Further Insight Into the Answer to Prayer
Greetings, brothers and sisters. This is Dr. James Perry continuing with our series where we seek to
explore the deeper meanings of our relationship with Jesus Christ. Over the years, the heavenly
Father has revealed many revelations of spiritual truth to me, and I want to share them with you. This
morning we ponder the meaning of insights into the answers to prayer.
And now, sit back and listen to today's message.
Further Insight into the Answers to Prayer
"And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying 'O my Father, if it be
possible, let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.'" Matthew,
Chapter 26, Verse 39.
Brothers and sisters, the answer to prayer is largely a matter of submitting to the Father's will, and
being able to receive a full answer. One thing that will be helpful is to keep in mind that we are
talking about spiritual prayers and spiritual answers.
Spiritual petitions are the province of true prayer, and we can expect an answer to the very degree
that we submit to the Father's will. What is meant by this? Within our minds, there exist the human
will and the Father's will. The human will is dominant; the Father's will is subject to the human will.
This means that in all personal, spiritual and moral matters, the human will reigns supremely. The
Father's will has unlimited spiritual power, and the human will does not. The Father is desirous of
having the human will submit to His will, and choose the spiritual power and wisdom of that will.
Submission to the Father's will is the passport to eternal life and the key to a victorious spiritual life
on earth.
In order for the petitions of our souls to be answered, they must be consistent with the Father's will,
and we must align our wills with the Father's so that spiritual values and meanings can flow to our
souls. A misalignment of will effectively modifies the answers to prayer. The consequence of being
misaligned is that we fail to recognize answers to prayer and fail to experience spiritual relief. When
our wills are perfectly aligned with the Father's will, the answer is recognized and conscious spiritual
relief is made available.
We should understand that the domain of prayer has to do with finding spiritual help for solving the
moral and spiritual problems involving our becoming perfected. Thus when we pray to the Father,
we should not expect an audible reply as we would when we communicate with another human
being. Say, for example, someone calls you on the telephone with an urgent request for help. You
receive the call, comprehend the communication, and respond appropriately. When you respond
appropriately, the communication cycle is completed.
When we talk with the Father, sharing our thoughts and desires, subject to his will, we communicate
our true needs. The Father responds by changing us. He changes our basic attitude towards the
difficulty; changes our desires, changes our thought processes by infiltrating them with his spiritual
power and wisdom. The result is a change in our emotional response to the particular problem. He
fills us with a sense that no matter what we are going through, we are going to be alright. He fills us
with a sense of spiritual indestructibility. He gives us rest from our struggles by increasing our
spiritual strength, making it easier to carry on. He comforts us. He gives us courage. He gives us
hope in the face of material disaster, by revealing to us that nothing of spiritual value is lost. He
gives us that tranquility of spirit and peace that passes all understanding in our souls. He increases
our faith in His goodness and fills us with truth. He overspreads us with His beauty. And toping it
all off, he fills us with His love, that spiritual influence that equips us to bear anything for His sake.
We can begin to see where all these spiritual values and meanings are available to the human will
that is aligned with the divine will. These cannot be realized by a human will that is bent on
actualizing its own will, for it will not choose them. One of the most important lessons for us to
realize is that we must live this life as long as we are alive, and we can do this with hope or with
despair. We can flounder in the face of material facts or we can thrive amidst the spiritual glory of
truth that is revealed in ever-increasing grandeur, elevating us to the level of divine oneness through
the Spirit of Truth.
This concludes today's message on further insight into the answers to prayer. We hope you find
something in this message to ponder and pray about as you go about your day.
Until next time, this is Dr. James Perry.
Inspirational Messages
By Dr. James Perry
Your Kingdom Come, Your Will Be Done!
Further Insight Into the Answer to Prayer
