13 Steps to Answered Prayer

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[0:45] What gets your prayers answered? There's a man in the Bible called Cornelius. In Acts chapter 10, the Bible says that he was praying. An angel, verse 1, 2, 3, talks about he was a devout man.

[1:01] I like that. He was a devout man. He talks about he was a devout man who feared God with all his household.

[1:13] He feared God. He had his altars, all altars were paid. He feared God. Say, fear God. Fear God. Look at someone in their eyes and tell the person, fear God.

[1:24] Fear God. I know some people can't see it. Say it. Say, fear God. Fear God. Sister, anytime any man puts pressure on you, look at his face and say, you have to fear God in Jesus' name.

[1:36] I cast out that spirit of lust now. Go! Anytime you do that, you invite one blessing to your life. Hallelujah.

[1:46] Hallelujah. Because the brother wants you to save him. Okay, he didn't hear what I said. So, this man feared God.

[1:57] And verse 4 says that, and an angel appeared to him. He saw in a vision an angel. And this is what the angel told him. Your prayers and your arms have come up for a memorial before God.

[2:10] You see that? You pray and it stays before God. This prayer we have done tonight, it has come up before God for a memorial.

[2:21] And the appointed time, the answers will be delivered. Amen. Memorial. So, when you read the verse 30, when Peter got to his house and he was narrating the incident, he said that, verse 30, four days ago, I was fasting until this hour.

[2:39] And at the ninth hour, I prayed in my house. He was praying. He was in the midst of prayer. So, even though he had some prayers which have come before God for a memorial, at that time, he was still praying.

[2:51] He didn't pray once and stopped. So, I was in, he said, and I prayed in my house. Excuse me. And behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing. That's the angel.

[3:02] And verse 31. And he said, Cornelius, your prayers have been heard. Did you see that? He didn't say, I've come before God for a memorial. Because, actually, that's the main thing. But it means that God has heard it.

[3:13] And when God, he said, and your arms are remembered in the sight of God. You're giving. God remembers giving. Let's all say that together. God remembers giving. God remembers sacrifices.

[3:24] It's a sacrificial giving. When you give, God remembers it. In Psalm 23, verse 31, may the Lord remember your offerings. All right. So, he said, your arms, your prayers, and your arms have come up before God for a memorial.

[3:37] So, that means that prayer, you have to pray to leave a mark in heaven for the day of need, for the rainy day. Hallelujah. Some people prayed and God answered.

[3:50] And we can see it. In Luke chapter 1, verse 13, the angel appeared to Zachariah in the temple. Say in the temple. In the temple. Whilst he was in church doing church duties.

[4:02] And the angel said to him, don't be afraid, Zachariah, for your prayer is heard. And your wife will bear a son, and you shall call his name John. Now, they have been praying for a child for a long time.

[4:15] Now, the woman was very old, but an angel appears to him and says that your prayer is heard. Is it not what Cornelius said, the angel said? The angel said, your prayer is heard.

[4:28] Hannah prayed, and Hannah later on came back, and he said, this is the evidence of the prayers. You have to pray based on your heart's connection with God and what you're expecting from God.

[4:38] And that, see, your expectation will breed or will generate fervency. Intensity. Intensity. The intensity of your prayer, most of the time, is inspired by the, by the intensity of the prayer is inspired by the expectation behind the prayers.

[4:56] If you know it to be answered, and you are calling on someone who hears, then you put all your energy into it. Does that make sense? Psalm 3, verse 4, he said, I cried unto the Lord with my voice, and what happened?

[5:08] And what happened? He heard me. He heard me from his holy hill. Sela. Sela means just pause and think about it. I cried unto the Lord.

[5:19] So if you don't pray, you are doing yourself a disservice. Because God hears prayers. And when we say God has heard the prayers, it means that the answers have been delivered.

[5:31] Because the angel told Zachariah that your prayers have been heard, and your wife shall conceive. So that's the answer to the prayer. Your prayer is heard.

[5:42] Your prayer is heard, and your wife will bear a son. It's a result. The bearing of the son is the result of the prayers that have been heard.

[5:54] Tonight, because of the kind of prayers some of us have prayed here, there is no way you'll miss your results. But then, there are so many people who prayed in the Bible, they got answers.

