PRAYING IN ONE ACCORD and ACCORDING to the WILL OF THE LORD:

PRAYING IN ONE ACCORD and ACCORDING to the WILL OF THE LORD:

I would like to offer a little guidance this morning concerning PRAYERS According the WILL of the LORD.

To be honest, I think if we could TRULY capture the  SIMPLE TRUTH behind this statement, we would be Well on our way to having a more EFFECTIVE prayer life:

“PRAYING is more about SURRENDERING to the LORD’S WILL, than about getting what you want.”

THUS WE SAY, NOT MY WILL LORD, but YOUR WILL BE DONE IN OUR LIVES.

As I have sought to share many times, there is a bit of difference between what the LORD DESIRES in our lives and What the “LORD WILLS” upon our lives in order to get to the RESULTS of HIS DESIRE.

The LORD desires GOOD for us:

WE can HAVE CONFIDENCE That the PURPOSE of HIS “WILL” brings about HIS HOLY DESIRE.

1. That we LIVE in the PROMISES OF CHRIST, on earth and in heaven.

2. That we have the MIND of CHRIST, fruit of CHRIST, and be conformed into the IMAGE OF CHRIST. etc.

Thus HE “WILLS” things in our lives to PURGE us and CLEANSES us to bring about that DESIRED place for us.

HBR 12: 8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.

I have a favorite saying:  Do right according to the LORD, and HE will bless it.

IN this STUDY we are going to go over these 3 scriptures:

1 JOHN 1: 15 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:

James 4: 3  Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume [it] upon your lusts.

Acts 4: 24 And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou [art] God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is:

ONE ACCORD:  1) with one mind, with one accord, with one passion.

To PRAY in ACCORD is where we as a BODY are most EFFECTIVE, we are praying for the same results, according to the LORD’S WILL.  We are praying with the same PASSION, hoping for the same outcome.

PRAYING ACCORDING TO HIS WILL:

1 John 1: 15 We know that if WE ASK any thing according to HIS WILL, HE HEARETH US.

What I have learned from this scripture is that WHATEVER we “ASK” or PRAY FOR NEEDS to be ACCORDING to HIS WILL. THAT is what HE HEARS and What HE MOST WILLING to ACT upon

So how do I know HIS DESIRE for us?

For IF I know HIS DESIRED OUTCOME then I will know HOW to PRAYER, and I can have confidence that HE HEARS.

LET’S use an EXAMPLE throughout this study:

A family that is struggling with their marriage:

There is a lot of FORGIVENESS, bitterness and this couple is considering divorce as an option.

This couple decides to seek out GODLY COUNSEL:

HOW would I pray for this couple:

HERE are a few examples of what do I know concerning the LORD’S  DESIRE in MARRIAGE:, 

1. I know that the LORD desires a GODLY MARRIAGES, that they be ONE under the covenant of JESUS CHRIST
2.  Oneness produces Godly children
3. I know the LORD hates divorce
4. Husband’s love your wives, wives honor your husband etc..

THESE offers me GUIDELINE In my PRAYER LIFE for them.

If I am TRULY seeking to PRAY according to the DESIRED WILL of the LORD then my PRAYERS would be “DIRECTED” according to HIS PRECEPTS and PRINCIPLES, thus I can HAVE CONFIDENCE that HE HEARS.

My next pray would be:

TO seek out HIS KNOWLEDGE and WISDOM:  that I could offer INSTRUCTION and GUIDANCE on how to get to the END RESULTS, and how to HELP them to develop a closer walk with the LORD and HIS ways. IE  " A HEALTHY happy marriage in COVENANT with the LORD"

  

Now let us talk discuss PRAYERS that are NOT ANSWERED:

James 4: 3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume [it] upon your lusts.

Prayers that ARE NOT within HIS DESIRE or WILL:

This is where I believe so MANY miss the MARK,they PRAYER for things from THEIR " PERSONAL" desires and lust, and expect PROSPEROUS results. Rather than SEEKING the "DESIRE and WILL" of the LORD.

