Once saved, every believer has direct access to the Father. Jesus has promised that He is willing to answer our prayers – for the purpose of being glorified. Things prayed for that are not for this purpose are apt to go unanswered. If you will give God the glory for answers to specific prayer, He will be glad to fulfill it.

Even though this is like being given a blank check, it is a shame how few Christians develop a strong prayer life. As we draw nigh to God in daily and serious prayer, you will find more to pray about, and prayer will become easy and as natural as breathing – and so will getting answers to prayer.

Along with a growing and strong prayer life, you will also be able to enjoy the peace of God and bring forth fruit to God. Knowing that you can call on Him and get answers from the Creator of the universe is worth its weight in gold. Victory will also come much easier.

Other Scriptures mention that if you are serious about getting answers to prayer, then we must also have sin confessed, and be ready to do His will. Thank God that by a simple prayer of confession to Him, He will instantly forgive and cleanse (I John 1:9).

Will you take the time to draw nigh to God – and is it worth it to you to develop a strong prayer life? Will you start today?

David found that his love for the Lord grew because he saw that God, over and over, answered his prayers. When believers get answers to prayer, they want to pray more.

Prayer should be the natural expression of the soul in response to our Lord Who loves us more than we can ever express. Not only do they want to pray more, but they also find more things to pray about. God cares for the big things in our lives, and the things that we often forget to bring to Him because they seem so small. He cares about them all and wants to help you with all things.

The more you pray, you will discover that God will enlarge your heart and help you see more things to pray about. You will begin to see some of the things He sees – and how you can have a part in their solution – through prayer. He wants you to partner with Him in achieving His work in lives and missions through the means of prayer – and sometimes putting feet to your prayers.

II Thessalonians 3:1 “Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you.”

While the tendency is to look at things outside of ourselves in this spiritual war, we certainly do not want to forget that sometimes we are our own worst enemy. All sin springs from our own minds.

Temptations will come to us almost entirely through our minds – although some external influences can be very strong. Getting victory demands that we watch our selves first and how we “watch” for the devices of the enemy.

One important way to get victory is to start the day right. Doing so does not wait until you have had a cup of coffee or read your Bible. It starts before that. Most likely, your thoughts are already on what you intend to do through the day before you get out of bed.

This focus on your duties of the day can provide a sufficient distraction to get your mind off of God and His will for you. Instead of this habit, talk to God in your first waking moments – before your feet touch the floor – and give the day to Him and make yourself available to do His bidding. He may have you witness to someone at work or someone who crosses your path throughout the day.

Instead of giving God part of a day – after you made your own plans – why not serve Him the whole day? It will require getting in your Bible at the start of the day and getting in some prayer, too.

Are you ready for a better victory in your “good warfare”?

David knew very well what lay within his heart. The inclinations he faced – as well as every other human – was not good and always tend to lead away from God when followed.

Because he knew that it was possible that those inclinations and temptations would lead away from God, he asked God to help him get victory over “any iniquity.” He did not want any sin to dwell in his heart.

Beyond seeking to get victory over sin, David desired to live the way God wanted. This is much more than merely keeping commandments and not doing certain things.

It would involve fellowship with God. Religion is not enough, not only will it not save the soul, but it also cannot enable one to please God.

God wants personal fellowship with you. This was God’s purpose in creating man in the first place. Unfortunately, so many professing Christians are satisfied with mere duty and gaining Bible knowledge than fellowship, All are important.

Close fellowship with our Lord also provides both the desire to serve God and the power to do so. Time spent in the Bible, along with prayer and praise are not an option for strong believers.

Can you with David pray the prayer in the text verse: “Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.“

During this time of year, many churches will have meetings that are often labeled “revivals.” Although the word “revival” is not used in the Bible, the word “revive” is, and it means to be restored to health or life, be quickened, to restore to life, to grow, and to sustain life.

The very word suggests that there has been a drifting away from those things that make Christians spiritually healthy. The meetings are intended to apply means whereby those attending can be strengthened and brought back to strong spiritual health.

Because the world has a strong pull on believers that can cause them to lose their “first love” for Christ, special meetings are employed to help restore them to a right relationship with God. The desired result is to weaken the world’s grip on believers and bring them back to a close walk with God and a refilling of the Holy Spirit.

As is illustrated in Acts 4, the filling of the Spirit is to glorify God and empower witnesses for the spread of the Gospel. While some like to think the filling of the Spirit is for speaking in tongues, there is no mention of this in Acts 4. They asked for the Spirit’s fullness for boldness to speak and not be ashamed.

Although revival meetings should help believers to be what God wants them to be, they often fall short. Rarely do these meetings actually see a God-given revival. Each believer must seek to draw nigh to God, which requires personal confession of sins, time spent in prayer, surrender to the will of God, and action to start doing His will faithfully.

True revival is something that only God can do, which is why the text verse asks: “Wilt thou not revive us again?” While God must do it, believers are responsible to prepare their hearts so God can revive them. Do you need to start seeking personal revival?

Paul often prayed that the people he wrote to in his letters would grow spiritually. The need for spiritual growth is needed just as much today.

Sadly, many believers stay spiritual babies most of their lives. Part of the reason is that they do not get into an atmosphere where growth is possible. They do not read their Bible or go to church very often. Or, if they do go, the messages and lessons are not applied. Growing spiritually requires much more than gaining mere head knowledge about the Bible.

Paul hit the nail on the head when he said that spiritual growth requires being able to discern between the things that are excellent – those that God approves of – and those that He disapproves of. Once those things are understood – do them with His help.

These things can be found in the Bible and by listening to the Holy Spirit. The key to hearing Him lies in spending time with Him reading and studying the Bible, praying, and obeying what you know. When sins are committed, confess them quickly, thank Him for it, and move on.