(Mark 9:23) “Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.” Sometimes we think that we have to be this perfect and great Christian to receive answers to prayer, but that is not always true. It is true that “the prayer of a righteous man availeth much,” but when it comes to God answering, He can answer whosoever He so determines to answer. However, there are three ingredients that cause us to expect answers to prayer; 1) Faith. Jesus said in (Matt. 17:20) “If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.” 2) Fellowship with God. A Christian who expects answers to prayer will pray often, one who does not pray, does not have the same fellowship. Prayer demonstrates our faith to God, and so we believe and expect an answer. (Heb. 11:6) says “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. 3) Fasting. The practice of chastening one’s own flesh to seek answers to prayer works. (v.29 ) Jesus says “this kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.”
( Gen 41:41-43) “And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt... A nd he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt.” When Joseph was introduced to us in chp.37, he was a young inexperienced 17 year old boy, and yet 13 years later God raised him up to rule the nation of Egypt. So, what made him different ? The Answer : “ Time,” and his faith in God ! You see time is a wonderful teacher; 1) Time strengthens endurance . Endurance and faith can only be strengthened over time. Like exercise, we start out not able to do much but over time we find that we can do more. You see, God allows us to go through the ups and downs of life, to help us gain not only spiritual maturity, but also spiritual abilities. Spiritual endurance therefore enables us to handle life’s trials better. 2) Time strengthens patience . Although Joseph, ...
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