What’s the use of praying? Why don’t all our prayers get answered? If God can do anything, then why do we have to pray? Does prayer even work today?
These are just a few of the questions I have asked myself and I believe the world is asking too. How about you? Have you ever asked these same questions, even if not out loud?
So is there a formula to prayer? Is there a right way and wrong way to do it? Are there specific things to say and do? I mean there are so many options. Praying out loud, praying silently, using beads, facing a wall… there are so many different ways to pray.
Is there a way to know for sure that your prayers will be heard? Well, the answer is yes! I certainly don’t have all the answers and am by no means a prayer expert, but this is what I do know:
Jesus Himself said in the Bible in 1 John 5:14-15:
This is the confidence we have in approaching God: 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 what we asked of him.
So although I am no expert on prayer, Jesus is, and this is what He said. What can we learn from His instruction? How can we be sure our prayers are heard?
Ask according to God’s will
Jesus said that if we ask anything that lines up with the will of God, He will hear us. So what is the will of God? How do we know what to pray? Well the first step to understanding what God’s will is, is to read the Bible. It’s full of promises and explanations of what God’s will is for those who love Him and put their trust in Him.
When God hears, He answers
This is a beautiful promise found in this verse. If we pray according to God’s will, He hears us and therefore our prayers are answered. Seems simple enough, doesn’t it? But it’s not always as simple as it seems. Check back next week for part 2 of this post where we will look at a few key things to know about God answering prayer.
In the meantime, I will leave you with this: See how many promises of God you can find in the Bible and begin to pray those. The more you pray, the closer you will feel to God and you will begin to see things shift in your life.
At the end of the day, it all comes down to trust. Trust that God hears you, trust that He will answer you, and trust that the answer that comes is God’s best for you.
I’m looking forward to exploring this more with you next week, so be sure to check back in.