The Bible tells us that God is Love. And in page after page, we see the countless demonstrations of His great love. We read of His compassion and promises, and we see His willingness to use awesome power on behalf of His people. God is faithful—to His people, and to His Word.

There are times, however, when we as the very chosen of God tend to rely on our five physical senses to decide whether He is really “out there” and whether He is hearing—and answering—our prayers. Once we pray our prayers, all too often it’s easy to look around for physical evidence and then believe for what we prayed.

In effect, when we do that, it’s like trying to see with our ears or hear with our noses. We must determine even before we pray that any physical evidence contrary to what we pray will not sway us into doubt and unbelief. We need to realize that the evidence—or the Word—upon which our faith rests is far more reliable than what we can see. Regardless of physical evidence, the Word is perfect!

That’s the truth of the matter, but sometimes it does help to have some practical guidelines to keep us within the bounds of truth. So, the following seven steps are suggested as guidelines to help you in your determined walk of faith when it comes to your prayers—and waiting for them to be answered.

   1. The Word

I John 3:22, 5:14-15; John 15:7; Romans 12:2
Prayer that brings results must be based on God’s Word. We should start with the answers to our prayers—the Word. Jesus said, “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you” (John 15:7). The Bible contains over 7,000 promises—promises which include wealth and wisdom, health and success. Finding the specific promises that apply to your situation may take some time, but it will be well worth the effort. We’ve listed several at the end of this article.

   1. The Application of Faith

James 2:14-24, 3:11-17; Romans 3:4; Hebrews 4:11-16
Start your confession of faith before you see the manifestation of answers to your prayers. Believe you receive when you pray. Hold fast to your confession by acting as though it were already done. To be afraid to confess or act before you have it is to doubt God’s Word.

   1. Refuse Doubt and Fear

II Corinthians 10:5
Refuse to allow doubt and fear to enter your consciousness. Satan will tell you that your answers are not coming. But take those whispers of doubt captive. You have the right and power to demolish every argument that comes against the knowledge of God’s Word.

So control your mind with the Word and dwell on the answer instead of the problem.

   1. Success, Not Failure

Proverbs 4:20-24; Matthew 6:22-12, 13:15-16; Romans 13:14
See yourself through the Word—as a success, not a failure.

   1. Testify

Revelation 12:11
Testify of what you believe. Testify of the Word. Add your testimony to what you have received by the blood—your redemption. You have the rights to all that Jesus did.

   1. Faith Works by Love

Galatians 5:6; I John 4:12
Faith works when we operate in the love of God. Get involved in helping someone. As you adhere to the message of God’s love, His love will flow from you to others.

   1. Be a Giver

Luke 6:38; James 5:16; Mark 4:14-29; Acts 20:35
Get on the giving end. If you need healing, then give the message of healing to someone else. If you need money, give money. It’s God’s law—you will reap what you sow. The way you measure out is the way it will be measured back to you.

God’s Greatest Guarantees

Need some help finding scriptures that cover your need? Here are a few to get you started.

Promises for your unsaved loved ones:
Luke 5:32, 19:10; John 3:3, 17; Acts 11:14, 16:31; Romans 5:8; I Corinthians 7:13-16; I Peter 3:1-2; II Peter 3:9

Promises for your children:
Psalms 8:2, 91:11-12, 127:3-5; Proverbs 3:4, 22:6; Isaiah 44:3, 49:25, 54:13; Colossians 3:20; II Timothy 3:15

Promises for prosperity:
Psalms 23:1, 34:10, 37:25; Matthew 6:31-33; Luke 6:38; II Corinthians 9:6-8; Philippians 4:19; III John 1

Promises for your marriage:
Genesis 2:18, 24; Psalms 101:2, Proverbs 3:5-6, 10:12; Joshua 24:15; Romans 13:10; I Corinthians 13:4-8; Ephesians 4:31-32, 5:21-33; I Peter 3:1-11; I John 4:15-21

Promises for healing:
Exodus 15:26; Psalms 103:3, 107:20; Proverbs 4:20-22; Isaiah 53:5; Jeremiah 17:14, 30:17; Malachi 4:2; Matthew 8:8, 9:35; Mark 16:15-18; Luke 6:19; Hebrews 13:8; James 5:14-16; I Peter 2:24; III John 1

