Tag Archives: god answers prayer

March 3, 2023 · 5:31 AM

God Our Provider

One of the names of God that I rely on and call out to often is Jehovah Jireh. It comes from Abraham when he was on the mountain about to sacrifice his only son. Just as he raised the knife, God provided a ram for the sacrifice. He gave God the name Jehovah Jireh because he provides. What He did for Abraham, He still does for us today. He provides for our needs, our salvation, our spiritual armor, our healing and so much more. We must not forget that He is our provider and call out to Him for what we need. Just like a parent provides for their kid, so does God supply us with all our needs. Take time today to seek Him for your needs.

Here are some Bible verses on things God provides.

1. Instead, be concerned above everything else with the Kingdom of God and with what he requires of you, and he will provide you with all these other things.

Matthew 6:33 GNT

2. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

1 Corinthians 10:13 ESV

3. For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you.

2 Corinthians 9:10 NLT

4. You did not have bread to eat or wine or beer to drink, but the Lord provided for your needs in order to teach you that he is your God.

Deuteronomy 29:6 GNT

5. Rain in abundance, O God, you shed abroad; you restored your inheritance as it languished; your flock found a dwelling in it; in your goodness, O God, you provided for the needy.

Psalm 68:9-10 ESV

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January 10, 2023 · 5:49 AM

The Great I Am

I’ve grown up hearing the different names of God in church. I’ve even been to churches where they’ve had banners up proclaiming those names in bright colors with beautiful artwork. Jehovah Jireh my provider. Jehovah Rapha my healer. Jehovah Nissi my banner of victory. The Old Testament people would write a descriptive name for God after He did something miraculous for them. It was a way to remember and share with others that God could do anything they needed. When the writers of the Old Testament recorded these names, these names endured for generations giving hope and encouragement along the way. These names are ways for you and I to use as we pray and believe.

There was one name though that God gave Himself that was always tough for me to understand growing up. In Exodus, as God was speaking to Moses through the burning bush, Moses began to disqualify himself from God’s calling. He started giving God excuses as well as to why he couldn’t lead Israel out of Egypt. He didn’t think they would believe him if he told them God sent him. He wanted to know what name he was supposed to tell them if they asked what His name was. God responded, “I Am that I Am”. I always wondered if Moses was as confused as I was until I began to learn what that meant. God was saying He is who we need Him to be and will be who we need Him to be as the other names suggest. In this case, He would be their deliverer.

Jesus used that same phrase many times. “I Am the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:6) telling us why He came. He also said, “I Am the Bread of Life” (John 6:41) revealing He is our sustainer. In John 8:12 He said, “I Am the Light of the World” letting us know that we have light in our darkest times. He told the disciples, “I Am the Gate for the sheep” (John 10:7) to encourage us that nothing can get to us without passing through Him. He also said in John 10:14, “I Am the Good Shepherd” meaning He would lead us and guide us. When Lazarus died, He said, “I Am the Resurrection and the Life” (John 11:25) to prove He has power over death. Finally, He said, “I Am the True Vine” (John 15:1) to tell us that if we remain attached to Him, He will be our source. God is who you need Him to be in this very moment. Call out to Him and ask Him to be who you need Him to be. He has not forsaken you, forgotten you or abandoned you. Call out to Him today. He is the Great I Am.

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October 4, 2022 · 5:46 AM

Getting God’s Help

There was a time in my life when I was upset with God for not answering a prayer. When He didn’t answer, I had already purposed not to get bitter against Him, but I was still mad at Him. I knew I needed God for my salvation, but I was done with Him beyond that. I told Him, “You didn’t answer me when I needed you most. Why would I ever ask you for anything else again?” I decided that God could exist in my life, but we weren’t going to be friends. We may be on talking terms, but it wasn’t going to be friendly terms. When needs came up, I approached them with an I got it attitude. I needed God’s help, but I wasn’t going to ask for it. I lived that way for a couple of years until another great need came up that I couldn’t do anything about. Only God could. I decided to bring down my wall and reconcile with God so I could seek His help.

