We live in a world where relationships are important. Many individuals put great value on their relationships with those in powerful positions. In fact some are willing to pay considerable sums of money in order to have access to the "movers and shakers" of society. How much would someone pay for access to the most powerful being in the universe?

God has granted members of His Church the tremendous privilege of developing a close, intimate relationship with Him. In fact we are called His children (Romans 8:14-16), which implies a close, loving relationship. God gives us the privilege of appearing before His throne any time we choose.

We are given a glimpse of that throne in Revelation 4:2-11. John describes a vision he was given of God's glorious throne and the honor and glory the four living creatures and 24 elders give Him.

And yet we are encouraged to "come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:16). Our prayers are described as incense before God's throne (Revelation 5:8). We didn't have to pay for this privilege—God granted us access through grace.

Who Does God Hear?

We also live in societies where many people pray to God on a regular basis. For example, according to a survey conducted by Barna Research in 2001, 82 percent of adults surveyed indicated that they pray during a typical week. But does God listen to any and every prayer? King David stated in Psalm 66:18, "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear." God inspired Isaiah to record, "When you spread out your hands, I will hide My eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood" (Isaiah 1:15). These are just two verses that indicate God does not listen to every prayer offered to Him.

How do we know that God hears us? Certain conditions have to be met. As we have just seen, God does not listen to those who live their lives in rebellion to Him (Isaiah 59:1-2). Therefore one condition of answered prayer is obedience. The apostle John was inspired to write, "And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight" (1 John 3:22).

Believing Prayers

Another condition to answered prayer is faith. We must pray to God in faith in order to please Him. "But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him" (Hebrews 11:6).

As we communicate with our Creator, we must do so through faith and sincerity. God does not answer faithless prayers (James 1:5-7). Christ instructed His disciples, "Whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them" (Mark 11:24).

When we pray, we are instructed to ask in Christ's name. As we make our requests to our Heavenly Father in the name of Jesus Christ, we are recognizing Christ's authority as our High Priest. Christ instructed His disciples, "And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son" (John 14:13).

Making our requests in the name of Jesus Christ implies that our prayers are in harmony with Christ's will. We have the responsibility to continually study God's Word in order to understand His will. Once we understand God's will, we can make our requests with great confidence. The apostle John wrote, "Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him" (1 John 5:14-15).

As we strive to be obedient, seeking God in faith, we can approach our Heavenly Father through the office of our High Priest, Jesus Christ. We can ask anything according to God's will, knowing with confidence that He hears us and will grant our requests. This is the most valuable relationship that I can imagine! Let's continue to develop and strengthen that relationship by walking and talking with God on a daily basis. UN