Matthew 18:19

[Aquila]

Originally Posted by thephnxman

is NAME is Jesus!



Many prayers from different elements are heard from heaven and answered,
NOT because of the person(s) who prayed, but because the prayers, however
inadvertently, coincided with God's will. Prayers and intercessions have been
answered not because two or more would agree, or even if the congregation
as a whole (however large or small) would agree: it is because it was God's
will. Did the disciples not ask the Lord if THEY should pray that fire come
down from heaven? Was it the Lord's will?

I leave you with two scriptures:
Jn 15:7_"If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what
ye will, and it shall be done unto you."
1Jn 5:14-15_"And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we
ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he
hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we
desired of him."

Praying according to His will is the Church's ultimate authority.

Brother Villa

Amen.

But I would like to add...

Now, I know many might not agree with me, but I believe I see instances in Scripture wherein, because of sincere prayer, God actually changed His mind regarding an individual's destiny or circumstance. So, I believe that even if something isn't God's will at the moment, God is sovereign enough to change His mind, at will, and in essence rewrite history... in response to the sincere and pure prayers of just that one soul. And so, even if one is relatively sure of what God's will is, it isn't futile to pray and seek His compassion and grace on the off chance that God might change His mind.

Think about it. Hezekiah was told, "Thus saith the Lord, Set thine house in order: for thou shalt die, and not live." And so we read...

Isaiah 38:1-5 King James Version (KJV)
1 In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came unto him, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Set thine house in order: for thou shalt die, and not live.
2 Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed unto the Lord,
3 And said, Remember now, O Lord, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.
4 Then came the word of the Lord to Isaiah, saying,
5 Go, and say to Hezekiah, Thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will add unto thy days fifteen years.

Now, it was clearly God's will that Hezekiah die. However, on account of Hezekiah's sincere tears and weeping, our God gave Hezekiah 15 years. That means Hezekiah touched lives during those 15 years that he wasn't supposed to touch because he should have been dead. And no doubt, those affected by knowing Hezekiah affected others in ways that they wouldn't have been affected had God's original desire been fulfilled. And so, by answering just that one man's prayer... God rewrote the entire fabric of history.

What a loving God!

[Sean]

Originally Posted by Lanny60

I understand what you are saying, Sean. Like I said, I looked at it like that for over 30 years. It just hit me a day or two ago that it wasn't a general promise to us that we can have anything if someone else agrees with our request. It is sandwiched between verses talking about forgiveness. I don't think we would be rightly dividing the Word if we pulled those verses out and applied them to all our prayer requests. In fact, I will say this carefully...just experience over the years tells me that agreeing with others won't make our requests be granted. I was on the prayer chain for 20 years and there were prayers all the time that were not answered (with a yes).

Another thought, "that your prayers be not hindered" doesn't mean that he will grant everything we ask of Him.

I don't know, guys. Like I said, it really shakes me up when something I've been taught like this comes into question. I must be too trusting to have taken a minister's word on so many things without really digging into everything on my own. I have always studied, but some of these often repeated verses I never questioned.

And I also know what you are saying about (un)answered prayers.


I have been praying certain prayers for almost 2 decades and still waiting.

But I have learned through it all to not demand, but pray and believe God, no matter what I see.

He is real, and He loves real faith from a real saint

[thephnxman]

His NAME is Jesus!

Originally Posted by Aquila

Amen.
But I would like to add...
Now, I know many might not agree with me, but I believe I see instances in Scripture wherein, because of sincere prayer, God actually changed His mind regarding an individual's destiny or circumstance. So, I believe that even if something isn't God's will at the moment, God is sovereign enough to change His mind, at will, and in essence rewrite history... in response to the sincere and pure prayers of just that one soul. And so, even if one is relatively sure of what God's will is, it isn't futile to pray and seek His compassion and grace on the off chance that God might change His mind.
Think about it. Hezekiah was told, "Thus saith the Lord, Set thine house in order: for thou shalt die, and not live." And so we read...

Isaiah 38:1-5 King James Version (KJV)
1 In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came unto him, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Set thine house in order: for thou shalt die, and not live.
2 Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed unto the Lord,
3 And said, Remember now, O Lord, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.
4 Then came the word of the Lord to Isaiah, saying,
5 Go, and say to Hezekiah, Thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will add unto thy days fifteen years.

