David Diga Hernandez - 7 Keys to Answered Prayer

I want you to know that an impossible situation is the perfect setting for a miracle. When you find yourself up against the wall, facing a situation that seems to have no way out, that is the place where God will meet you. The truth is that if where you’re living doesn’t require faith, then you’re not in the will of God. So, when you walk in the will of God, you’re going to face circumstances, trials, and pressures of all sorts. You may feel exhausted, tired, and as if you’ve given all that you can to a situation, yet nothing seems to change. So, what’s going on with that situation? Well, I want to show you how to pray powerful, effective prayers—prayers that are prayed with such faith and with such power that they will transform the situation around you. If you’re believing for something difficult to acquire by human effort, then good, because it requires the involvement of God. If what you are praying for can be accomplished through your own effort, then it doesn’t require faith. So if you’re facing a situation where you’re saying, «Lord, I don’t know how I’m going to get out of this one,» or «Lord, I don’t know how the need is going to be met,» or «Lord, I don’t know how anything is ever going to change for the better,» then you are in a place where prayer can make a difference. An impossible situation is the perfect setting for a miracle, and any moment can be your miracle moment. You don’t know what the next 24 hours hold. You don’t know if this week God will come through for you in a miraculous way. You don’t know if things will transform in an instant. You could be hours away from a miracle and not even know it. You could be minutes away from transformation and not even be aware of it. The scripture says in Hebrews chapter 11, verse 1: «Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.» I want to emphasize faith, and you’ll notice that it will be a constantly recurring theme throughout this message: faith, faith, faith. When Jesus healed the sick, He would tell them, «Your faith has made you whole.» The scripture states that without faith, it’s impossible to please God. Hebrews 11:1 states that faith is the substance; it’s the actuality, the reality, the attainment of things not seen. It’s something real. In other words, having faith for something is just as good as having that thing. The faith for a saved family is just as good as a saved family. The faith for your healing is just as certain as your healing. The faith for your deliverance and your breakthrough is just as sure as the deliverance and the breakthrough itself. Faith is the substance of things hoped for; it’s the actualization of it, and it is the evidence of things not seen. In other words, your faith is evidence of the existence of God. Your faith demonstrates the miracle-working power of God. Your faith in action brings about the reality of a thing and produces real results. So, I want to show you how to pray prayers that yield answers, that result in change, and that lead to transformation—prayers that result in the miraculous. This could go beyond miraculous healing; this might be something you’re believing for regarding your family, relationships, emotions, finances, or ministry. I know there are ministers watching me right now who are growing frustrated in your ministry. You’re saying, «Lord, I’ve done everything I know to do, but it seems like nothing is changing. Nothing is working.» Well, this is exactly the place where a miracle is needed, and that’s good news because then the Lord can get involved. But first, I want you to notice that when it comes to receiving from the Lord, it’s never, or I shouldn’t say never because sometimes God, in His mercy, responds instantly. However, for the most part, there is a process to receiving from the Lord, and many people want to start with receiving. They come to the Lord saying, «I prayed this prayer; I’m ready to receive,» not realizing that they’re skipping many important principles involved in praying the prayer of faith and praying to the extent where you receive answered prayers. So, number one: here’s the first key to answered prayer—yielding to God’s will. First John chapter five, verse 14 says, «And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us.» If we ask anything, what? According to His will. Now, some people pray prayers that are against the will of God. In fact, I’ve had conversations with fellow ministers when we discuss the many open doors to ministries and the many opportunities that present themselves in our everyday lives. But the question isn’t what is the good thing; the question is, what is the God thing? The question isn’t what is beneficial; the question is, what is divinely appointed? When you start to look for divine appointments as opposed to just opportunities, you begin to pray according to God’s will. You cannot force God to do anything, and God is not reluctant to bless you. So, it’s not as though God is saying, «I don’t want to bless this person,» and so He makes them pray and pray and pray. No, on the contrary, prayer and waiting are the processes by which you become someone who can receive everything that God has for you. So when you’re praying for something, it’s not…