts, we learn that the early church prayed faithfully and fervently and was richly blessed spiritually. See, for example, Acts 1:14; Acts 2:1-4; Acts 2:42-47.

"And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.” Acts 4:31

Paul wrote to the believers in Colossae: "We always thank God when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints.” Colossians 1:3-4
(See also Colossians 1:4-14.)

To the believers in Thessalonica Paul wrote: "We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, remembering . . . your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3

Paul then continued to mention the other spiritual blessings that were taking place because of the faithfulness of the believers there. (1 Thessalonians 1:2-10)

In his second letter to the same church Paul wrote: "We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers . . . because your faith is growing abundantly and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing.” 2 Thessalonians 1:3

To the Christians in Philippi, he wrote: "I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.” Philippians 1:3-5

ANSWERS TO PRAYERS FOR OTHER BLESSINGS

Moses replied [to Pharaoh], "As soon as I have gone out of the city, I will stretch out my hands to the Lord. The thunder will cease, and there will be no more hail, so that you may know that the earth is the Lord's.” Exodus 9:29

"And the people complained in the hearing of the Lord about their misfortunes, and when the Lord heard it, his anger was kindled, and the fire of the Lord burned among them and consumed some outlying parts of the camp. Then the people cried out to Moses, and Moses prayed to the Lord, and the fire died down.” Numbers 11:1-2

Moses said, "'I was afraid of the anger and hot displeasure that the Lord bore against you, so that he was ready to destroy you. But the Lord listened to me that time also. And the Lord was so angry with Aaron that he was ready to destroy him. And I prayed for Aaron also at the same time.'” Deuteronomy 9:19-20

Moses said, "'I lay prostrate before the Lord for these forty days and forty nights, because the Lord had said he would destroy you. And I prayed to the Lord, 'O Lord God, do not destroy your people and your heritage, whom you have redeemed through your greatness, whom you have brought out of Egypt with a mighty hand.'” Deuteronomy 9:25-26

(God answered Moses' prayer and spared the lives of His people.)

SUMMARY

Throughout the Bible we read how men and women reached out to God in fervent, earnest, and persevering prayer and how God answered in wonderful, exciting, and miraculous ways. As they humbled themselves before God and laid hold of His promises, they experienced His power and grace in ways that glorified the Lord and brought great blessing to themselves and others. Truly, the God of the Bible is a loving and gracious Father as well as a majestic and Sovereign Lord. He cares deeply about His people and His ears are open to their cries. Though His people were often disobedient and even ungrateful, His loving heart was mercifully responsive to their earnest prayers.