[6:07] Have been praying and been getting answers. Others have been praying and getting answers. So it's your turn to get answers. But as I told you earlier on, there are things to do to get the answers quick.

[6:19] There are things to do to secure the delivery of your answers. Number one, what is it? Repair the altar. Repair the altar. The sin issue in your life is a big issue. So long as answers to your prayers are concerned, that sin issue is a big issue, if not sorted out.

[6:36] It's like you are driving your car, and accidentally, your 10-year-old boy, you parked the car, you were just checking something, and has poured three gallons of water into your fuel tank.

[6:50] And you want to drive normal? No, it's a big issue. Stop the car. Don't drive further. Drain the water out before you start.

[7:01] Sister, drain that sin out. Brother, drain the sin out because it's a big issue. Drain it out. Drain it out.

[7:16] Repair the water. Repair the water. No matter when we are sitting in church, we look like angels. But only God knows. Presentation mood.

[7:31] What's the second point? Walk with the Holy Spirit. To get answers to your prayers, you must walk with the Holy Spirit. Number three. Connect with the house.

[7:42] Connect with the house. Okay, let's all say that together. Connect with the house. I can't hear you. Connect with the house. So connect with the house. Whatever, when we say we are fasting, tomorrow, from tomorrow, the last seven days of the fasting, for heaven's sake, and for the sake of your destiny, connect and join the fasting.

[8:03] At least you didn't do the first 14 days. That's come and gone. But just don't say, I'll do only last three days. Connect with the house and get what God has promised over the house.

[8:16] Someone say amen. Amen. Number four. Pray with expectation. Pray with expectation. Why pray when you don't expect the answers? So pray with expectation.

[8:28] If you know, if you know there's no money on the card, why do you want to make an attempt to go to the cash points to withdraw money? You know there's no money on the card.

[8:39] Or you go to Morrison, go to Sainsbury's, you go and finish buying, and then you pull out the card. You know there's no money. Or you go to next Max and Spencer, you pull out the card. You know there's no money.

[8:50] Or you buy something on the internet, and it says, now put in there. You know, it's different if you're not sure. But you just know. You just check your account balance. And it says that available balance is minus three pounds.

[9:05] Available balance. Okay. Available balance. So you know it's not working. Why are you using it? So you know it don't work. You don't bother to use it. You know that card or that phone is not functioning.

[9:17] Why do you want to pick it and make a call from the phone? In the same way, if you want to pray, then make sure you know prayer is going to work for you. So don't pray when you think it don't work.

[9:30] But if you know it don't work, then you will use it. But if you think it don't work, then why are you going to use it anyway? If you know it doesn't work. So we pray because we know God answers prayers. What's the next point?

[9:42] Fear not. There are all kinds of things that will threaten you that don't worry. This prayer will not work. You know, still, you will be taken to court. And you'll be fine. And you're trying to pray.

[9:53] Oh no, you think you will get married. You will not get married. You are too old now. And you are too like this. You are too like this. No one wants you. No woman wants to marry you. See, yeah, people have said it.

[10:03] But just set your face like a flint. Alright? And fear not. Because God, Bible says that for with God, all things are possible. Bible says that your cousin Elizabeth, who was called barren, is now six months pregnant.

[10:21] Luke chapter 1, verse 37. Your cousin Elizabeth, 36. Your cousin Elizabeth is pregnant. Six months pregnant. This is, she's now six months pregnant. Who was called barren?

[10:32] Then he went on, 37, said, for with God, all things are possible. So when you are praying, know that with God, all things are possible. And fear not. Say fear not. Fear not. What's the next point? Obedience to prophetic instructions.

[10:46] When you are praying, there are things that God will drop in your spirit or a word. Covenant obedience to prophetic instructions. Prophetic in the sense that it's not just an ordinary instruction. Instructions that came out of prayer.

[10:58] It's prophetic. So covenant obedience. Obedience to prophetic instructions. And then number seven. Number seven. Take practical steps.

[11:10] All right. Take practical steps. I've said this over and over and over. You want a job. You have prayed for the job. Or you've prayed for a job. When you're finished, what do you do? Go and look for a job.

