What makes God answer our prayers? (Homegroup on July 7 ) -

Now Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he stopped, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”
So he said to them, “When you pray, say:
Father, honoured be your name;
may your kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread,
and forgive us our sins,
for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.
And do not lead us into temptation.”
Then he said to them, “Would any of you have a friend whom you went to at midnight and said, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread,
because a friend of mine has stopped here while on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him.’
Who would reply from inside, ‘Do not bother me. The door is already shut, and my children and I are in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything.’
I tell you, even though he might not get up and give him anything out of friendship, yet the very boldness of the request will make him get up and give him all he needs.

Then Jesus told them a parable to show them they should always pray and not lose heart.
He said, “In a certain city there was a government official who neither feared God nor respected people.
There was also a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’
For a while he refused, but later on he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor have regard for people,
yet because this widow keeps on bothering me, I will give her justice, or in the end she will wear me out by her unending pleas.’ ”
And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unrighteous judge says!
Won’t God give justice to his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he delay long to help them?
I tell you, he will give them justice speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faithfulness on earth?”

Is there anyone among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?
Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?
If you then, although you are sinful, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!