If God always answered all our prayers "yes" at a snap of a finger, He would be our servant, instead of us being His.
Prayer is and has been practiced by millions of people. It is practiced by many religions, even those without religion. It comes from an inside acknowledgement that we have a need for a higher power, an acknowledgement that we are not almighty ourselves. We realize that we need something or somebody else with greater power and control than we have.
The reason we pray is because we were originally created in God's image, but we fell into sin and death. We now represent that sin and death. The image of God in us has almost been destroyed, yet deep within us there still remains Godly desires. This is where our need to pray comes from.
God hears prayers right then and there. Although Our Lord's answers can be instantly yes, they are not always that way. Sometimes He tells us to wait- it's in the making, other times the answer is no because that prayer was not in His will. Our Heavenly Father has not forgotten you or your requests. He knows of prayers you don't even remember. God has a divine purpose in prayer, He wants us to ask Him for our needs and wants, He wants us to run to Him with our every little whim and desire.
Prayer is and has been practiced by millions of people. It is practiced by many religions, even those without religion. It comes from an inside acknowledgement that we have a need for a higher power, an acknowledgement that we are not almighty ourselves. We realize that we need something or somebody else with greater power and control than we have.
The reason we pray is because we were originally created in God's image, but we fell into sin and death. We now represent that sin and death. The image of God in us has almost been destroyed, yet deep within us there still remains Godly desires. This is where our need to pray comes from.
God hears prayers right then and there. Although Our Lord's answers can be instantly yes, they are not always that way. Sometimes He tells us to wait- it's in the making, other times the answer is no because that prayer was not in His will. Our Heavenly Father has not forgotten you or your requests. He knows of prayers you don't even remember. God has a divine purpose in prayer, He wants us to ask Him for our needs and wants, He wants us to run to Him with our every little whim and desire.
Pray without ceasing. 1 Thes 5:17
God is our Father and He wants us to communicate and depend on Him daily. However, we cannot expect the Almighty Creator of the universes to jump every time we ask. Our Lord will be happy to grant our wishes if the request is in His purpose, His will, His timing. Our God the Father has His own plans already written out for us and for all the earth.
For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jer 29:11 LVB
In Luke 11:1-4 Jesus teaches us how to pray. The very first thing He tells us to do is to approach God as "Our Father who is in Heaven". Being made in His image, we were Gods children. Having fallen into sin and death through Adam, a "son of God", (Luke 3:23-38), the human race from then on lost their sonship with the Father. We can no longer call the Creator of the universe "Our Father who is in Heaven".
The ones who can call Him Father are the ones who believe that Jesus Christ is God's only Son, the ones that have repented and believe that Jesus has died, rose again, and forgiven their sins, the ones that have accepted Christ as their Savior.
When we ask Jesus in our heart, God receives us as His own. He adopts us. We can now honor Him and call His name Holy. We can call Him Father (Rom 8:14-17). We are His children, His heirs.
As children of God, the desire in our heart changes towards the desire in our Father's heart. We begin to see what He has, what He can give us, what our Father can do for us and what He has already done in us. We tend to want the goodness, the love, the mercy, grace and the gifts our Lord has for us. We grow closer to Him as we search for more of these things from Him. We want to know more about His ways. The closer we are to Him, the more we want to have what He wants for us. We are now in His will. God's blessings and positive answers to our prayers come from being in His will and walking closely with Him.
Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. Mark 11:24
But why didn't God hear my cries!?
Sometimes it seems God doesn't hear us. It can be that what we have asked for will only benefit what we want, not what God wants. We are naturally selfish people and it is normal to ask for something for our own motives.
And even when you do ask you don't get it because your whole aim is wrong-- you want only what will give you pleasure. James 4:3 LVB
We need to ask for things that God wants for us, things in His will, for our Father's will to be done.
Jesus was human. He had a lot of pressure on Him, but He still chose His Father's will, not His own.
And he went forward a little, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass away from me: nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt. Matt 26:39
Many times our heart is hurting, but we have to wait a while for our answer. Meanwhile, God wants us to grow with Him thru the trial, to rely on Him thru the waiting. He wants to fellowship with us, to walk and talk along the way so we can grow stronger in our faith and love towards Him. There are times when God wants us to experience the comfort of His healing presence. He wants us to know what we can achieve with His help. Our time with the Father is very precious to both Him and ourselves.
A young child relies on his parents to fix everything. We as parents want our child to grow in knowledge and strength along the way and to grow in love and trust towards us. God is our Father and wants the same thing for us.
and it shall come to pass, when he crieth unto me, that I will hear; for I am gracious. Exodus 22:27
Certain kinds of prayers are always heard. Prayers of forgiveness are always answered.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9
Prayers of thanksgiving and adoration are appreciated. This tells our Father that we know where our blessings come from. We acknowledge the fact that He is all powerful, all knowing, all gracious, loving and merciful.
Our prayers should be to glorify the Lord, not ourselves.
God know the outcome of each and every prayer before it is even asked. He knows if a few more years to our life on earth will forever change the outome of our eternal life.
As His child, when we follow the example of the Lords prayer, (Matt. 6:9-14) we will be praying for God's will to be done, for His provisions, His forgiveness, and His protection. This is all that is needed. We will be honoring and exalting His name. This is the Lord's will.
But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. Matt 6:6-8
Pray for Jesus to live in your heart and dwell in your live forever!