[11:22] All right. So take practical steps. Number eight. Get rid of bitterness and unforgiveness. Get rid of it. Because it will spoil the answers to your prayers. You have bitterness in your heart against someone.

[11:33] Unforgiveness in your heart. Yeah, what they did was wrong. But guess what? If you don't get it out of your system, it will end up wronging you. And grounding you. And frustrating the rest of your future. Poison your future.

[11:44] Wow. You can't receive answers for your prayers when there is bitterness in your heart. Praise the Lord. Hallelujah. Can you imagine? You come. I say, come on.

[11:54] Lift up your heart. Why is this in there? Hey. You know, it's the way sometimes when I'm under the unction. The way maybe I may distract something. And then because I just instructed you, don't sleep. Stop sleeping. You are so upset.

[12:05] And we are praying for you. You stand here with bitterness and anger in your heart. What was the next point? Be thankful.

[12:18] So you need a thankful heart. No. It's not a relationship with a thankful situation. All right. So good relationships with accountability figures. People who matter in your life.

[12:29] Like your wife. Like your husband. All right. Women who insult their husbands. I feel they are very bush. Men who beat their wives are very silly.

[12:42] And they need to be beaten. But I don't see why a husband must hate a wife. You shouldn't be beating a woman. A man who beats a woman is an imbecile.

[12:56] Man shouldn't beat a woman. But a woman. You shouldn't insult a man. Your husband. No. A husband shouldn't beat the wife.

[13:08] That's what I mean. As for man beating a woman. That's a different story. What's the next point? A thankful heart.

[13:21] Get rid of memory. All right. Be thankful. When you are thankful to God, it releases his grace upon your life. Every time you say, thank you, Lord. You add something from God to your life. That's the beautiful thing about God.

[13:32] Every time you say, thank you, Lord. Something is added to your life. Every time. Someone say, thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. Say it again. Thank you, Lord. Every time you say, thank you, Lord.

[13:43] Something is added to your life. What? Be thankful. What's the next point? Number 11. Pray with fervency or intensity. Like the way we are praying tonight. Yeah. Because someone is crazy.

[13:55] Someone is determined that something must change. So you pray with fervency and intensity. What's the next point? Give voice to the altar. Yeah. Because, remember, it said repair the altar.

[14:09] After you pray, give voice to the altar. Elijah, when he repaired the altar, he didn't just repair the altar. Bible said, now he put the sacrifice. And put the sacrifice on the altar. And then he prayed.

[14:20] Fire came. Hannah prayed. And Hannah said, God, sometimes it can come in the form of a vow. God, if you give me a son, I'll give him back to you. All the days of his life. Hannah honored it.

[14:31] First Samuel chapter 1. Hannah honored it. Brought the child back to God. And Bible said, God gave her many more children. And his son became the major prophet of Israel.

[14:46] You have to honor the vow. Or you give God a vow like Hannah did. You may say that some people are here. They say, oh God, if you made me get this property, I will never miss church. And the first Sunday, after you go to the first Sunday, you used it to paint the house.

[15:01] Human beings, we are very interested. That's why the psalmist said in Psalm 103, he said, bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not his benefit.

[15:14] Because we had the propensity to easily forget all that God has done for us. So, Bible says that when you make a vow to God, don't forget. And he said, I didn't intend to do it.

[15:25] If you won't do it, don't vow. Because God will keep his part of the bargain. And so, this is what it means to give a voice to the author. Because I don't want to overemphasize on that. Because when you read, this is very interesting.

[15:37] When you read Hebrews chapter 11, verse 4. Let's put you on the screen quickly. Please. Let's read it out loud. Are you ready to read it with me? Let's read. Let's go. By faith, Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain.

[15:53] Through which he obtained witness that he was righteous. God testifying of a gift. And through it, he being dead still speaks. Did you see that? Even though he was dead.

[16:05] Through what? Is that? Let's read the last sentence together. It starts from end. Okay. Have you seen it? Let's read. Let's go. And through it, he being dead still speaks.

[16:17] Through it. Say through it. What is the it talking about? His sacrifice. So even in his absence, his sacrifice was still speaking in his favor.

[16:28] He gave a voice to the altar. He gave the voice to the altar. So now in the realm of the spirit, there was a voice lifted.

