Receiving Answered Prayer
God shows respect for you and gives you the desires of your heart when you show respect for your Father and give Him the desires of His heart. God wants changed, repentant lives. God wants you to try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord by not remaining a fool (Eph. 5:10). He wants you to learn what the Will of the Lord is (Eph. 5:17).
After you have proved what the Will of God is by studying your Bible, you will know what is good, acceptable and perfect conduct before God (Rom. 12:2). You will then learn how to practice righteousness before God (1 John 3:7). You will learn to imitate Him so you can be like He is (Eph. 5:1). God loves you when you practice living as He does and doing His Will on earth as it is being done in heaven (Matt. 6:10).
God does not hear the prayers of those who sin or ignore Him on a daily basis. He does hear the prayers of those who practice being good by doing good for Him because that is His Will (John 9:31; Matt. 5:16; 25:33-40). So, as long as you are doing things that are pleasing in God’s sight, your prayers will be answered (1 John 3:22). Then, as you continue to live to please God in all that you do, God can say, "This is My son or daughter in whom I am well-pleased" (Luke 3:22).
God, our Father, does not put up with disobedience, as many disobedient fathers do here on earth. So keep your heart pure, knowing that God punishes daily (2 Tim. 2:22; Col. 3:25). But He also blesses those whose lives are a blessing to others daily (Psalm 125:4).
God wants you to talk as He talks and walk as He walks (1 Peter 4:11; 1 John 2:6). He wants you to practice the truth and walk in it (John 3:21; 2 John 4, 6). Jesus Christ said it is so easy and pleasant to live this Way, even a child can do it (Matt. 11:30; 18:3). No one has any excuse for continuing in a life of sin when living for God is so pleasant and rewarding (John 15:22). Not only will you receive answered prayer by doing God’s Will, you will also live forever (1 John 2:17).
To listen to this article, click here to take you to the voice-over edition.