Promises for peace of mind:

Psalms 37:11, 119:165; Isaiah 26:3, 12, 55:12; John 14:27; Romans 5:1, 8:6, 14:17-19, 15:13; Philippians 4:6-7

The prayer of agreement when prayed according to Matthew 18:18-20  will cover every circumstance in life:

Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

Let me use finances to illustrate. The first thing to do is agree with the Word. Read the scriptures and pray. Gloria and I sometimes write down our agreements like this:
“We hereby agree, according to Philippians 4:19 and Matthew 18:19 as follows: ‘Father, we see in Your Word that You will supply all our needs according to Your riches in glory. We are setting ourselves in agreement that our financial need is met according to Your Word. We believe we receive (be specific) __________________. We establish this agreement, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.’”

Amen means “So be it.” As far as we are concerned, the matter is closed. We just thank God from that point forward. We know if we want results we must not waver. To waver is to doubt.

If Satan brings doubt, we simply speak to him in the authority of Jesus’ Name and say, “Don’t bring us your lies. Not only is it written in God’s Word, but we have agreed. We have written it down.” As far as we are concerned, the need is met. There is no doubt about it because we have agreed according to the Word of God. Consequently, our confession and actions will be in line with what we have established as truth.

There have been times when we have wavered, so we take it to God and receive forgiveness for unbelief, reinforce our original decree and go at it again. We all make mistakes in the walk of faith. The important thing is to keep walking. If you miss it, go at it again. The biggest mistake of all is to become discouraged and quit before you receive your answer.

I challenge you to write down your agreements. Seeing it in black and white on paper will make a difference! You will be more likely to line up your confession and your actions with your agreement.

Jesus said that if any two on earth agree, He would be in the midst of that agreement to see that it comes to pass. You are on earth so you qualify. If you agree with another believer as touching anything that lines up with the Word of God, He is there in your midst to carry it out.

Jesus wants you to agree and will see to it that it comes to pass. The word agree is translated in The Amplified Bible as “agree and harmonize together or make a symphony together.” The word symphony caught my attention one time, so I looked it up and found that it means “all available instruments in harmony.” You must have your spirit, mind and actions in agreement with the Word.

Agreeing spiritually is to agree with the Word of God. Make up your mind God’s Word is true and that it will come to pass.

Secondly, be strong in your mind. That is Satan’s battleground. You must control your thoughts. Writing down your agreement will be beneficial for this reason. It will keep it before your eyes so when your mind tries to change directions, control it with your agreement on God’s Word. Do not tie God’s hands. Allow Him to work.

You have agreed, spirit and soul (mind). Then your actions must come in line. If finances are what you agreed on, expect the money to come in. This is part of being in agreement. You cannot agree in prayer about something, then act the opposite and expect it to come to pass. If you do, your actions will eventually take over your thinking.

Agreement with the Word and another believer are not the only things involved in this kind of prayer. Agreement is also harmony.

Harmony is extremely important. When speaking of prayer in Mark 11:25-26, Jesus said, “And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have aught against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.” This is vital in your prayer life. You must forgive everyone who has offended you. Jesus did not say, “Think about it for six weeks and then forgive if or when you feel better.” He said, forgive when you pray.

Jesus prayed, “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors” (Matthew 6:9-12). He put a condition on forgiveness. The condition is “I don’t expect to be forgiven until I forgive.” He displayed the kind of discipline the believer should exercise when he is praying.
How important is this? In Galatians 5:6, the Bible says faith works by love. If you are operating with an unforgiving heart, your prayer life will be paralyzed.

The Word says we know we have the petitions we have desired of Him, if we do the things that are pleasing in His sight (I John 3:22). Put these scriptures together and you quickly see unforgiveness would actually ruin the whole prayer system.

Agreement makes prayer work. You can experience a place of agreement with God’s Word, and harmony that will produce power, as you forgive and agree with another believer. You can affect governments, families and the lives of others. You can change your financial situation, affect your church and your pastor with the power of prayer. Find someone who can agree with you according to the Word of God.