[16:39] Speaking on his behalf. Defending matters. I told you yesterday, it's not everywhere you can be. Where things need to work for you. You can't be there. You don't even know the meeting was about you.

[16:53] But your sacrifice on the altar can be speaking for you. Suddenly, one of the directors will say, no. We can't do this. We have to do this. Well, suddenly, they planned that.

[17:05] That's what they're going to do. They met at the pub. They discussed it. Suddenly, one of them writes and says, no. I don't think this is right. And he doesn't even know why he's talking for you. He doesn't even know you. Sacrifice is provoking a voice for you.

[17:18] Sacrifice is provoking a voice for you. Listen, you never know where your children may find themselves. You cannot always be there for them. You set an application for their scholarship and you don't know.

[17:30] Somebody just says your name and says, I don't like it. Says your child's name, that's, I don't like it. And you need sacrifice on the altar to speak where you can go yourself and speak. Bible says that through the sacrifice, even when he's dead, even when he's dead, he's still speaking.

[17:45] Someone get you what I'm saying? Give a voice to the altar. After you have prepared the altar, give a voice.

[17:56] Let there be sacrifice on the altar. Let there be a sacrifice on the altar which will speak for you. It will speak for you in your day of need. It will speak for you in your day of sorrow.

[18:07] It will speak for you in the day of trouble. I see the altar speaking for you. I see the altar speaking for you. Oh, I can't wait for the time of altar of sacrifice.

[18:19] When we were getting ready for a child, my wife and I, one day I just took a seat. I've sent it over and I sent it to Bishop Oedipo. For six and a half years waiting for the child.

[18:32] I sent a seat to Bishop Oedipo. Besides the other steps I took, I didn't see him. Someone was going to send the seat to him. And there and then, six and a half years of waiting, it was changed.

[18:43] They sent the seat, I think, in November. February, the egg was growing. Did you see, where's Harriet?

[18:54] What happened? You remember Harriet? One day, she said, that child is an evidence of the voice of an altar. Voice of an altar.

[19:08] She came to my office one day from work. She called. Hey, I need to see the pastor. I need to see pastor. I said, okay, just come by. She came and sewed.

[19:19] She's there. An envelope in my hands. I give crazily. I always feel it. And most of my money that goes out of my account is church. Church.

[19:30] And because of that, by God's grace. Not just only that. But God has blessed me. God is taking care of me. And by. Shout hallelujah. Hallelujah. So give a voice to the altar.

[19:42] Give voice to the altar. Give voice to the altar. Let the altar speak for you. Let the altar speak for you. Some places you can't speak for yourself. But raise a voice on the altar.

[19:55] By your giving. By your sacrifice. Some people are so smart. They can't type. They think that they are outsmarting God. They think that they are too wise. God has never been in need.

[20:05] Will never be in need. He knows how to supply for his wealth. If he needs money. He can make money come out of the mouth of a fish. If he needs money. We do run out of money and resources.

[20:16] Someone get in it. Give a voice to the altar. I'm drawing a bloodline. The things I went through.

[20:27] My children will not go through it. My children will not go through it. Put an offering on the altar. Some of you in your family. No one has ever finished school and got a job.

[20:39] And nobody from your bloodline. Nobody is working with their certificate. They train. Some of them have trained as doctors. And yet they are working as security officers. It's an error.

[20:54] A whole engineer. Well trained engineer. And is working as a cleaner. And care assistant. A whole finished university.

[21:07] And has masters. And a teaching assistant for eight years. In some corner school. Do you understand that? Nursery. It's an error. So God. That has not been run out of resources.

[21:21] By you and I. No we can. We constantly keep running out of it. So. That's why. That's why. God in his wisdom. Many fruits.

[21:32] Have seed inside. If you eat all the seeds as well. You have fruit again. So he gives you the mango. And just eat the. So. So. And the rest. The seeds. So God.

[21:42] Anytime God gives you something. It's not only for bread. There is a seed inside. Some of it can't even be all seed. Mike Medlock said. Anything that is not enough to be your harvest.

[21:54] Make it a seed. And let the altar speak for you. Is someone getting what I'm saying? Put your hands together for the Lord. Thank you for listening.

[22:07] For more resources. Please visit charis.org. Or call us on. 0207-740-9960. God bless you. God bless you.