This PowerPoint lesson is all about how to understand God answers to our prayer.

1. Knowing the Will of God
{PROVERBS 19:21}
UNDERSTANDING ANSWERED
PRAYER

3. DO YOU PLANS IN
LIFE?

4. BEST EXAMPLE OF PRAYER
• JESUS is often seen having “gone off for
prayer”
• Mark 1:35 - In the early morning, while it
was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house,
and went away to a secluded place, and was
praying there.
• Matthew 6:9-10 - “Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be Your Name, Your Kingdom
come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in
heaven.”

5. WHAT GOD HAS
PROMISED
YOU?

7. HOW GOD LISTEN
AND ANSWERS
MY PRAYER?

8. GOD ANSWERS IN THREE
WAYS:
1. God says “YES”,
and you receive what
you ask for.

9. Luke 8:43-48: “Now there was a woman
who had been suffering from
hemorrhages for twelve years; and
though she had spent all she had on
physicians, no one could cure her. She
came up behind Jesus and touched the
fringe of his clothes, and immediately her
hemorrhage stopped.”

10. Luke 8:43-48: Then Jesus asked, ‘Who
touched me?’ When all denied it, Peter
said, ‘Master, the crowds surround you
and press in on you.’ But Jesus said,
‘Someone touched me; for I noticed that
power had gone out from me.’

11. Luke 8:43-48: When the woman saw that
she could not remain hidden, she came
trembling; and falling down before him, she
declared in the presence of all the people
why she had touched him, and how she
had been immediately healed. He said to
her, ‘Daughter, your faith has made you
well; go in peace.’”

12. There are several lessons from these verses
that God is revealing to us:
1. God is all powerful that can answer your
prayer instantly.
2. God knows what you need, and He is
more than willing to give what you needed.
3.God is grace is more than enough and His
riches is never ending to cover all your
desires.

13. GOD ANSWERS IN THREE
WAYS:
2. God says “No”,
and you have to
accept it and move on

14. Genesis 18:16-33: Where Abraham pleads with
God for the city of Sodom. First we see that true
prayer begins with God, vs 17, where God
reveals to Abraham that he is going to go down
and see if the sin in Sodom is grievous. God
engages with Abraham “a friend of God” and
tells him that he is going to destroy the cities

15. Genesis 18:16-33: God doesn’t say specifically
what he will do, but says He will go and see, and
“I will know”. Abraham who knows all the sins of
the city, knows the cities are doomed and thus
begins to plead with God, because he
recognizes Gods mercy. Verses 22-32 detail the
conversation and back and forth negotiations
between Abraham and God, and it’s quite
interesting.

16. Genesis 18:16-33: Abraham begins asking for
the city to be spared, if there are but 50
righteous who are in it. He boldly prays, “Far be
it from thee to do such a thing, to slay the
righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous
fare as the wicked! Far be it from Thee! Shall
not the Judge of all the earth do right? God
agrees that he will not destroy the cities if he
finds 50 righteous.

17. Genesis 18:16-33: Abraham then asks for the city
to be spared if there are but 45, he humbly states,
“Behold I have taken upon myself to speak to the
Lord, I who am but dust and ashes.” God agrees to
spare for 45 righteous. Abraham asks to spare for
40, God agrees. Abraham again shows humility and
more boldness, “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I
will speak, suppose 30 be found”, God agrees to
spare for 30.

18. Genesis 18:16-33: Notice here that Abraham
began his negotiations by increments of 5, but now
asks in increments of 10. Abraham asks to spare for
20, God agrees. Abraham asks to spare for 10, God
agrees, and then the Lord went his way.

19. The first notable prayer whose text is
‘recorded in the Torah and Hebrew Bible
occurs when Abraham pleads with God not
to destroy the people of Sodom, where his
nephew Lot lives. He bargains with God
not to destroy the city if there are fifty good
men within, and eventually lowers the total
to ten. God sends two angels to the city,
which is ultimately destroyed with "burning
sulfur?” when they cannot find the ten
requisite good people.

20. There are several lessons from these verses
that God is revealing to us:
1.True prayer starts with God, it’s about His
will and intentions not ours.
2.We should be humble and know our place,
we are speaking to God the creator and ruler
of the whole universe.
3.When appealing to God’s gracious nature
we can be very bold.

