Q4. Obedience and Answered Prayer

[maddog]

Q4. (1 John 3:22) We know that God doesn't "owe" us anything. So what is the relationship between obedience and answered prayer? Do we "earn" God's favor through obedience?

Through God's Grace and Mercy He forgives us. Salvation is free but it came with a price: the Cross. Our responsibility is to live righteous lives. We express this by loving others, whether they reciprocate or not. Our duty is to love those who don't love us. We don't earn God's favor because of Christ. Gods favor is freely given. What we do establish, though, is that we live by the truth.

[sahala p.s.]

Q4. (1 John 3:22) We know that God doesn't "owe" us anything. So what is the relationship between obedience and answered prayer? Do we "earn" God's favor through obedience?

We know that God doesn't "owe" us anything. So what is the relationship between obedience and answered prayer?

He, our heavenly Father, is leading us, his children, to his plan that is good for us for the present and for the future of us. God supplies us anything what we need to live in according to his plan. In order that what he has planned for us can be achieved, he disciplines us, although for this we endure hardship and our prayer do not be answered. God wants us that we obey him. If not, consequently, we have his discipline, and he do not answer our prayer.

Do we "earn" God's favor through obedience?

No. We receive his favor because of his grace, not because of our obedience. We do not deserve his favor

[Foofee's Nana]

We know that God doesn't "owe" us anything. So what is the relationship between obedience and answered prayer?

When we are obedient we are not unlike a human child....if we stay close to the will of our parent (God, the Father) we can pray and know it will be answered.

Do we "earn" God's favor through obedience?

In a way...yes.....if we abide in His will we are in Hos favor. We know this is apart from grace, but an act of obedience.

[browniiiii]

(1 John 3:22) We know that God doesn't "owe" us anything. So what is the relationship between obedience and answered prayer? Do we "earn" God's favor through obedience?

By being obedient God is more likely to grant our non-essential prayers.

No we cannot earn God's grace, we have to learn it by learning to be obedient to His Word and showing that that we will be grateful for God's favors.

[royk]

I think obedience opens our hearts to God's answers to prayer. When we are disobedient, we put a wall up between God & ourselves.

No, we don't "earn" God's favor. Our desire should be an open, sinless relationship with God and He is more likely to answer our prayers when we desire the deeper relationship with Him.

God knows us far better than we do ourselves. He sees through the falseness of what causes our sins, tied to many tiny details and falseness of our past lives. He is so gentle how he lead us to see the truth, which is "How much He our creator loves us!"

He leads us to this truth, to the point where we can see it more and more, allowing us to learn slowly to love more like Him. Sorry, we do not earn this. It is so subtle and graceful how He does this. We learn to choose the right way eventually, as long as we continue to seek him. Yes it is our choice but it is not to be done to earn something, rather to be knowing full well that "blessed are the poor in spirit,' and that is who we are, just a drop of dust in their world, with no merit for anything that he'd choose to give us.

[royk]

Q4. (1 John 3:22) We know that God doesn't "owe" us anything. So what is the relationship between obedience and answered prayer? Do we "earn" God's favor through obedience?

We can never obey enough to gain God's favor. His grace goes far beyond anything we could hope to earn. His love an grace make no sense in earthly terms; just a good example of how the creator's love for what he created is perfect an unconditional. Knowing this can help make us realize from the beatitudes that:

1. we are blessed by being so 'poor in spirit' and realizing we, though worthless are love by the father, when we seek Him we can feel and receive the blessing/s

2. we are incapable of and can never earn unconditional love like what He offers

3. we can make Him happy be obeying, and recognizing Him supreme authority, bowing and following Him will. Jesus said/prayed "let they will be done on earth as it is in heaven..."

God prepares us to be better prayers, more obedient, more in total submission to Him, it is then that he answers, what he had planned to do for us as we'd evolve on a path closer to him, closer to sacrificing all for Him, i.e. giving it all up to him glory.

[anne1151]

Q4. (1 John 3:22) We know that God doesn't "owe" us anything. So what is the relationship between obedience and answered prayer? Do we "earn" God's favor through obedience?

1.God commands us to love one another. When we disobey Him and don't help, love and take care of His people, how can we expect God to favor us with answered

prayer.

