“But
He (Jesus) replied, It has been written, Man shall not live and be
upheld and sustained by bread alone, but by every Word that comes forth
from the mouth of God. [Deut. 8:3.]”
Dear
people of God, when lawyers present a case before a judge, they make reference
to the laws of the country as part of their submissions.
When
lawyers comment on issues concerning their nation whether on radio or
television, they equally cite portions of the country’s laws to buttress their
points.
Whether
in the court or out of court, lawyers are conscious of the laws of their
country and it shapes their thinking and behaviour.
For
Christians, the law that shapes their thinking and behaviour is the Word of God
in the Holy Bible.
God
Almighty and Father of my Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ is the One Who has
given these laws.
Just
as a human judge decides cases on the submissions before him guided by the
country’s laws, God Almighty listens and grants prayer requests declared in
line with His Word because God watches over His Word to perform it – Jeremiah
1:12; Psalm 89:34.
The
difference between God as the Ultimate Judge and a human judge is that God
cannot be influenced to give an unjust ruling on any matter because He is
Omniscient (all-knowing), Omnipresent (present everywhere) and Omnipotent (all-powerful).
With
this great and amazing attribute about God, shouldn’t it make sense to anyone
to take his or her case to God in prayer?
Before
you approach God with your case, however, you must know what God’s standards
and expectations are. This information is contained in His Word in the Holy
Bible so you must familiarize yourself with it.
Just
as competent lawyers continue to study to know their rights and laws of their
nations, Christians must study God’s Word daily to know their rights in Christ
Jesus and how to appropriate it.
It
is pertinent to note also that God does not judge cases (prayer requests) on
the basis of your emotions but on the basis of His Word.
Therefore,
as stated in the Holy Bible in Colossians 3:16 (AMPC), “Let the word [spoken by] Christ (the
Messiah) have its home [in your hearts and minds] and dwell in you in [all
its] richness, as you teach and admonish and train one another in all
insight and intelligence and wisdom [in spiritual things, and as you
sing] psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, making melody to God with [His]
grace in your hearts.”
When you do this, it becomes
possible to receive answers to every single prayer of yours, for as Jesus
Christ my Lord has stated in John 15:7-8, (AMPC), “If you live in Me [abide vitally
united to Me] and My words remain in you and continue to live in your
hearts, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you.
8 When
you bear (produce) much fruit, My Father is honoured and glorified, and
you show and prove yourselves to be true followers of Mine.”
To
qualify to stand before God in prayer to present requests for His approval, you
must be a born-again Christian living according to His commands in the Holy
Bible.
We
are clearly told that the sacrifice of a sinner is an abomination before God
but the prayer of the upright is His delight – Proverbs 15:8 (AMPC).
May the good Lord bless you as you heed
His Word today, act on it and share with others in Jesus’ Most Holy Name, Amen.
Gabriel Ama.