The One Prayer God Always Answers - Your Way, and Right On Time

Prayers to God sometimes don't seem to get answers. For a variety of reasons that we do not know, God's ways in any given situation can be very different from our human understanding. God has the big picture and we don't. God knows what is good for a particular person and we often don't. God may not respond because of our wrong motives. God may respond to our request positively but in a way that we would not expect. God may use our seemingly negative situation as a positive influence in the life of someone around us.
But there is one prayer which God always answers YOUR way – it is the prayer of SALVATION.
Every human being born into the world is being dealt with in their mind by the Holy Spirit of God. Many seem to reject this influence completely. Others take many years of trials before they come to the understanding of their need for Jesus Christ. Some may accept Christ early-on in their youth and continue to grow in their Christian life. Whatever the unique circumstances of each person are, God is drawing each human being to salvation in Jesus Christ.
How can you be used by God as an influence toward salvation on a person who is genuinely looking for answers and hope – a "seeker"? They need to near the "good news", the gospel of salvation, in some understandable form.
I believe that the following scene is an effective exposition of salvation.
You observe that Jack has been downcast over something and he finally expresses to you that he is up against the wall about some situation or situations in his life. He feels insecure and inferior and without any confidence in his ability to overcome the problem. He feels that there is something wrong with him.
You might say to him, "Do you know, Jack, that there has never been anything wrong with you?"
Jack may reply, "But how can that be true? Why right now, I am a mess!"
"You see, Jack, when God created us in His likeness and image, He did a perfect work, with one exception. That exception was, the human being He created was not complete. What He created was good, but it was not intended to function by itself. In fact, God so created the human being that He Himself would have to be the life of the human if it were to function properly.
"Our forefather, Adam, didn't know all this, but what he did know was there was something missing in him. That's the reason why he ate the forbidden fruit, hoping to fill the need he had. He could have obeyed God and, in time, he would have eaten of the tree of life and become a completed person. But when he believed what Satan said, he filled that void God had left for Himself with Satan's nature.
"Now Adam had a sin nature in him that was contrary to his God creation and he could never function properly. What God wanted and needed was for Adam to love Him so much he would obey Him. As a result of Adam's disobedience he took on an erroneous nature and as Adam's seed proceeded down the line into every human being, each and every one took on this wrong nature.
"So you, and everyone of us, came into the world with a nature in us that was contrary to the way God created us. Our trouble has been a Satan nature trying to operate through our God creation and we have never reached the level of life that God planned for us. But, Jack, maybe I am way over your head with this kind of talk."
Jack replied, "No, I've heard some of this before, but the way you put it fascinates me. Go on."
"You see from the beginning, Jack, all God ever wanted was someone to love Him, love Him more than themselves. Well, there was never any real hope for humans until God sent His Son to this earth. The first message His Son gave when He came was very strange. In fact, the greatest religious folk of that day didn't understand the message. The message Jesus brought from the Father was, 'You must be born again.' This, of course, was really confusing. God knew that most humans wouldn't understand it, so God sent the Holy Spirit to explain it directly to as many as wanted to know the truth.
"What was necessary for humans to become what God created them to be was to have a new birth, with a new Father and all. While most people didn't understand this, there were some that were so disgusted with their lives they trusted God to take out the old Satan nature that Adam had erroneously chosen, and trust God for a new nature.
"The Bible says that new nature IS Christ and God has fixed it so that Christ in the human completes the human creation. This event is what Jesus called being born-again."
"What you are saying," Jack says, "is that I need to get religion?"
"No, Jack, it is not religion you need but a relationship of union with Christ dwelling within you. I am saying that when you accept Christ as your Savior and life, everything becomes new and you're able to be the person you were created to be."
"All this is new to me. It sounds great but how will it help my problem?"
"When you are born again, everything becomes new. Let's look at one of the problems you mentioned. You said that you felt insecure and inferior. Now when you give your life to Jesus with the prayer of salvation and you are born again, everything in your past is over, a new life is begun. You are a new creature, just like a newborn babe, you have a whole new life in front of you. You can forget the past, and forget that you've always felt that you are inferior. You become a whole new creature in Christ."
Very quietly Jack asked, "But what do I have to do to have all this happen? I've lived all my life one way. I don't know if I can live another way."
"Jack, that's a good question and the answer is in whether you love God enough to take the first step. The important thing is whether you feel your need of a Savior. To do this you simply tell God you're in trouble and can't save yourself, you need a savior."
"But how is all of this going to help me? I've been weak so often in my life when I should have been strong. The obstacles in my life have made me see myself as incapable. What can Christ do about all of this?"
"When you accept Christ as your Savior, He wants to become your life from within. That means He takes charge of your creation, the way God originally created you, and causes you to become the true person you really are. You will function as you were created because Christ in you fits your creation. It will still be you, but it will be Christ as you by your trust in Him. This means you will be operating with His knowledge available to you, you will have His strength and you will be in His care. You can go on as the real you because you're free of the old you."
"Oh," Jack replies, "if that could happen I'd be the happiest person in the world. What must I do to have Christ as my life?"
As you see that the time is ripe and the Jack is ready to accept Christ as Savior and Lord of his life, you might take his hand and pray this prayer of salvation with him.

Heavenly Father, I need help. I know that I cannot save myself, so I accept Jesus Christ as my Savior. I call on Your forgiveness with my desire to make Jesus the Lord of my life. I thank You and I love You."

When you finish, Jack might say, "What a feeling. I've never felt like this before. Do you really believe God heard us? Do you really think anything happened?"
"Of course! THIS IS THE ONE PRAYER GOD ALWAYS ANSWERS – YOUR WAY AND RIGHT ON TIME! In this instant you are born again, you are a new creature and all things will become new to you."
"But what do I do now? I know nothing about God or my new life. How can I make it all work? "
"You are not the one who makes it work. If you try, you will fail. It is Christ in you who will spontaneously come out of you. This spontaneity will grow as you learn of Christ and read His words. Get a Bible and start reading in John's gospel and in Paul's and John's epistles in the New Testament. It is here that you will find out about the new life that is in you. As you read of your new life, as you learn to dialogue with Christ within, as you grow to trust and accept His strength in your weakness, His life will flow out of you without effort on your part. The key to the new life is that it is Christ that lives, not you.
"You can be assured that salvation, in the person of Christ, has come to you. There is truly another person, Jesus Christ, living in you and this joy is yours throughout eternity. You probably realize you may not have the same emotions or feelings always, as you do now. But the reason you feel this way now is because Christ is in you and that will never change. He will never leave you, regardless of your thoughts, feelings and actions.
"Your human life from this point on will be a learning process by which God draws you into greater and greater awareness of the life of Christ in you. You will falter and fall many times, but Christ will stay with you and pick you back up. You will learn the characteristics of a child in God's Family."

Yes, God answers prayer in many ways, and at unexpected times –
But He never fails to respond instantly to the PRAYER OF SALVATION.

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