2.Thruout history, God has punished His disobedient children. When they wander from Him and don't obey, He yanks them back to His way. When we love, and obey

Him He leads us day by day. He is with us and helps us in our daily lives. By being obedient to Him, I think we earn Gods favor. He loves us anyway, but helps us

when we are obedient.

[Ramon]

Q4. (1 John 3:22) We know that God doesn't "owe" us anything. So what is the relationship between obedience and answered prayer? Do we "earn" God's favor through obedience?

Answer:

1. We know that God doesn't "owe" us anything. So what is the relationship between obedience and answered prayer?

Obedience here is ..OBEDIENCE TO HIS COMMANDMENTS…what is God Commandments?

TO BELIEVE IN GRACE…Who is Grace?...OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST…OUR PRAYERS ARE ANSWERED BECAUES WE BELIEVE IN JESUS CHRIST WHO IS AT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE FATHER,INTERCEEDING IN OUR BEHALF TO THE FATHER(Heb 7:25- Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them).

We should not stop at verse 22 and CLAIM THAT OUR PRAYERS ARE ANSWERED BECAUSE OF OUR OWN PRAYERS AND OBEDIENCE..look at verse 24 who is the obedience Apostle John Refers to:

1 John 3:22-23And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight

23 And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment

My friends IT IS ALL ABOUT JESUS..and our obedience is JUST A FRUIT OF OUR BELIEF IN THE FINISHED WORK OF JESUS IN THE CROSS,..IT MUST NOT BE THE ROOT,TO WHICH WE CAN BE PROUD AND SAY”GOD ANSWER MY PRAYERS BECAUSE I OBEY AND DO THIS,AND THAT…”..

ANSWERED PRAYERS ARE DUE TO GOD’S GRACE,UNMERITED FAVOR,AND MERCY..NO MORE NO LESS…OBEDIENCE AND ANSWERED PRAYERS ARE BOTH FRUIT,BECAUSE WE BECOME THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST..

GOD ANSWERED PRAYERS BECAUSE THAT IS HIS NATURE,TO LAVISH HIS CHILDREN WITH BLESSINGS,TO LOVE HIS PEOPLE(John 10:10- …I have come so that they may have life, and may have it abundantly,)

WE OBEY,BECAUSE IT IS OUR NEW NATURE(2 Cor 5:17)..WE CANT HELP IT,WE AUTOMATICALLY JUST DO IT,IN THE SAME WAY WHEN WE ARE STILL IN OUR SINFUL NATURE…WE AUTOMATICALLY JUST SIN,BECAUSE IT IS WHO WE ARE IN FIRST ADAM(Romans 5;12- Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned).

2 Do we "earn" God's favor through obedience?

NO!!!!

We earn God Favor when we received and believe on HIS SON…

We cannot earn His favor by,trusting on our self goodness,that we do this and that….and we abstain from this and that..THAT KIND OF OBEDIENCE AND RIGHTEOUSNESS,was called by Prophet Isaiah as FILTHY RAG…LIKEN TO CLOTH IN MENSTRUAL RAG..

Isaiah 64:6- We are all like one who is unclean,all our so-called righteous acts are like a menstrual rag in your sight. We all wither like a leaf;our sins carry us away like the wind.

we dont earn God's Favor by our obedience,because if we can earn that way...then JESUS NEED NOT DIE AT THE CROSS..

[servant for Christ]

Obeying God's commandments, loving Him. and pleasing Him are indispensable conditions in order to receive what we ask for in prayer. Love is the heart of obedience to the law, its presence in one's life evidences submission to God which He blesses by answered prayers.

[jacquie7]

The relationship between obedience and answered prayer is God’s grace. It maintains our relationship with God and requires our participation. If we have a clear conscience, we can go to God without fear and be confident that our prayers will be heard and we can receive if we obey and do what pleases God.

[Craig]

Q4. (1 John 3:22) We know that God doesn't "owe" us anything. So what is the relationship between obedience and answered prayer? Do we "earn" God's favor through obedience?

Obedience is the basis for a vigorous and healthy relationship with God. Disobedience separates one from God. In a good and healthy relationship God wants to interact in our lives. God wants to answer our prayers. Scripture teaches us that God desires to grant us the desires of our heart. However, a heart that is abiding in the will of God. We don't earn what God gives freely out of love for those who love and cherish Him. For those who intentionally seek His will for their lives and a deep relationship with Him. God desires to bless those who love Him.

