ANSWERED PRAYER

By Dr. Zelda Kitt Host of Zelda Kitt Ministries www.zeldakittministries.com

Prayer is communication, usually in the form of petition for something desired of God. The Bible is clear that Believers should always pray and never stop (Luke 18:1). The questions is, what is an answered prayer?

One example of answered prayer is when the church prayed for Peter and as they prayed, he received a miraculous release (Acts 12). Some who were praying were shocked at the results. Could this be a blueprint for answered prayers? The Bible concludes that it is the “fervent prayers of the righteous that avails much” (James 5:16b). But, what about others who prayed, believed, and were not delivered the same? Were their prayers unanswered?

Another example of answered prayer is found when Jesus prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me…” (Luke 22:42a). This was Jesus’ initial desire, and he spoke openly to God with a simple petition. However, the later part of his prayer reveals a surrendered heart, he continued in prayer: “…yet not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42b). His greatest desire was to do the will of the Father above his own.

Personally, I’ve prayed for many people and things and the results varied. Results are measurable. I wanted desperately to see God move, and in many ways, I did. I expected exactly what I had asked to be granted. Truthfully, that was not always the case. It was only later I understood that I measured the wrong thing. What to measure is the real question. Do we measure answered prayers by our desires or His desires? Answered prayer should not be measured by the results that we desire alone, rather, measured by the desires of God.