The same principle works the other way. If you are in disagreement, the door is open for Satan to come in. “For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work” (James 3:16).

In Matthew 18:21, Peter asked Jesus, “Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus replied, “I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.

How many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus replied, “I tell you, not seven times, but Until seventy times seven” (verse 22). Forgive because God said to, and not because you feel like it.

Build your home, your church and every other area of your life on the unselfish love of God. Selfishness has never built anything it did not destroy. But love never fails. The love of God is the very center of the family of God because God is love. You are His very own child, born again with His love nature inside you.

Don’t let that love lie dormant. Cast down selfishness and let loose the love of God in you. You cannot fail when love is in dominion.

When you forgive and reach for harmony, you come to a place where you have the spiritual awareness to perceive the closeness of God. Jesus said if you get into harmony and agree together, He would be in the midst of you. God wants to be involved with you.

When you are in harmony and agreement with those around you, you will step into a deeper, more personal fellowship with God. He becomes real and vital to you. Fellowship with your heavenly Father is one of the greatest things you will ever have in your Christian walk! It causes a confidence and an assurance deep down in your heart. You know your prayers are answered because you have conformed yourself to His will. As you forgive, the joy that comes through answered prayer will become your own personal experience. Jesus said, “Ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full” (John 16:24).

The words petition  and supplication are defined as “a formal request addressed to a higher power.” This prayer changes things. It is based on Philippians 4:6: “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”

To illustrate, suppose you obtained an audience with the governor of your state. After you went through the proper channels, would you then enter his office without being prepared? Of course not! You would have your ideas formulated and the arguments settled in your mind long before you obtained an audience with him. Shouldn’t you handle yourself in the same way when approaching God? Hebrews 4:16 says, “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace....”

Do not go into the prayer of petition and supplication without knowing what you want to say and how you want to say it. Enter the throne room with your petition drawn up according to God’s Word. Ask yourself these questions: What happened at Calvary? How did the substitutionary sacrifice of Jesus affect this trial I am facing? Then, find out what God has already done regarding your situation. If you need healing, look up those scriptures pertaining to healing. Present your petition. No matter what your situation may be, God has provided an answer for it in His Word. The Cross paid the price for your deliverance.

God intends for the Body of Christ to police the evil forces of this world. We are to change circumstances to line up with God’s will and put Satan under our feet through the power of God. We are to spoil his plans, plots and maneuvers against God’s people!

The prayer of binding and loosing halts Satan’s activities. Matthew 12:29 says, “Or else how can one enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.” You have authority over Satan (Luke 10:19). You exercise it with the prayer of binding and loosing. “Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 18:18).

As you enforce the authority vested in the Church, speak directly to Satan. Exercise your faith in Jesus’ work at Calvary.

When Jesus was raised from the dead, He stripped Satan of his authority over mankind. That authority has been delegated to the Body of Christ in the earth. Bind Satan in the Name of Jesus.

Many times Annette and I add a paragraph to our agreement prayer: “Satan, we bind you and render you helpless in this situation. As a matter of record, you are hereby bound in the Name of Jesus.” From then on, we thank God that Satan is bound and unable to work in the situation. We refuse to give him any place.

The ultimate choice is yours whether or not to receive from God. Jesus asked the man at the pool of Bethesda, “Wilt thou be made whole?” (John 5:6). His attitude is still the same: “Do you want to stay the way you are, or do you want to be made whole?” The choice is yours. God has already provided the way out for you.

Do not give Satan any place by talking about the problem after you have agreed and bound him. Instead of talking the problem, talk the answer—God’s Word.

Then loose the angelic forces of God to see that it comes to pass. Hebrews 1:13-14 describes the angels as ministering spirits, sent to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation. They are messengers sent to work in our behalf. Say: “Ministering spirits, I loose you in the Name of Jesus to minister in my behalf according to the will of God.”

"So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding nothing how they might punish them, because of the people: for all men glorified God for that which was done. For the man was above forty years old, on whom this miracle of healing was shown. And being let go, they went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them. And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is: who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ. For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, for to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done. And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word, by stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus. And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness."
(Acts 4:21-31).