David was a man who spent most of his early adulthood on the run. He was pretty self sufficient in the pasture with the sheep, but when Saul started chasing him, he developed a need for God. He learned how to ask Him for help and to depend on Him. I’m not sure what kind of king he would have been had he not learned to develop his ability to ask God for help. His needs drove him to his needs as ours should for us. God uses tough times to develop our prayer life and our relationship with Him. They’re a way for us to see that we can’t always do everything on our own. They also help to humble us so that we reconcile with God and ask for His help. He loves us and is a very present help in our time of need if we’re willing to ask for it.

David prayed in Psalms 86:4, “O Lord, you are so good, so ready to forgive, so full of unfailing love for all who ask for your help” (NLT). God is not telling you to figure it out on your own and He’s not trying to make you fail. He’s looking for you to recognize your need for Him. He doesn’t hold any grudges or our past against us. He knows we are human and that we need Him. He’s full of love for you at this very moment and is ready to help when you ask for it. Don’t let your hurt, anger or pride keep you from asking for His help when deep down you know you need it. You’re only hurting yourself when you don’t seek Him and His help. Remember, God is good all the time. You don’t have to do things on your own.

Photo by Garon Piceli:

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November 23, 2020 · 5:52 AM

Getting Daily Manna

When I started writing devotions back in 2012, it didn’t take long before I started to have a problem with fear. Each day I was afraid that I wouldn’t have something to write about. I started to keep a list of topics that I could write on in case I couldn’t think of anything. Still, each night and morning I had trouble wrestling with the fear of not having something to write about. I expressed this fear to another writer and asked them how they dealt with it. He replied, “You’re looking at God wrong. You’re approaching Him as if He is a well, and they run dry. God is a River always flowing and always fresh. He is the all creative One. If you will take your bucket to Him each day, ask Him to fill it with fresh, living water, He will fill it.” I have done that for over 8 years now, and God has never failed to meet with me and fill my bucket.

In the Old Testament, the Israelites has left Egypt and were headed to the Promised Land. It was about a month and a half into their journey when a similar fear came over them. In Exodus 16:3, they complained to Moses that they didn’t have any meat. They wished God had just left them in Egypt where they were slaves, but at least they had food. God replied, “Now I am going to cause food to rain down from the sky for all of you. The people must go out every day and gather enough for that day” (GNT). God provided fresh manna each day, but the people had to gather it and only get enough for that day. God continued to meet their need each and every day until they entered the Promised Land.

Fast forward to the New Testament in John 6. Jesus fed 5,000 people with a few pieces of bread and some fish. The people ate, were filled and had leftovers. The next day they were asking for more food and a miracle again to prove that Jesus was the Son of God. Jesus referred to God providing the manna, and the people asked Jesus to do the same for them. In verse 35 He replied, “I am the Bread of Life. Come every day to me and you will never be hungry. Believe in me and you will never be thirsty” (TPT). Jesus reiterated to them, and to us, that if we will come to Him each and every day, He will supply our need with more than enough. However, each of us must seek Him daily, spend time alone in prayer, hold out our buckets and ask Him to fill it. He’s providing fresh manna for us every day. We just have to go get it.

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April 21, 2020 · 5:54 AM

God’s Availability

Have you seen the meme that says, “You’re being held at gunpoint. The person holding the gun lets you make one phone call. If they answer, you die. Who are you calling?” You can probably think of a couple of people you know who never answer their phone. I know I can. What if it were reversed and they had to answer or you would die? Know anyone that always answers when you call? I fit into that category. I even answer the phone when the caller ID says, “Potential Spam”. I like to be available if someone needs something, so I answer.

Several years ago, my mom passed away after a year long battle with breast cancer. We prayed and fasted and had faith like you’re supposed to. We had purchased a dress for her to wear for Easter believing that she would rise up by then and be able to go to church. She didn’t get healed, and even died less than a week after Easter. To be honest, I got upset with God thinking He wasn’t available to answer our prayers. I decided I wouldn’t call on Him for anything again, but we could stay in contact, as silly as that seems. That was the case for a couple of years until I needed Him again. I knew that He would be available despite my tantrum and I began to go to Him again when I needed help.