Prayers that are NOT according to HIS PRECEPTS and PRINCIPLES and the MIND OF CHRIST, "YE RECEIVE NOT"

These are prayers that more about CONSUMING things upon our OWN LUST, rather than bringing about the FRUIT of CHRIST, directing our LIVES to live according to HIS WORD, HOLY LIVING.

REVERSE PRAYING:

PRAYERS such as: prayers that bring about division, or to inflect pain

1.    PRAYERS Of accusation, discourse, abuse,   SEEKING wrath upon one another PRAYER for divorce, personal gains such as prosperity, elitism  etc.

REMEMBERING it is the "LIGHT" that consumes the "DARKNESS"  

WE pray into HIS DESIRE and WILL.

You get the idea, right?

The PRAYERS of the “DOUBLE MINDED”.

James 1: 6  But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed

James 1: 7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.

Prayers without the assurance that it is within the LORD’S WILL and DESIRE, have very little FAITH in them that JESUS CHRIST will give answer.

IF is very DIFFICULT to “ASK” something of the LORD with confidence and faith unless you have the assurance that it is within HIS WILL, for you have NO FAITH that HE WILL ANSWER.

What does the SCRIPTURE SAY CONCERNING THIS?

That man will receive NOTHING from the LORD, because he is “DOUBLE MINDED” being TOSSED to and FRO due to LACK of FAITH that he is praying within the “WILL and DESIRE of the LORD”.

CONCLUSION:

ALLOW me to REMIND you of this STATEMENT again:

“PRAYING is more about SURRENDERING to the LORD’S WILL, than about getting what you want.”

HOW do I pray for a couple that is STRUGGLING with their marriage?

I can PRAY with assurance that the LORD HEARS and will answer if IT is according to HIS DESIRE.

How do I find HIS DESIRE?

 “ MOST OFTEN through HIS WORD, sometimes through our PRAYER life itself, the LORD will simple reveal "WORDS of WISDOM”  but they are ALWAYS according to HIS DESIRE.  etc”.

I pray according to HIS WORD, HIS precepts and principles concerning marriage. 

ONCE HIS DESIRE IS REVEALED, I then PRAY INTO HIS DESIRED WILL. Having assurance that HE HEARS and I am praying FROM HIS HEART not my own.

Then I can have the CONFIDENCE that HE HEARS and WILL RESPOND:

HE WILL, direct the ‘PATHS” of their LIVES according to what is NEEDED to produce the FRUIT of HIS DESIRE.

JUST an EXTRA tidbit of WISDOM:

IF the INDIVIDUAL is WILLING, SURRENDERED, then the LORD will REVEAL and EMPOWER what is needed to get to the RESULTS/ HIS DESIRE.

IF the PERSON is SEEKING their OWN WILL and DESIRE, to “consume things upon their OWN LUST”  HE will often “WILL/chastise” what is necessary, SEEKING to get HIS DESIRE.

Sometimes, it requires a lot of PAIN to get to that “DESIRED” place.

In these cases: I have found more often than NOT that things get WORSE before they get BETTER. 

Why is that you might ask?

More often than not, there is some PURGING and CLEANSING that has to be done in the LIVES of the INDIVIDUAL so that they can be CONFORMED into the IMAGE of CHRIST, have the MIND OF CHRIST and begin to walk according to the WILL OF CHRIST. MORE often than not, there are some HIDDEN THINGS of the HEART that has to be REVEALED before the HEALING can come.

Sometimes these things are PAINFUL to let go of, and REPENTANCE may not come as EASY.

Such things as:

“FALSE doctrines, casting down imaginations, bitterness, anger etc. 

These are barriers and hedges that have PRODUCE the ROTTEN FRUITS in our lives and the LORD has to PURGE some off them to get them OUT OF US. .

THUS in our PAIN and SUFFERING we often find OUR BLESSING.

I pray this will be helpful advice this morning..

Blessings donna