In this day and time, united prayer is seldom discussed. But in most instances in the Bible involving a body of believers, we find them praying in a united manner. In many of our churches today, however, someone usually leads in prayer. Very little is taught from the Word about praying together out loud.

The previous scripture is the basis for united prayer. Peter and John had been arrested and appeared before the religious council. Their lives were threatened if they continued to preach in the Name of Jesus. They went back to their own company and told everyone what had happened. When they heard, they all prayed. A tremendous amount of power is involved in united prayer.

What were the results of this prayer? Acts 5:12 says, “And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people....” Their one request was answered exactly the way they prayed. The political system of the day tried, but could not stop the power of God in operation. This united prayer was offered accurately according to the Word of God.

As the Body of Christ, we need to get in one accord on the Word of God and expect results. It will cause things to change!

"Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. 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 26:36-39).

The prayer of dedication and worship holds a tremendous amount of power. We need to know how it works and when it is to be used. In the past, it has been misunderstood. When the leper came to Jesus and said, “I know You can make me well…if You will,” Jesus said, “I will.” He already knew the Father’s will was healing. He did not have to pray, “If it be Thy will.” God’s will is to be done on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:9-10). Heaven has no sickness.

The only time the word “if” would not be an expression of unbelief is in the prayer of dedication and worship. All other times, using the word “if” in prayer can create unbelief. Praying for healing then, whether it be yours or someone else’s, is a prayer that changes things so do not use “If it be Thy will.”

Unbelief hinders prayer. Most people pray, “If it be Thy will,” thinking they are being humble. Actually, they are praying in ignorance of the Word of God.

The prayer of dedication is getting your will in line with God’s will to bring success into a situation. It joins you and God, and aims you toward the same goal. So many times people are running in the opposite direction, hoping God is going to support their endeavors. You should get God involved with those endeavors before you ever move! Never be afraid to yield your will to God. He wants you to succeed! His will is always to your advantage. Proverbs 16:3 in The Amplified Bible says, “Roll your works upon the Lord [commit and trust them wholly to Him; He will cause your thoughts to become agreeable to His will, and] so shall your plans be established and succeed.”

When you pray the prayer of dedication and live by it, you will experience the peace of God because you are truly trusting Him. Isaiah 26:3 says, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.”

If you will practice what I am about to share with you, this will be the last day you will ever have a worried thought. You can commit yourself and all the cares and worries of your mind to Him and enjoy divine peace.
God is vehemently against worry. It does not produce anything but stress, strain and death. Jesus preached against it. Paul preached against it. The whole Bible is against worry because Satan designed it.

Take Philippians 4:6-7 as a command. “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” The Amplified Bible says, “Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything.” I Peter 5:6-7 says, “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time. Casting all your care upon him....” Not 75 percent of your care. Not everything but your kids or everything but your finances. Your confession every morning should be, “I do not have a care, because it has been cast over on my Lord.” Cast out every worried thought that would trample its way into your thinking. Roll it over onto Him.

For example let’s say you were standing about 20 feet away from me and I tossed my car keys to you. If someone else were to come to me and say, “Brother Wilson, I need the keys to your car. I need to use it.” I would say, “I can’t help you. I cast my keys over on him. I don’t have them.” I didn’t say those keys ceased to exist, nor that he could not have them. I didn’t say I couldn’t get them back. If I went to get them, you would give them back to me. But if someone wants the car keys, they will have to talk to you because I cast them over on you.

That’s what we need to do with our cares. We must cast them over on the Lord and not take them back! If Satan brings a worried thought to your mind, saying, What if..., you can tell him to talk to God about it. It is in His hands, not yours!

Many people want God to supernaturally remove their worry. But that’s not the way to get the peace of God. God’s peace comes by acting on His Word that says to cast all of your worry and anxiety over on Him. You must replace those thoughts with the Word. Philippians 4:8 says to think on “whatsoever things are true…honest…just…lovely...of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”
You are the one who must control your mind. The Word says the peace of God will garrison and mount guard over your heart and mind (Philippians 4:7, The Amplified Bible).
But you are going to have to do something. You must keep your thoughts under control.

