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 What Happens When You Pray?

Part 1   What happens in Heaven? 

Do you believe in prayer?  Do you believe it actually reaches God? Do you believe it makes a difference? Do you BELIEVE?  You may think it doesn't matter what you believe, but it does.  The key to answered prayer is faith.  The bible says this, "...He that comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him" Heb. 11:6.    When a person prays with faith amazing things can happen.  James 5:16 says "... the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much."  One of the most powerful of all is Mark 11:24 "... What things soever you desire, when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you shall have them."   There should be no argument.  The Bible is clear...PRAYER CHANGES THINGS!

What this message is about this month is not whether or not prayer works but HOW it works.  What happens when we pray?  What force is released in the universe?  How does it affect God?  What happens in heaven and what happens on earth?   I am going to break the message down into two parts.  What happens in Heaven and what happens on earth? 

What happens in Heaven when we pray?  Let's look at Ex. 2:23 "And it came to pass in process of time that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage. And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto them.  The phrases that I have underlined are what I want to focus on with you because this is how prayer affects God. Pay attention because what happened in this story will happen for you as well.

You know the story. The children of Israel were in great bondage and slavery in Egypt.  They had been taught by their ancestors that they were God's chosen people. They had been told that he would answer their prayers.  Well, now they were about to see that it was indeed true.  After about 400 years a groaning prayer began to come up out of the Israelites and find its way to the throne room of God.  This prayer started a chain of events that would consequently bring mighty Egypt to its knees and establish a nation.  What happened in Heaven?

The first thing I see above is...AND GOD HEARD.  The first thing that you must realize is that there truly is a God.  For Him to hear He must first BE there.  David tells us in Psalms that the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous and His ears are open to their cry. (PS. 34:15)  Remember what I quoted above, we have got to believe that HE IS!  Now in order for someone to hear there must be something said.  That is prayer.  You should talk to God.  He is your Father.  He loves you.  Someone said one time to stop telling people about your problem who can do nothing to help you. Many times we rehearse our problems to anyone and everyone who will listen. It does no good to tell your mechanic about your arthritis or your postman about your wayward child.  They cannot help you.  All it does is reinforce your doubts.  Tell GOD!  He can help you.  I heard a preacher say one time and I have repeated it many times. "Stop telling God how big your mountain is and start telling your mountain how big God is!"  I want to add to that, Stop telling everyone you meet how big your mountain is.  Go to God and I assure you He will hear!

Secondly, AND GOD REMEMBERED.  No one knows better what God has said than He Himself. And we are promised the He will always back up His word.  In Numbers 23:19 we are reminded "...God is not a man that he should lie... has He said, and will He not do? Or has HE spoken, and will He not make it good?"  When we pray we should go to Him with a mouth filled with scripture.  God will not back up what He has not said. But, if God said it HE WILL DO IT. So we need to remind Him when we pray.  I am aware that there are times when words are not necessary in prayer.  There are times when we are quiet in the presence of God.  However that is more for worship or even listening for our answer.  As a lawyer cites the precedent of law to a judge we need to remind God of His promises to us when we pray. What does the Bible say?  Then that is exactly what we can expect!  If it says He will supply your need...then He will.  If it says He will give you a healing... then he will.  I am sure the Israelites reminded God of his promise to Abraham to make them a great nation.  When he heard them...HE REMEMBERED! You need to do the same thing.  Remind Him of his promises to you...HE WILL REMEMBER!

 Thirdly, AND GOD LOOKED.   Prayer gets God's attention. I like to say it this way...and God investigated.  Things can change when He sees us.  Zacchaeus had his entire life changed when Jesus noticed him in the tree.  The man who had palsy was healed when Jesus looked and saw him.  Of course he was hard to miss when they tore the roof off to get to Him!  God sent and angel to a praying Zacharias, He sent Peter to a praying Cornelius, He sent His son, Jesus to a praying, groaning world that needed deliverance. The eighteenth century preacher, Jonathan Edwards said that we have done nothing until we have prayed.  Remember the story of the widow and the unjust judge?  That woman got his attention!  When he investigated he knew that she was not going to give up so he ruled in her favor.  God is not unjust but He said ..."shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him...I tell you He will avenge them speedily." Luke 18:7  Go ahead...I dare you...pray...you will get His attention! 

Lastly, AND GOD HAD RESPECT.  I really like the translation that says God acknowledged them.  That is powerful!  It is a great feeling when someone of renown sees and recognizes you.  How would you like to be in a large auditorium where some famous person is speaking and suddenly stops, calls your name and says come on down here with me.  Choose who that person would be for you and imagine how you would feel.  I am sure you would be elated!  Well I have good news for you my friend.  Because of the redemptive work at Calvary you are welcome in the presence of the most powerful entity in the universe, the most high God!  Romans 5 1-2 says in part "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: by whom also we have access..."  In Ephesians chapter two we are told..."we are no more strangers and foreigners but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God."  In Hebrews 4 we are told to..."come boldly before the throne of grace..."   He knows who you are.  You have favor in His presence.  Come on in!

What happens in Heaven when we pray? God hears, God remembers, God investigates, and God recognizes and acknowledges us.  Heaven truly gets busy when the prayer of a child of God arrives in His throne room.  But remember nothing happens at all until you pray.  Next month I am going to show you what happens on earth when we pray.  Until then my friend...KEEP PRAYING!