20 PRAY RIGHTEOUSLY TO BE SEEN AND HEARD BY GOD.

For the eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their prayers.

     —1 Peter 3:12

Interesting isn’t it? He who never slumbers or sleeps is always attentive to our prayers. God always listens, but does He always take notice of what we say? Yes, God sees everything, but does He really look at what we want Him to see?

Here’s the key to effective prayer: righteousness. Righteousness is right position. Think of it this way. Dial a wrong number; get the wrong party. Use the wrong pin number; get no money at the ATM. Write the wrong email; get no answer back.

How does one come into a right position or relationship with God so that our prayers are seen and heard by Him, i.e. our prayers are effective in partnering with God to have his will in heaven done on earth in our lives?

The ABC’s of Answered Prayer

Abide. Abide in Christ. (Read John 15.) Christ is our righteousness (1 Cor. 1:30). In Christ we are empowered to walk in the Spirit (Rom. 8:1). Walking in the Spirit we have fellowship with Him which leads to that abiding that results in answered prayer. “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you” (Jn. 15:7).

Believe. Have faith in God not prayer. Prayer doesn’t make things happen, God does. Abraham’s faith counted for righteousness (Gen. 15:16). Jesus tells us to trust without reservation, “I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him” (Mark 11:23–24 NIV).

Continue. “Pray continually” (1 Thess. 5:17 NIV). Continually persevere in prayer. Don’t give up. Stay close to God and continue to talk and listen, petition and intercede (Luke 18:1–8; 2 Peter 1:5–8).

Remember the parable of the persistent widow who cried out for justice from an evil judge? Jesus reminds us, “If even an evil judge can be worn down like that, don’t you think that God will surely give justice to his people who plead with him day and night?” (Luke 18:6–17).

Sometimes I am put on hold when talking on the phone. If I get tired of waiting, I may break the connection and hang up. In doing so, I never finish the conversation. The same is true of prayer. If we quit praying, the answers will stop flowing.

Lord,

Pull me away from attachments that with You I may abide. Impart within me a great intensity of faith. Grant me the resilience to continue. Amen.