A Pathway To Answered Prayers - Tuesday Praise & Pray (for others) February 24, 2026

Jesus taught His disciples that if they prayed in His name, God would answer them (John 16:23). He also said something amazing in John 16:26-27 - In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.

He promised that because they believed in Him, God would love them, and as a result, He wouldn't need to plead for anything on their behalf. Instead, God would be triggered to move for them because they loved Him. If we believe Jesus wasn't a liar, then we must take Him at His word that the disciples' love for Him would be enough to answer their prayers.

And if we believe this, then we must ask ourselves certain questions. First, are we disciples of Jesus? Second, do we believe in Him? Third, do we love Him? These questions seem easy to answer, but we should take a second before responding.

What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus? The early disciples agreed with Jesus's teachings and applied them. They shared the good news and encouraged others to 'taste and see.' They saw Him perform miracles and observed Him living a lifestyle that reflected the scriptures at work. Their relationship was such that He even called them His friends.​

On the issue of loving Him, Jesus revealed what this meant in John 21. He stressed that the way to love Him was to take care of others. The activities of the early church reflected this. They prayed for people, shared their belongings and food with others, and met the group's needs.

If we have chosen to make Jesus our Lord and Savior and follow the Holy Spirit's leading, then we are His disciples in this age. Like the disciples of old, we can benefit from the assurances He gave in John 16:26-27 and elsewhere. These promises are our right as those who are known by His name. All we have to do is meet the requirements to receive.

We need to lovingly share the gospel with others. The best way to do this is by how we live our lives. Especially when we think nobody is watching. We need to agree with what Jesus taught and put it into action. As we apply His instructions with the help of the Holy Spirit, we become more like what God wants to see when He looks at us - fruitful vessels through which the earth is blessed.

Believers are empowered to pray and see things happen. They should put God's concerns first, knowing that He will give to them all they need (Mark 8:33; Matthew 6:33). Regular Bible study and applying the word will help us remain in Jesus and ensure we are true disciples (John 15:4). God knows we are imperfect. Still, He wants our submission and to let Him transform us.

We must remember that we cannot deceive Him. He knows those striving for righteousness and those who aren't. He also will not fulfill detestable prayers, and He cannot be manipulated or commanded. So, we must allow Him to teach us how to pray and live as disciples who reap the rewards of discipleship and relationship with His Son. The Lord will help us.

As you await fellowship at Noon EST, consider reading the Altar Call below and the following previous P&P messages:​

1. The Name of Jesus Pt 1​

2. The Name of Jesus Pt 2​

3. Look out for what you prayed for​

4. The Answered Prayers You Don't See​

5. Take Jesus At His Word​

6. Do You Love Jesus?​

7. The Currency of Faith​

8. Expect the Exceedingly and Abundantly​

9. Ask, Don't 'Tell' With God​

10. Fruitfulness Brings Answered Prayers​

11. Doubt Kills Prayers​

12. Topic: Love​

13. Topic: God's Love​

14. Topic: Jesus Christ​

15. Topic: Faith, Trust, Belief in God​

16. Topic: God's Rewards

Hypocrites: Unmarked Graves - Friday Praise & Pray (for others) February 20, 2026

Jesus reserved some of His sternest criticisms for the Pharisees. While it is easy to be entertained by how He 'clocked' and 'shaded' them, we can never overlook the key lessons those interactions contained. They contain takeaways that we must recognize and put into practice to faithfully serve the Lord.

Let us consider what Jesus told a group of Pharisees in Luke 11:44 - “Woe to you, because you are like unmarked graves, which people walk over without knowing it.” I've previously failed to give this warning adequate attention, but during a recent Bible study, these words lit up, and I couldn't ignore them.

Old Testament context is needed to better understand. Numbers 19:16 states that anyone who touches a grave, human bone, or corpse is defiled for seven days. A defiled person is considered unclean and shouldn't be around others or even touch things others will use so as not to make them unclean too. Lepers were deemed unclean and had to stay away from society, hence why one leper came back overjoyed to praise Jesus upon realizing he was healed.