Psalm 46:1 says, “God, you’re such a safe and powerful place to find refuge! You’re a proven help in time of trouble— more than enough and always available whenever I need you” (TPT). While I can point to individual times in my life where I wish God would have answered my prayers the way I wanted Him to, the consistency of His character across millennia is that He is a safe place for us to run to in times of need. He does answer when we need Him most, and He does not abandon us. He is available for us to call out to despite the things we’ve done because when He looks at us, He’s not looking for our goodness in order to be available. His relationship with us is not about what you’ve done or your works. You are His child, redeemed by the death of His son, and like a good father, He’s there for you when you need Him.

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August 30, 2019 · 5:48 AM

Persistent In Prayer

One of the questions I like to ask people is, “What’s a trait that makes you successful?” I hear all kinds of answers from this question, but one that always stands out is persistence. Some of the most successful people I know are also some of the most persistent people I know. They keep going and pushing when others have given up. They know that if they give a little more effort, try a little longer or stick with it longer than anyone else, they’ll get what they’re after. They’re the epitome of dictionary.com’s definition of persistent: continuing firmly or obstinately in a course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition.

The same principle holds true for those who are persistent in prayer. I know people who have prayed daily for decades for their spouse or child, and I’ve watched those prayers answered. It’s nice when God answers a prayer the first time we pray it, but more often than not, God answers persistent prayers. Are you willing to pray for what you need for decades? That to me is persistence. It’s obstinately holding on to God’s promise and your faith that He will answer as long as you keep knocking. If you’re still waiting for God to answer, then keep praying. God hears your prayer the first time you pray it, but there are things moving in the spiritual realm that require you to remain persistent in your prayers to get your answer. Don’t quit now.

Here are some Bible verses on being persistent in prayer.

1. Therefore, confess your sins to one another [your false steps, your offenses], and pray for one another, that you may be healed and restored. The heartfelt and persistent prayer of a righteous man (believer) can accomplish much [when put into action and made effective by God—it is dynamic and can have tremendous power].

JAMES 5:16 AMP

2. Rejoice always and delight in your faith; be unceasing and persistent in prayer.

1 THESSALONIANS 5:16-17 AMP

3. Be persistent and devoted to prayer, being alert and focused in your prayer life with an attitude of thanksgiving.

COLOSSIANS 4:2 AMP

4. For every persistent one will get what he asks for. Every persistent seeker will discover what he longs for. And everyone who knocks persistently will one day find an open door.

Matthew 7:8 TPT

5. Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.

Ephesians 6:18 NLT

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August 28, 2019 · 5:45 AM

The Little Things

A while back, there was a concert my wife and I wanted to go to. On the day the tickets went on sale, I had two phones, an iPad and a laptop out trying to get tickets. After sitting in their digital waiting room for an hour, a message popped up saying they were sold out. As we got closer to the concert date I began looking at all the resale sites, but the ticket prices were outrageous. As we were driving down the road discussing it, my wife closed her eyes and said, “Lord, it would be awesome if you could give us free tickets to this concert. Amen.” I laughed internally and thought, “No one is going to give up their tickets, but ok God.” The day before the concert she got a message offering her free tickets to the concert. We were both blown away.

In 2 Kings 6, Elisha was the prophet of Israel, and the group of prophets who were with him decided the place where they were staying was too small. They wanted to build a bigger place, but Elisha didn’t think they needed to. After begging him to come, they went to the river to cut down trees to build a bigger place. Verse 5 says, “But as one of them was cutting a tree, his ax head fell into the river. ‘Oh, sir!’ he cried. ‘It was a borrowed ax!’” (NLT) Elisha had him point to the place where the ax head went into the water. He then threw in a stick and the ax head floated to the surface. The man grabbed it and went back to work.

Both stories remind me that God is concerned about the little things in our lives. Going to the concert didn’t change our lives, but God knew it was something we would appreciate. Sometimes we forget that like a parent, God just wants to bless His kids. We don’t need to feel like we’re bothering Him with the little things. He’s just as able to take care of the “little” requests in our lives as the “big” ones. God simply wants to be involved in our day to day lives instead of being our spiritual 9-1-1 call. He’s looking for relationship with us. If we’re going to have one with Him, then we need to let Him into all areas of our lives including the little ones.

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December 26, 2018 · 5:59 AM

Being Quiet

I’ve noticed that when people are nervous, there are those who get real quiet and those who ramble on. I find myself in the later group a lot of times. For me, talking helps me to figure out what I’m thinking and how I’m feeling. It helps me to sort out the problem, but it also keeps me from listening to good advice and can make others around me more nervous. I was once told, “You have two ears and one mouth. You need to listen twice as much as you speak.” That’s something I have to remind myself of quite often.

