The only thing that matters in a courtroom is what you can prove. Feelings don't count.
Where is the evidence? What can you base your case upon? What are the facts supporting your claim? Can they be demonstrated or verified? Do you have written documentation? Do you have eyewitnesses? Can you convince the judge or jury? This is what matters in a trial. Some prayers are contested. They become a case in heaven's courtroom. Thank God, we have an Advocate, and we also possess the evidence of what He paid for on the cross.
Some prayers are resisted by Satan. His name means "The Resister." Satan is also a slanderer, a thief, a murderer, a tempter, an accuser and a liar. He resists God's people when they want to do good. In the case of unanswered prayer, if you know you are praying God's will, then you should realize that the Resister may be withstanding you. If your goal in prayer is Kingdom-worthy, the opposition to it being answered may be greater. I could give you many biblical examples of this. Faith, discernment and persistence are needed so that you can prevail.
I recently awoke in the night, hearing myself pray, "I will not let You go unless you bless me." I was entreating the Lord for power to perform the ministry. Then I realized I was saying something else that I'd never said before even though I knew it to be true. I was saying to God, "Lord, I have risked my life for Jesus and the gospel." I came fully awake and began to consider what my heart had been praying in the night.
As I thought about that prayer, I put my petition into the category of evidence to be submitted in the court of heaven, a historical fact to use while I plead my case. I can do this because my wife and I have a history with God.
In America, I have sacrificed careers for the ministry. More than once, we have given up our home and relocated our family to serve the body of Christ. In the Caribbean Islands and in Cuba, I faced physical danger. In South Africa, Lana and I faced violent crime, health hazards and constant peril. In Midrand, RSA, our apartment was surrounded by 220-volt electrified wire and an armed guard. The grocery store had a guard at the door with a shotgun and another guard in a watchtower with a rifle overlooking the parking lot. In Soweto, there were gangs whose slogan was, "One white man; one bullet." Violent carjacking, especially of white Americans, was common. We were told not to stop at intersections but to slowly roll through for our safety. Murderous break-ins of white African's homes were daily in the news. Roving gangs killed white South African farmers weekly. Wickedness was loose in the land. The police could not stop it. But we were there on the Lord's business. With our commissioning came a sense of God's covering.
The Lord respects those who take risks in His name, who earn combat medals.
The Lord knows our hearts. He keeps good records. In my prayer time, I had unconsciously taken note of that fact and was using His "hazardous-duty" clause to strengthen my standing before the Judge. I was praying for the Lord's grace in me to increase. I was praying for the people who hear me, who receive the benefit of that grace. I was asking for God's word to prevail. I have filed my petition.
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Ron Wood is a writer and minister. Contact him at [email protected] or visit www.touchedbygrace.org. The opinions expressed are those of the author.
Editorial on 12/13/2017