“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ ” Matthew 25:21

Although faith and Christianity are of the heart, it often behooves us to think about them logically. As Christians, we often ask ourselves many questions regarding our situation, and the situation of others. Why has God not blessed me with a son? Why can I never get rich? Why can I never lose all of this weight? These are not bad questions, but I urge you to think about these same questions in another light. What have I done to deserve such a wonderful daughter? Why has God chosen to bless me with a job that allows me to feed my family? Why has God never chosen to give me cancer?

It seems silly to question why bad things have not happened to us, but that level of reasoning is an important step to realizing why God blesses us when He does. God often blesses us incrementally. When we show consistent generosity, He blesses us with children, jobs, and health. Everything is on a scale, though, including our own generosity. In Matthew 25:21, we are being shown that small faith is rewarded with small blessings, medium faith is rewarded with medium blessings, and a grand faith and generosity over many years is rewarded with vast riches and abundance beyond our wildest dreams. God is comfortable granting us these miraculous blessings since He has now seen our generosity that has been shown steadily and bountifully. As you increase your giving, and lengthen your track record of benevolence, God will reward you, but not directly. Watch for signs, and remember that he who knows how to give freely will certainly learn how to receive freely as well.

“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place.”

2 Chronicles 7:14-15

To be successful with prayer, we must also make sure that we are pure of heart. We must be good people, forgiving people, and have hearts that contain love and compassion for all of God’s creatures. If God sees that our heart is full of bitterness and resentment, He will often look past us. In our mission of successful prayer, it is exceedingly important that the heart be rid of all ill will and be replaced with understanding, compassion, and forgiveness for not only our friends but also our enemies.

Have you ever wished for a way to have your prayers heard by God every time?  Would it help if God answered your prayers more quickly?

If so, the Bible has left us with some advice that can help:

“For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” Matthew 18:20

To instantly ensure that your prayers are heard by at least several other people, you can post a prayer request at the Christian Prayer Center.  Your prayers will be put in front of thousands of devoted Christians.

God Bless!