When it comes to prayer, I can find myself in the same boat. From the time we are young, we learn that prayer is talking to God. What we’re not taught is that it’s listening to God as well. I think God talks as much or more than we do, but we can’t hear Him over our own talking. Being quiet in the presence of the Lord requires discipline. You have to learn to shut down your mouth and your mind. The silence can be deafening at times, but it’s in those moments where we hear God the loudest.

Psalm 37:7 says, “Quiet your heart in his presence and pray; keep hope alive as you long for God to come through for you” (TPT). Many times there is a nervousness that God may not answer our greatest need. If you’re a talker, quiet your mouth. If you’re the quiet type, silence your mind. God doesn’t answer our prayers on our timetable. If we’re listening to what He says, and trust that what He does is always right and for our good, we can have hope in any situation. God is good all the time, and He sees beyond our most pressing need at the moment. Get quiet and still in His presence today, listen for His voice and give Him freedom to answer His way instead of yours.

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May 30, 2018 · 6:09 AM

Do It Again

There’s a story of a group of college students who went to visit the home of John Wesley, founder of the Methodist church. They noticed there were indentions on the floor of his room where he knelt to pray each day. After the tour, the class loaded on their bus. When the teacher counted, there was one missing. He went back through the property looking for the student and found him kneeling in those imprints praying, “Do it again, Lord. Do it again!” The teacher quietly walked up, tapped Billy Graham on the shoulder and let him know they had to leave.

I love that story because Billy understood that if God did it in the past for someone else, He could do it again for him. King David understood that same thing. In Psalm 126, David remembered how God had delivered the Israelites in the past. Then in verses 4-6 he prayed, “And now, GOD, do it again— bring rains to our drought-stricken lives So those who planted their crops in despair will shout hurrahs at the harvest, So those who went off with heavy hearts will come home laughing, with armloads of blessing” (MSG).

What has God done for someone else that you need Him to do for you? God is the same yesterday, today and forever. What He’s done for others, He will do again for you. You need to find your place where there are indentions on the floor, get in them and pray that God will do it again for you. I believe that what we sow in tears through prayer, we will reap as a harvest of blessing. If God hasn’t answered your prayers yet, keep planting those seeds of prayer. He will do it again in time.

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April 16, 2018 · 6:08 AM

When God Answers Prayers

One of the stories on the Bible that speaks to me every time is in 1 Samuel 1. Hannah wasn’t able to have a child so she was ridiculed, taunted, bullied and shamed. Year after year this went on. One year she had enough. Instead of attacking her bully, she went into the Sanctuary to pray. She wept bitterly before God, crying out in prayer for a long time. As she prayed, her lips were moving, but the words were coming from her heart. She wasn’t leaving until God answered her prayer for a son.

Verse 10 says, “Hannah was in deep anguish, crying bitterly as she prayed to the Lord” (NLT). One of the first questions that comes to my mind is, “When is the last time I prayed with that kind of desperation?” Most of our prayers are simple ones with little emotion. I believe one of the reasons God answered Hannah’s prayer, and will answer ours, is because it was fervent and came from deep within her soul, not just her mind.

Verse 12 says, “Hannah continued to pray to the Lord for a long time” (GNT). I’ve heard the saying, “Don’t pray until you’re through. Pray until you’ve prayed through.” This is where it is applied. Too many times, we ask God for something and when He doesn’t answer right away, we quit praying. Hannah didn’t just pray for a long time, she prayed a long time for years. God uses her internal torment to develop a life of prayer. She wasn’t going to stop until she got her answer. One of the reasons God answered her prayer, and will answer ours, is because of persistence.

After the Eli, the priest, had told her God would answer her prayer, verse 18 says, “Then she went back and began to eat again, and she was no longer sad” (NLT). Hannah believed God would answer and acted accordingly. She didn’t let the years of God not answering prayer create doubt. She held onto the promise and acted in faith before God answered. She quit believing the words of the bully and held onto God’s Word instead. One of the reasons God answered her prayer, and will answer ours, is when we act in faith.

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