Now, it was clearly God's will that Hezekiah die. However, on account of Hezekiah's sincere tears and weeping, our God gave Hezekiah 15 years. That means Hezekiah touched lives during those 15 years that he wasn't supposed to touch because he should have been dead. And no doubt, those affected by knowing Hezekiah affected others in ways that they wouldn't have been affected had God's original desire been fulfilled. And so, by answering just that one man's prayer... God rewrote the entire fabric of history.

What a loving God!

Yes, we have a loving God.

And yes, God will repent of a deserved punishment (which means He will show
us mercy), IF man repents! But it all comes down to His will for man.

(2 Pet 3:9) "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count
slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish,
but that all should come to repentance."

If it had truly been God's will for Hezekiah to die, that man would have died.
Remember this: (James 2:13) "For he shall have judgment without mercy, that
hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment."

We have all sinned and are deserving of judgment: but God's mercy withholds
His righteous judgment against our sin, to bring us under His grace.

Brother Villa

[Aquila]

Originally Posted by thephnxman

His NAME is Jesus!



Yes, we have a loving God.

And yes, God will repent of a deserved punishment (which means He will show
us mercy), IF man repents! But it all comes down to His will for man.

(2 Pet 3:9) "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count
slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish,
but that all should come to repentance."

If it had truly been God's will for Hezekiah to die, that man would have died.
Remember this: (James 2:13) "For he shall have judgment without mercy, that
hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment."

We have all sinned and are deserving of judgment: but God's mercy withholds
His righteous judgment against our sin, to bring us under His grace.

Brother Villa

I believe it truly was God's will for Hezekiah to die. However, I also believe that Hezekiah's prayers caused God's will concerning Hezekiah's fate to change. Remember, if God changes His mind, it is in accordance to His sovereign will to do so. I am so thankful that our God isn't like a computer that functions on a pre-written program that cannot be changed or altared.

[Tithesmeister]

Originally Posted by Sean

And I also know what you are saying about (un)answered prayers.


I have been praying certain prayers for almost 2 decades and still waiting.

But I have learned through it all to not demand, but pray and believe God, no matter what I see.

He is real, and He loves real faith from a real saint

Sean, I have heard all my life about bombarding heaven with our prayers, and God keeps our prayers in an account as in Cornelius. Lately I ran across this scripture . . .

Matthew 6:7

But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

Do you think God ever gets tired of hearing the same old prayers, over and over again . . .

Just wondering.

[Esaias]

Originally Posted by Tithesmeister

Sean, I have heard all my life about bombarding heaven with our prayers, and God keeps our prayers in an account as in Cornelius. Lately I ran across this scripture . . .

Matthew 6:7

But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

Do you think God ever gets tired of hearing the same old prayers, over and over again . . .

Just wondering.

Vain repetition is not the same thing as persistence and/or importunity.

[Sean]

Originally Posted by Tithesmeister

Sean, I have heard all my life about bombarding heaven with our prayers, and God keeps our prayers in an account as in Cornelius. Lately I ran across this scripture . . .

Matthew 6:7

But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

Do you think God ever gets tired of hearing the same old prayers, over and over again . . .

Just wondering.

No, God loves our faith.

Remember the faith of Abraham he had in a promise?

It took decades, but it was counted to Abraham for RIGHTEOUSNESS.

You know..... the only "righteousness" I have that I can approach God with, is my FAITH.

[Tithesmeister]

Originally Posted by Sean

No, God loves our faith.

Remember the faith of Abraham he had in a promise?

It took decades, but it was counted to Abraham for RIGHTEOUSNESS.

You know..... the only "righteousness" I have that I can approach God with, is my FAITH.

Well, I agree that God loves our faith. Abraham believed God, I understand that, but did he keep praying for all those years? This is the question. I believe that he had faith in God that He would do what he said He would do. I think the question was settled in his mind. I DON’T think he kept praying.

Anyway, for myself, I have changed my prayer habits since reflecting on this scripture. I pray in faith that God desires to give good gifts to His children, and believe that if it is His will, it will be done ✅.

Then I move on.

But . . . Sometimes I do think about Cornelius, and how his prayers and his alms giving came up as a memorial before God. And I think he must have prayed . . . A lot. And it obviously got God’s attention.

[Sean]

Great point.

I have to do more believing that God can, than God will these days.

The only thing I have to hang onto in some things is a prophecy(promise) in some cases.




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[Tithesmeister]

Originally Posted by Sean

Great point.

I have to do more believing that God can, than God will these days.

The only thing I have to hang onto in some things is a prophecy(promise) in some cases.




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