Have you ever wondered why some people seem to get every prayer they pray answered, while others have prayed for things for years and never seen them come to pass? 1 John 5:14-15 says, “And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for.” NLT. If we pray according to our own will, we won’t ever see the fruit of those prayers because they don’t align with the will of God for our lives. The secret to receiving everything you pray for is: Pray according to the will of God for your life.
James 4:3 says, “And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.” NLT. Never pray according to your flesh because your flesh doesn’t always desire the things of the spirit, but focus your prayer attention on the things of the Kingdom of God. We serve a kind God who knows and cares about every detail of our lives; therefore, he would never give us something that we weren’t ready or able to steward.
The motive behind our prayers is the deciding factor in whether or not we see fruit from those prayers. Proverbs 16:2 says, “People may be pure in their own eyes, but the Lord examines their motives.” NLT. Each time you seek God for something, check the motive or intent behind your heart. Always keep your heart in check and your intentions pure.
Prayer isn’t presenting your wishlist to God. When you pray, it should be according to the will of God and full of faith. We know that it takes faith to be able to receive anything from God, so attach your faith to the will of God and watch what begins to happen in your life. If you are wondering what kind of prayers you should be praying, these are good places to start: “Holy Spirit, I ask that you would give me the desires of the Father’s Heart.” “I pray your kingdom comes, your will be done, on Earth as it is in heaven.” These align with the will of God while also resulting in fruit in your own life. Prayer isn’t about getting something from God; it is about seeing the Kingdom of God come down to Earth.
Getting your prayers answered is simple: start praying according to the word of God and the will of God. When the disciples asked Jesus how they ought to pray, he gave them the Lord’s prayer. Never once in that prayer is the word “I” mentioned. Prayer isn’t about you; it is about seeing the Kingdom of God advance in every way. Once you begin to shift your prayer life to align with God’s will, you will start to achieve victory in place of defeat, and hope instead of disappointment!
This is an updated edition of a post originally published on Joe Joe Dawson
Featured Image by Dallas Penner on Unsplash
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