21. GOD ANSWERS IN THREE
WAYS:
3. God says “NOT
NOW”, and you learn
to be patient and
wait.

22. Genesis 37–50: Joseph grew up as his father Jacob's
favorite. He was the firstborn of Rachel, Jacob's favorite
wife, who had passed away giving birth to her second
child, Benjamin. In a showy display of love for Joseph,
Jacob gave him a special coat of many colors. Joseph's
ten half-brothers loathed his special status. They were
born to Leah whose father, Laban, had tricked Jacob into
marrying. Sadly, Jacob did not love Leah as much as he
did Rachel.

23. Genesis 37–50: Even more frustrating to
Joseph's brothers were his grandiose
dreams. He once dreamed of eleven
bundles of grain (his brothers) that bowed
down to his bundle. In another dream, the
sun (representing his father), moon (his
mother) and eleven stars (his brothers), all
bowed down to him.

24. Genesis 37–50: One day, Jacob sent Joseph
to bring supplies to his brothers who were
away herding sheep. When he found them
in a place called Dothan, the majority of
them wanted to kill him and throw his body
into an empty well.

25. Genesis 37–50: Other brothers sold him as a
slave to some passing merchants heading to
Egypt. They decided to explain Joseph’s
disappearance to their father Jacob by staining
his coat with goat’s blood. When Jacob saw the
coat, he was understandably devastated and
convinced that his favorite son was dead.

26. Genesis 37–50: Upon arriving in Egypt, the
merchants sold Joseph as a slave to Potiphar, the
captain of Pharaoh's guard. Joseph did a great
job working for him, resulting in his promotion as
head of the entire household. Joseph was put in
charge of everything Potiphar owned. Things
were looking up for Joseph but a certain member
of Potiphar's household was about to undo all his
success.

27. Genesis 37–50: : Joseph was a good-looking guy
which his master's wife had noticed. In fact, she
was so enamored with him that she tried on several
occasions to get him to sleep with her. The
temptress didn't give up though. She cornered him
one day and grabbed his cloak when he tried to run
away. With the cloak in her hand, Potiphar's wife
reported to the men of the household that Joseph
had tried to rape her.

28. Genesis 37–50: Faced with his wife's wild claims
about Joseph, Potiphar had little choice but to
have him thrown into prison. Joseph was innocent
of any crime and rose to the occasion. He
impressed the prison warden so much that he put
him in charge of the other prisoners.

29. Genesis 37–50: While in prison, Joseph interpreted
the dreams of two fellow inmates: Pharaoh's cupbearer
and his chief baker. The dream the cupbearer had about
serving Pharaoh freshly squeezed grape juice was a sign
he would be restored to his former position. Joseph told
the baker that his dream of birds eating bread out of
baskets intended for the Pharaoh unfortunately pointed to
his impending execution.

30. Genesis 37–50: It wasn't until Pharaoh himself
had a bad dream two years later that the forgetful
cupbearer thought to mention Joseph. Pharaoh
dreamed of seven skinny cows eating seven fat
ones and seven withered ears of grain consuming
seven fat ears. When Pharaoh's officials failed to
interpret the dream, the restored cupbearer
remembered Joseph and suggested his wisdom
be sought.

31. Genesis 37–50: The interpretation of the dream,
combined with the good counsel he received,
made a great impression on Pharaoh who
decided to make Joseph his second-in command
in Egypt. Joseph went on to supervise the
stockpiling of grain in preparation for the great
famine that was coming. At thirty years of age,
Joseph had ascended to the second most
powerful position in the land.

32. There are several lessons from these verses
that God is revealing to us:
1.God has a plan for us.
2.This plan is outside of our desires.
3.This plan will require waiting from time to time.
4.Waiting teaches us patience.
5.Biblical waiting teaches us perseverance.
6.God may be protecting us from something or someone.
7.It is simply not the right time for us to have something.
8.We are not ready for this circumstance or responsibility.
9.Learning to trust God takes time.
10.Waiting on the Lord will grow our relationship with Him.
11.God will always provide an answer to our prayers.
12.We are under God’s Sovereign control, and we are loved.