Topic: Biblical Examples
Text: Acts 16:20-33

It is one thing to spend time in prayer and another thing to receive the approval of heaven in one’s requests. Effective praying requires conformity with Bible methods.

Therefore, we shall examine some examples of people in the Biblical who prayed and got instant answers. You will discover that they were not praying for their own glory or upliftment but had an eye on the glory of the One who made heaven and earth. In I Kings 18:36-39, we have the first example. It is one famous prayer that was answered in a most dramatic fashion: “And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word. Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the LORD God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again. Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is God.” The prayer of Elijah must have lasted not more than one minute.

He said God should answer him so that the people would know that there is no other God. Before he finished, fire fell. If you want God to answer your prayer by fire, center your prayer on what is close to His heart. Acts 4:29-31 records the instance of another prayer that was answered dramatically: “And now, Lord, behold their threatening: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word, by stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus. And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.” There are other instances in the Scriptures. Hannah asked for a son so as to give God a prophet. God answered because He needed a prophet to replace Eli and his sons. You have to re-arrange your priorities. You have to begin to pray in a way that will bring pleasure to God and the answer will begin to come fast. Identify certain things that are very close to the heart of God and you will receive amazing answers to your prayers.

Memory Verse: II Chronicles 7:14 _ “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”