II Corinthians 10:5 says, “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” People have told me they can’t quit worrying. They can! Anyone can stop worrying. The verse before that says the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but powerful through God to the pulling down of strongholds. The strongholds of Satan are in the mind. He makes suggestions like, It won’t work this time, and What if... and, But....

The power of God begins to operate when you cast your care over on Him. As long as you worry about it, you only hinder the flow of His power and tie His hands.

Meditate on these three scriptures: I Peter 5:6-7; II Corinthians 10:5 and Philippians 4:6. Joshua 1:8 says if you will meditate in the Word day and night, you will be able to see how to do it. Philippians 4:9 says, “Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do....” As you give your attention to these scriptures, the Holy Spirit will reveal this truth to you and you will then be able to act on it!

Philippians 4:13 is the finale: “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” You don’t have to worry again. The greater One dwells in you. He is able to put you over. Commit to it. You will never worry again.

The Bible says if you pray according to God’s will, you know He hears you and you have the petitions you desired of Him (I John 5:14-15). God’s Word is His will.

God is faithful. His Word can be relied on. Don’t wait until you can see the manifestation before you believe you have it. That will put you over into an area of waiting and hoping. If you believe you receive when you pray, begin to praise God for the answer.

Faith involves thanksgiving and praise. Philippians 4:6 says, “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” Thanksgiving and praise are integral parts of prayer.

You and God are working together. It is your prayer and His power.

Praise is more than just words. There is power in it. God did not ordain praise just so we could brag on Him. Psalms 8:1-2 says, “O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens. Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.” Jesus quoted this verse of scripture and said, “Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise” (Matthew 21:16). Strength and praise are the same according to the Word of God. God ordained praise to stop Satan in his tracks.

Once you have believed that you received because of the Word, your faith is in action. Through praise, you are throwing your faith up against that mountain of adversity in your life. Jesus said if you have faith and doubt not, you can speak to the mountain and it will be removed. You will have what you say. If you quit applying the force of faith, the mountain will not be removed. You want the mountain to keep moving until it sinks into the sea and is completely out of sight! Apply the force of faith by praising God that it is gone!

The only way Satan can stop you and your faith is through unbelief. He does not have power to stop God. He cannot stop that mountain from moving into the sea. The only way he can succeed is to make you quit applying the pressure.

The mountain may be sickness, disease, alcohol, family trouble, financial trouble or any evil work. Jesus bought and paid for the answer to all of it. You cannot face any problem that has not been taken care of through Calvary’s Cross.

The psalmist David said, “I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will show forth all thy marvellous works. I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High. When mine enemies are turned back, they shall fall and perish at thy presence” (Psalms 9:1-3). He did not say if. He said when the enemies fall back! As you praise God, those enemies will retreat. The Bible says He inhabits the praises of His people (Psalms 22:3).

Praise is not something you just feel once in a while. God is worthy of your praise. The Bible says to offer the sacrifice of praise. What did Israel do in the Old Testament when they had problems they could not overcome? The priest would offer sacrifices to God to bring Him on the scene and God would stop the onslaught of the enemy. As a new covenant believer, you are a priest of God. No other sacrifice can be offered. Jesus offered the ultimate blood sacrifice. As a priest, you offer the sacrifice of praise. Hebrews 13:15 says, “By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.”

In Luke 17, Jesus ministered to 10 men who had leprosy. They said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go show yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed” (verses 13-14). Verse 15 says, “And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified [praised] God.” They were all cleansed. But only one praised God unashamedly. Jesus said, “Were not the ten cleansed? but where are the nine?” Then He said to the man, “...Thy faith hath made thee whole” (verse 19). The others were cleansed but he was made whole! His faith kept working. His mountain did not stop at the seashore or sink halfway into the sea! No trace of his mountain was left. Whatever the disease had destroyed was restored.

That is the kind of power you can have right now in your own life. If you are not familiar with praising God, or it makes you feel uncomfortable, ask God to show you how. You can start by reading the Psalms aloud. They speak of the great and mighty works of God. They praise Him for His goodness, power and mercy. God is faithful to perfect your praises!