I don't know what it is that you are praying and believing for, but do not give up. The word of God makes clear that He sees you, He hears you, and He wants your life fulfilled and blessed.
Sometimes we need to hear this. Because as Christians, it's very easy to adopt the biblical teachings on provision and contentment, and ignore the biblical teachings on blessings and prosperity. Yes, we are to be content with where we are in life, and thank God for His daily provision. But, we must also understand that He wants more for us. Throughout the bible God blessed those that headed His commands. He continually said that those that lived according to His ways, would prosper in all they do.
Then you will again obey the Lord and keep all his commands that I am giving you today. “The Lord your God will then make you successful in everything you do. He will give you many children and numerous livestock, and he will cause your fields to produce abundant harvests, for the Lord will again delight in being good to you as he was to your ancestors. (Deuteronomy 30:8-9 NLT)
God wants you to prosper in every area of your life.
He wants your marriage to prosper. He wants your family life to prosper. And, He wants your health, your career, and your finances to prosper.
And maybe you are doing well. Maybe you’re saying to yourself, “My marriage is good; my family is good…I’m even doing well with my finances and my career. God has already worked so much in my life.” And maybe you’re content because of everything God has done for you. I get it. Because sometimes we can get the feeling that we should just be grateful for where we are, and yes, this is true. But, here’s the thing…there is always more that God has for you. He is never done blessing you. So be grateful for where you are, but do not stop believing for more. Don’t stop praying for continued blessings. He wants you to continue to seek His favor. He wants to continue the work that He has already begun.
And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. (Philippians 1:6 NLT)
We tend to only pray when everything is falling apart. And when God answers our prayers, whether it is healing in an area of our lives, or blessing over a situation, we move on. We no longer actively seek for God to move in that area. But Philippines 1:6 tells us that when God begins a work, it will only be finished when Christ returns. This means that, until that time, there will always be more to seek God for. He will always have more to give us. So if your marriage is healed, praise God and enjoy His blessing, but whatever you do, do not stop praying.
You might have a win, but there is always more to be won.
You can never forget that you have an adversary, and he is constantly seeking to steal the blessings of God in every area of your life, especially your marriage. So protect your marriage with prayer, and continue to believe God.
You don’t just want a healed marriage; you want a prosperous marriage.
But, we have to understand that, although we desire to see the effects of our prayers in the natural world, it’s not just a matter of whether God has answered our prayers. God has already established your destiny. His blessings and favor over your life are already ordained. When you pray, you are trying to access what God has already provided for you. And in that endeavor, you will have spiritual resistance.
A story in the book of Daniel shows us a glimpse into the spiritual war that occurs as we pray. An angel appeared to Daniel and explained to him why there was a delay in answering Daniel’s prayer.
Then he said, “Don’t be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in heaven. I have come in answer to your prayer. But for twenty-one days the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia blocked my way. Then Michael, one of the archangels, came to help me, and I left him there with the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia. Now I am here to explain what will happen to your people in the future, for this vision concerns a time yet to come.” (Daniel 10:12-14 NLT)
When we pray, heaven’s armies are activated on our behalf. This is why it is so important to be consistent in our prayer life. Our prayers protect us from the advances of the enemy. Our prayers play a major role in the manifestation of God’s promises.
I have seen this play out in my life. There were times that I was diligent in covering my marriage and family in prayer, and I could see the atmosphere changing in my home. My husband and I were communicating better, and the kids were getting along. Overall, there was a calming spirit over us. There was more joy and peace; we were moving in the right direction. But then, I’d begin to take the situation for granted, and I relaxed my intentionality to pray for that area of my life. Not because I didn’t care, but because I was winning in that area, so my focus went elsewhere. Well, as you can imagine, shortly after, I felt another shift in the atmosphere, but this time, the shift was negative. We began to experience unexplained tension. You know what I mean…those days when you have and attitude for no reason. You are frustrated at the people around you, and you don’t know why. This was the atmosphere of my home. Instead of a calm spirit, it felt like a spirit of darkness descended on our home, and I knew why. I knew that the shift we related to the spiritual battle over our lives. So, I refocused my prayers, and I began to see a spirit of peace come over my home again.
Do not underestimate the power of your prayers. They play a major role in the battle being fought over your life, and the lives of those around you.
This reminds me of a story in the Book of Exodus. The Israelites were at war with the Amalekites at the time. Moses instructed Joshua to lead the Israelite soldiers into battle. Meanwhile, Moses, Aaron, and Hur climbed to the top of a hill, and Moses held his staff in the air. While his hand was held high, the Israelites had the upper hand, but anytime Moses dropped his hand, the Amalekites had the advantage. Moses’ dedication to keeping his staff held high determined the trajectory of the fight.