[Guitar Jim]

Q4. (1 John 3:22) We know that God doesn't "owe" us anything. So what is the relationship between obedience and answered prayer? Do we "earn" God's favor through obedience?

 

I truly don't believe there is a relationship between obedience and answered prayer. I'm sure we all know someone who just seems to blunder through life and somehow misses all the landmines. I was in a band with a guy like that. It was patently obvious that God had plans for him in His service and so He made this man succeed in spite of his best efforts and not because of them. Every time the guy screwed up, God had to make it right . . . and He did! And God used us, his bandmates to further his career at the expense of ours.

 

Back when I was married I was a truck driver. It was heartbreaking to leave for work when my wife was sick at home with a migraine, but i had to do it. On my way to work I'd beg God to heal her from that headache and you know what? He NEVER did . . . not once! Now I wasn't the best Christian I could have been, but I wouldn't do any one a bad turn and I helped every brother and sister in Christ that needed the help I could give. I had been a God-fearing, Bible believing, tithing Christian since 1982 and it was 1997 by the time I was made redundant from my job after 15 years, Then I injured my left shoulder severely enough that I couldn't return to truck driving. Then I had to fall back on my musical ability to make some kind of living. Then I just kept getting sicker and more injuries. Then people kept screwing with my career just because they could. Then my wife and I split up. She couldn't handle the insecurity of living with an itinerant musician. Then my life's savings were cut in half by the Global Financial Crisis in 2008. Then I got diabetes. Then most of my work dried up and I was forced out of many venues I'd been playing successfully but people who perceived me as a threat to their careers. Today I rent a room in my brother's house. I live from week to week on my pension and what ever I can make gigging. At least these days when I don't have much further to fall, God seems to be stopping me from hitting rock bottom. But still, just when it seems I may have a few bucks left over from last week something witll come up and I have to spend it all to make it right.

 

My ex-girlfriend used to be a Christian and still professes to have faith. All the while she was going to church she was dealing drugs for her brother in his outlaw motorcycle gang and having sex with multiple partners. Even today whenever she needs something it seems people fall over themselves to provide it.

 

So, a relationship between obedience and answered prayer? Simply can't believe it.

[Old Jerry]

I think that the relationship between obedience and answered prayer is that God always answers our prayers but I think that He gives us a “yes” answer more often when we are obedient to Him. We do not “earn” God’s favor through obedience but I think He is more apt to give us an affirmative answer if we are obedient.

[wifee]

4a)John is saying we receive answers to prayers because of our obedience to God’s commends about how to live.Obedience means we don’t make certain requests,and it soften’s our hearts to receive God’s answers for our prayers.Disobedience creates a barrier between us and God and we want an open sinless relationship with God.

 

b)When we are saved &our relationship with the Father has been restored by grace out of his love for us,not by our own merits. However, how we live our lives as a Christian requires that we participate with God’s grace.i.e not expect anwers to our prayers,or take it for granted that we are saved &say it doesn’t matter how we live.Proverbs 12:2 says, "A good man obtains favor from the LORD, but the LORD condemns a crafty man.", We don’t earn God’s favour,because we should never place Him under any obligation.Obedience to God and His word brings pleasure and satisfaction to the Lord,and if we love Him,we want to please Him and obey Him.

[cezhead]

  Obedience is another way of saying "keeping His commandments". Keeping His commandments pleases God, and it also pleases Him to bless His children. I believe that there is no such thing as unanswered prayer. God will ALWAYS answer prayer. His answers are yes, no, and wait. Just because we don't get the answer we want does not mean He didn't answer our prayer.

[JSF]

We know that God doesn't "owe" us anything.  So what is the relationship between obedience and answered prayer? Do we "earn" God's favor through obedience?

 

In 1Peter, he talks about how husbands are to treat their wives "so that nothing will hinder your prayer"s.

 

In Prov. 15, God hears the prayer of the righteous.

 

In 1 Chron., God's people were in war and cried out to God for help.  "He answered their prayers, becaue they trusted in Him".

 

Somewhere:  the prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

 

I think God wants our faith and trust most of all.   Our obedience flows from that trust. And yes, apparently there is a relationship between our lives of obedience and answered prayer.

