Riff's Christian Journal

Prayer was never easy. In fact, it was very hard because most of my prayers never got answered; at least not in the way that I wanted. So, what was wrong with me?

In Mar 11:24 we read the following comment by Jesus:

“Therefore I say unto you, What things soever you desire, when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you shall have them.”

On this was what I had based all of my prayers. I prayed for what I desired, believed that I would receive them but I never did get them. That was a real downer.

Have you ever felt that way? Have all of your prayers been answered?

Maybe, I thought, I did not have enough faith in either my praying or in God answering them. I mean, I was once told that my faith was not strong enough to “move God” by my prayers. So, how strong does faith have to be?

Then again, it could have been that I wavered in my belief that I would get my prayers answered in the way that I wanted.

Eventually my prayer life began to dwindle. If I could not pray effectively enough to get God to give me for what I was asking, why pray at all.

I still kept reading the Bible on a fairly regular basis, even if I did not do much in the way of praying, and one day while reading from 1John I read a scripture verse that set off a light bulb. To this day I believe that this was God working in me to see something very important about prayer. In chapter 5 I read the following verses:

1Jn 5:14  And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: 

1Jn 5:15  And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him. 

Do you see it? Do you see the reason for why my prayers were not being answered in the way that I wanted?

Read verse 5:14 again… If we ask anything “according to His will”… That was it. Here is why my prayers were not being answered, why I failed at praying. I was not praying in a manor according to the will of God.

You see, I was asking for what I wanted, according to my will, and not for what God wanted, according to His will. Even Jesus knew how important this was by reading what Jesus said in Mark 4:36 the night before He was to face a most horrible crucifixion and death.

Mar 14:36  And he (Jesus) said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what you will.

Jesus knew how bad things were going to be for Him yet He still prayed for God’s will to be done and not His. How much more should we do the same?

If you would like to have an effective prayer life here are three things you can do.

1. Acknowledge that God is sovereign and His will is always accomplished. In Daniel 4:35 we read the following:

Dan 4:35 And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he does according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What is it that you do?

2. Speak to God in prayer. Let Him know what are your concerns, worries and needs. Speak from your heart and tell God why you are presenting to Him your petitions. For instance, in Phillipians 4: 6-8 we read this:

Php 4:6  Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 

Php 4:7  And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 

3. Do no more than Jesus when praying to our Father. Pray your heart felt supplication and why you are making this request, then acknowledge that God is sovereign over all. As we read in Ephesians 1:

Eph 1:11  In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: 

By reading the New Testament on a regular basis, we can learn what God’s will might be for many areas of our life, and during those times we can know that we are praying according to God’s will and be assured that our prayers will be heard and be answered in a way that we wanted.

In addition, when we realize that our prayers may not always be according to Gods will, not knowing what it is that God is going to do, we can acknowledge that we will accept God’s answer to our prayer.

During those times when we do not know the reason for what God is doing, or why, we can still have peace in our hearts with the answer that God gives.

Knowing that God is sovereign and it is He Who works all things after the counsel of his own will, we, too, will be able to say, as Jesus said, “nevertheless not what I will, but what you will.”

If prayer is not being answered in your life you might begin to start all of your prayers, being reminded of God’s will, with the beginning of the model prayer that Jesus gave to all of us. As Jesus says in Matthew 6:

Mat 6:9 After this manner therefore pray like this: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 

Mat 6:10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.