Whether it be asking God for salvation from sin, healing for the body, the spiritual gifts or any ordinary asking for known needs of life, there are certain general laws given in Scripture that must be obeyed before one can expect what he wants. We have searched the gospels to find what God requires of men in order to get power with God in prayer and have definite authority over demons. The requirements of God and His unlimited promises of power are recorded in many Scriptures, as follows:
1. “Ask, and IT SHALL BE GIVEN YOU; seek, and YE SHALL FIND: knock, and IT SHALL BE OPENED UNTO YOU” (Matt. 7:7-11).
2. “Believe ye that I am able to do this? . . . According to your faith BE IT UNTO YOU” (Matt. 9:28-29).
3. “If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed . . . NOTHING SHALL BE IMPOSSIBLE UNTO YOU” (Matt. 17:20-21).
4. “If two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask . . . IT SHALL BE DONE” (Matt. 18:19).
5. “If ye have faith, and doubt not . . . IT SHALL BE DONE. And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, YE SHALL RECEIVE” (Matt. 21:21-22).
6. If thou canst believe, ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE TO HIM THAT BELIEVETH” (Mark 9:23).
7. “Have faith in God . . . and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; HE SHALL HAVE WHATSOEVER HE SAITH. . . What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, AND YE SHALL HAVE THEM. And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: THAT YOUR FATHER ALSO . . . MAY FORGIVE YOU YOUR TRESSPASSES. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses” (Mark 11:22-26).
8. “And these SIGNS SHALL FOLLOW THEM THAT BELIEVE; In my name SHALL THEY CAST OUT DEVILS; THEY SHALL SPEAK WITH NEW TONGUES: THEY SHALL TAKE UP (Greek, airo, to remove, take out of the way, destroy, put away, as in John 1:29; John 15:2; John 19:15; 1 Cor. 5:2; 1 John 3:5; Matt. 22:13; Acts 21:36;Acts 22:22) SERPENTS: AND IF THEY SHALL DRINK ANY DEADLY THING IT SHALL NOT HURT THEM; THEY SHALL LAY HANDS ON THE SICK, AND THEY SHALL RECOVER” (Mark 16:15-20).
9. “Because of his importunity HE WILL ARISE AND GIVE HIM AS MANY AS HE NEEDETH. . . HOW MUCH MORE SHALL YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER GIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT TO THEM THAT ASK HIM” (Luke 11:5-13).
10. “Men ought always to pray, and not to faint [lose heart]. . Because this widow troubleth me, I WILL AVENGE HER, lest by her continued coming she weary [pester] me. . . And SHALL NOT GOD AVENGE HIS OWN ELECT, WHICH CRY DAY AND NIGHT UNTO HIM, though he bear long with them? I tell you HE WILL AVENGE THEM SPEEDILY” (Luke 18:1-8).
11. “Whosoever believeth in him SHOULD NOT PERISH, BUT HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE. . . He that believeth on the Son HATH EVERLASTING LIFE” (John 3:16,36).
12. “If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink. He that believeth on me, as the Scripture hath said, OUT OF HIS BELLY SHALL FLOW RIVERS OF LIVING WATER. (But this spake he of the Spirit, WHICH THEY THAT BELIEVE ON HIM SHOULD RECEIVE” (John 7:37-39; Matt. 5:6).
13. “If ye continue in my word, THEN ARE YE MY DISCIPLES INDEED; AND YE SHALL KNOW THE TRUTH, AND THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE. . . If the Son therefore shall make you free, YE SHALL BE FREE INDEED” (John 8:31-36).
14. “If any man serve me, HIM WILL MY FATHER HONOUR” (John 12:25-26).
15. “He that believeth on me, THE WORKS THAT I DO SHALL HE DO ALSO; AND GREATER WORKS THAN THESE SHALL HE DO; because I go to my Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, THAT WILL I DO, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I WILL DO IT” (John 14:12-15).
16. “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, YE SHALL ASK WHAT YE WILL AND IT SHALL BE DONE UNTO YOU. . . If ye keep MY commandments, YE SHALL ABIDE IN MY LOVE. . . . Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen You, and ordained You, THAT YE SHOULD GO AND BRING FORTH FRUIT, AND THAT YOUR FRUIT SHOULD REMAIN: THAT WHATSOEVER YE SHALL ASK OF THE FATHER IN My NAME, HE MAY GIVE IT YOU” (John 15:7,10,16).
17. “I SEND THE PROMISE OF My FATHER UPON YOU: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, UNTIL YE BE ENDUED WITH POWER FROM ON HIGH” (Luke 24:49; John 14:16-17,26; John 15:26; John 16:13-15; Acts 1:4-8).
18. “Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, HE WILL GIVE IT YOU . . . ask, AND YE SHALL RECEIVE, that your joy may be full” (John 16:23-26).
19. “Repent, and be baptized. . . And YE SHALL RECEIVE THE GIFT OF THE HOLY GHOST. FOR THE PROMISE IS UNTO YOU, AND TO YOUR CHILDREN, AND TO ALL THAT ARE AFAR OFF, EVEN AS MANY AS THE LORD OUR GOD SHALL CALL” (Acts 2:38-39). “We are witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, WHOM GOD HAS GIVEN TO THEM THAT OBEY HIM” (Acts 5:32).
20. Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you to be ignorant… Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to EVERY MAN to profit withal. FOR TO ONE IS GIVEN by the Spirit the word of wisdom; TO ANOTHER the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; TO ANOTHER faith by the same Spirit; To ANOTHER the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To ANOTHER the working of miracles; TO ANOTHER prophecy; To ANOTHER discerning of spirits; TO ANOTHER divers kinds of tongues; TO ANOTHER the interpretation of tongues: But all these worketh the selfsame spirit, DIVIDING TO EVERY MAN SEVERALLY AS HE WILL. . . But COVET EARNESTLY THE BEST GIFTS. . . Follow after charity, and DESIRE SPIRITUAL GIFTS” (1 Cor. 12:1-11,31;1 Cor 14:1; Rom. 12:3-8;Rom 15:18-19,29; Eph. 3:19).
21. “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and THAT HE IS A REWARDER OF THEM THAT DILIGENTLY SEEK HIM” (Heb. 11:6).
22. “If any man lack wisdom, let him ask of God, THAT GIVETH TO ALL MEN LIBERALLY, AND UPBRAIDETH NOT: AND IT SHALL BE GIVEN HIM. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like the wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. FOR LET NOT THAT MAN THINK THAT HE SHALL RECEIVE ANY THING OF THE LORD” (James 1:5-8).
23. “God resisteth the proud, BUT GIVETH GRACE TO THE HUMBLE. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, AND HE WILL FLEE FROM YOU. Draw nigh to God, AND HE WILL DRAW NIGH TO YOU. Cleanse your hands. ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded . . . humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and HE SHALL LIFT YOU UP” (James 4:6-10).
24. “My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. . . For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, THEN HAVE WE CONFIDENCE TOWARD GOD. AND WHATSOEVER WE ASK, WE RECEIVE OF HIM, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight” (1 John 3:18-24).
25. “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, HE HEARETH US: And if we know that he hear us, WHATSOEVER WE ASK, WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE THE PETITIONS THAT WE DESIRED OF HIM” (1 John 5:14-15).