Being unclean required the person to stay away from others during their period of defilement, then take certain steps to complete their cleansing. This applied to women during their monthly menstruation, for instance. It is partly why the woman with the issue of blood was desperate enough to jostle her way through a crowd to snatch her healing from Jesus. She'd been unclean for 12 years and needed a solution (Luke 8).

Going back to the unmarked graves issue, put yourself in the mindset of those Jews from back then. They were careful to avoid what would defile them and demand they drop out of sight for days before going through cleansing rites. Now, imagine being unclean and thus ceremonially impure without knowing it. They prided themselves on following the Laws of Abraham and thus being the children of their ancestor and the God who favored him.

Consider how the Pharisees must have felt when Jesus told them they were nothing more than unmarked graves. To them, only those unfamiliar with the Torah and other religious books could be that way. They, on the other hand, were religious leaders, esteemed in society for their knowledge. Think of how they must have understood what Jesus said about them. Think of the shock others must have felt when they realized the meaning behind the Savior's comment.

Instead of carefully examining themselves for the truth of what Jesus was saying, their flesh swept them up into anger, pride, and vengeance, and they conspired to murder Him. Not only were they insulted, but they were threatened by the challenge to their reputation and rule that He presented.

Their reaction is a reminder that we must be careful how we respond to what God tells us through the messengers He sends. He often reveals tough things about us so we can change and come into right standing with Him. When we choose instead to harm His servants because of what they said, we could bring serious problems upon ourselves, the way King Asa did.

Plus, we believers must not repeat the mistake of the Pharisees, who failed to look closely at themselves to determine whether they were unmarked graves that defiled others. Many of us are Christians, but we fail to do what a true disciple of Christ must do - obey His instructions and thereby remain rooted in Him. And when we live this way, we run the risk of becoming unmarked graves who, by our actions and words, could cause others to sin or lead people away from the Lord.

It is easy to ignore the fact that on any given day, we might be the only way some person will experience the goodness and truth of God. And when we neglect to walk as ambassadors of His kingdom, we fail to reflect Him. Then, we fall short of our calling to spread the gospel of Jesus and make it a fragrance that draws others to Him.

How exactly could this form of hypocrisy be at work in our lives? Are we living like pagans and unserious Christians? What message does that send to the people watching us? Are we attracting or repelling them from the God we claim to serve? What does that teach Christians who are struggling with their walk? Are we being a good or bad example? We don't need to be perfect, but are we being consistent in walking in righteousness? Do we claim to be spirit-filled, yet look no different from those in the world in word and deed?

This is not what God wants. He is invested in helping each of us to be a city on a hill that others will come to. After all, Jesus called us the light of the world (Matthew 5:14). And we can only be this because He is the original light of the world and burns brightly in us (John 8:12). That is what God expects us to be, not unmarked graves whose light is actually a darkness that leads others away from Him. And by His grace and mercy, He will help us to walk as His light, leading others out of the darkness, IJMN, Amen. All we need to do is cooperate with Him, and He will do the heavy lifting.

As you await fellowship at Noon EST, consider reading the Altar Call below and the following previous P&P messages:

1. Careful what you say

2. How Salty Are You?

3. Don't Cause Others To Sin

4. Your Fiduciary Duty To God

5. What Would God See When He Looks At Your Heart?

6. The Veiled Statement

7. How Can Light Be Darkness?

8. How To Treat What God Reveals

9. The Lamp, The Light, And You

10. The Veiled Statement: Puzzle Pieces

11. Topic: The Words We Speak

12. Topic: God's Revelation

13. Topic: Fruitfulness, Fruit

14. Topic: Hypocrites & Hypocrisy

15. Topic: The Pharisees

Topic: The Pharisees

1. Are You Any Better

2. Don't Fake It Till You Make It

3. Political Thuggery

4. Hypocrites

5. What Does Repentance Mean?

6. Speak Truthfully About God

7. Don't Be A Gadarene

8. Your Sin Isn't Better

9. 1 Peter 2:17 (Respect, Love, Fear, Honor)

10. Don't Ignore Justice & The Love Of God

11. Hypocrites: The Pharisees