 

 

[JSF]

^{James 5:16} Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

[Uncle Dave]

We know that God doesn't "owe" us anything.  So what is the relationship between obedience and answered prayer?

God is our Father, that we must remember. He is not only our father, and not only is He a good father, we couldn’t have a better father. To put that into context, even a good father will grant requests as he is able for an obedient child, and our Father Jehovah, who lives in Heaven is able to grant all requests and His word states that we “receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him.” (NIV)

 

Do we "earn" God's favor through obedience?

I have to say yes to this question because of verse 3:22.

 

[hanks]

Q4. (1 John 3:22) 
We know that God doesn't "owe" us anything.  
So what is the relationship between obedience and answered prayer? 
Do we "earn" God's favour through obedience?
Once we become a child of God we will want to obey Him. We will slip up every now and then, but will immediately ask for forgiveness. We do not obey our Lord expecting a reward. However, when we ask according to His will, we will receive from Him the things we ask for, or even better, the things God knows we need.
 

[haar]

Q4. (1 John 3:22)

Q. We know that God doesn't "owe" us anything.  So what is the relationship between obedience and answered prayer?

A. Though we are saved by grace, we need to live in obedience to God to have our prayers answered.

Q. Do we "earn" God's favor through obedience?

A. My answer is NO.  Favour is like grace that is unmerited. 

[Reuben]

Q4. (1 John 3:22) We know that God doesn't "owe" us anything. So what is the relationship between obedience and answered prayer? Do we "earn" God's favour through obedience?

God knows out hearts and actions. He is like any parent would be , and that is you want to give more to the child that does things as they should and are told to do. God has a closer relationship with His children that walk in His light and can pray with a heart full of love, faith and a clear conscience. Is it not true that we always feel less likely to give when we know we are only important to some when they want something?? If the relationship is open, true and honest, we give, and I think this is how God feels and responds in our prayers and relationship to him.

We don't "earn" favour, it is by Grace that we are saved through acceptance of His Son, Jesus Christ as our Saviour, and we do not stack up points with God to get His favour. It is only natural when you walk in the light that your relationship, and love , will grow , and this will lead to obedience and keeping His commandments. God has no favouritism but looks at everybody with the same love, only wanting each of us to have a deeply loving relationship in our Christian walk. 

[Krissi]

We know that God doesn't "owe" us anything. So what is the relationship between obedience and answered prayer? Do we "earn" God's favor through obedience?

Yes, there is a relationship between works/obedience/truth and God acknowledging prayer, but it's not linear or one-to-one. Is this the same as earning His favour?  Yes, in a way it is.  Obviously, as a sin-laden human, nothing I do rises to the level of perfection, so God must have some sort of sliding scale when he looks and hears my pathetic attempts to love others and love Him. That's the idea of a mustard seed, isn't it? A wee bit of faith ... a half-hearted good work done in grumbling obedience, is better than none. 

Perhaps God sees my obedience as flailing attempts to get closer to Him, and smiles knowingly. 

The point is that I cannot love God fully and cannot obey entirely, but God notes my efforts.

Is there a connection between obedience and answered prayer? Well, No, not directly. Only in the sense that my obedience gets me closer to Him, and as I get nearer to Him the content, direction and intensity of my prayers change. I'm to the point where I don't think God answers any specific prayer, per se, but uses my specific prayer as a way of aligning my will with His or do specific things inside of me.

 

 

[Rob Mc.]

(1 John 3:22) We know that God doesn't "owe" us anything.  So what is the relationship between obedience and answered prayer?     This is talking about a two-way relationship, between us and God.  The more we respect God’s will, and keep close to him, the greater the chances that our prayers will be heard.  Keep His commandments, hold fast to our faith, and we will receive according to His plan.

Do we "earn" God's favor through obedience?    We walk in obedience and we pray regularly.  When we are strong in both, God hears us and acts accordingly.  He is generous in his patience which allows us to correct our behavior when we stray. 

We don’t “earn” any credits or lose any debits in this relationship.    God is who he is, and he loves us unconditionally.  He just wants us to live the best life we can, emulating Jesus, and sharing our faith with everyone.  In return we are abundantly blessed. Always.