So Joshua did what Moses had commanded and fought the army of Amalek. Meanwhile, Moses, Aaron, and Hur climbed to the top of a nearby hill. As long as Moses held up the staff in his hand, the Israelites had the advantage. But whenever he dropped his hand, the Amalekites gained the advantage. (Exodus 17:10-11 NLT)
Why do you think the Israelite's victory was tied to Moses’ dedication? God could have given the Israelites victory in another way, as He did on many other occasions. But, I believe He wanted them to understand that their posture mattered. It mattered that they rely on God in order to win. He did not want them to forget where their help came from. And, I believe that in this instance, this is how God wanted to demonstrate His partnership with His children. It is the same with prayer. God doesn’t need our prayers for anything; but, He chooses for us to participate in this way. This is our privilege. It is our choice.
God eagerly waits to show us the fullness of His plans for our lives. He’s already put His plan in place. Anything that He will ever do for us, has already been ordained before we were in our mother’s womb. But, He put our destiny in our hands. He gave us a choice.
Our prayers, our faith, our obedience, unlocks the blessings of God over our lives.
Therefore the Lord waits [expectantly] and longs to be gracious to you, And therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you. For the Lord is a God of justice; Blessed (happy, fortunate) are all those who long for Him [since He will never fail them]. (Isaiah 30:18 AMP)
What is God waiting for? He is waiting for our participation. He is waiting for us to align ourselves with His will. And He is waiting for us to seek Him for the things that we need, and the things that we desire. He is waiting to see our faith in Him.
We must not get weary of waiting on Him. His word says to keep asking, keep seeking, and keep knocking.
“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. (Matthew 7:7-8 NLT)
We must be persistent. Although we may not see the fruit of our prayers immediately, the word says that our prayers have the power to produce great results.
…The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years! Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops. (James 5:16-18 NLT)
God chose to use our prayers to effect the earth. He didn’t need Elijah to stop the rain; He didn’t need Elijah to bring the rain back, but He used Him anyways. He decided to use the prayers of a man that was willing to submit to His will. The scripture says that Elijah prayed earnestly, meaning that he was not lackadaisical. No, he prayed intensely, he prayed with all of his might, until he saw the result that he was believing for.
So Ahab went to eat and drink. But Elijah climbed to the top of Mount Carmel and bowed low to the ground and prayed with his face between his knees. Then he said to his servant, “Go and look out toward the sea.” The servant went and looked, then returned to Elijah and said, “I didn’t see anything.” Seven times Elijah told him to go and look. Finally the seventh time, his servant told him, “I saw a little cloud about the size of a man’s hand rising from the sea.” Then Elijah shouted, “Hurry to Ahab and tell him, ‘Climb into your chariot and go back home. If you don’t hurry, the rain will stop you!’” And soon the sky was black with clouds. A heavy wind brought a terrific rainstorm, and Ahab left quickly for Jezreel. (1 Kings 18:42-45 NLT)
This is the kind of prayer that produces results. When we need God to put His hands on our lives, we don’t just say a prayer a few times and walk away. We don’t shrink back and say, “Well I guess that didn’t work.” No, if your prayers line up with the word of God, pray them boldly, pray them persistently, and pray them earnestly. We serve a God that is too good for us to live in defeat. We can’t forget who our God is.
We can live our lives in abundance because of our relationship with Him.
Bless the Lord , O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord , O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. (Psalms 103:1-5 NKJV)
Let’s not forget the benefits of serving the Lord. Our sins are forgiven. He heals our diseases and He redeems our lives. It doesn't matter where we have been; it doesn’t matter where we are now, when we walk with Him, He makes all things new. And in that new life, with the fresh start that He has given us, is a life of abundance.
Your God does not want for you to live in a state of survival, He wants for you to live a life full of His goodness. He wants you to live a life full of His peace, a life of joy and satisfaction. These are His benefits; these are the things that we seek Him for.
What are the areas that you have a void in right now? What parts of your life do you need the healing hands of Jesus to touch? What are the areas where you desire to see the fullness of God’s glory? I want to encourage you to keep on praying. Those that keep asking, will receive. Those that keep seeking, will find. Those that keep knocking, the door will be opened. Persistence is the key here. It’s not only the asking, the seeking, and the knocking that are necessary. It is the persistence of all of those things. It's the commitment and dedication to praying earnestly until you see God come through.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you for your saving grace. Thank you for lifting me up, and for providing everything that I need. Father, I am beyond grateful for the work that you have begun in my life, but I know that this is just the beginning. I know that you will continue the work in me, and for me, until the time that Christ returns. I desire to see everything that you have in store for me, so I will continue to seek your face, and your blessing and favor over my life. Holy Spirit, remind me that my prayers matter, and that my prayers produce . Remind me that I must pray earnestly, and seek your will persistently. I praise you for what you have already done in my life, and I praise you because all of that is nothing, compared to the future that you have planned for me. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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