What Role Do You Play in Getting Answers to Prayer?
Every person of faith calls on the name of the Lord for every kind of reason because He expressed His desire to answer the prayers of His people. The Lord said He would answer, and He does! “When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him.” (Psalm 91:15) But is there more to getting answers to prayer than just approaching God?
Paul wrote, “…in everything, by prayer and supplication with gratitude, make your requests known to God.” (Phil. 4:6) Ephesians 6:18 says to pray “with all kinds of prayer”. (MEV) 1 Thessalonians 5:16 says to “pray without ceasing”. A lifestyle of prayer is grown organically from a spiritual awareness of His presence with you and you bring your thoughts and the moments of your life to Him throughout your day as you would to a close friend.
But one of the hardest things about getting answers to prayer is that you won’t always get the answers you want, or the answers don’t come in the manner in which you were hoping and then you struggle in your faith and wonder if God really does answer prayer, or you wonder if He heard you, or cares or even if He said “no”.
When you pray according to His will, He will answer according to His will that He led you to pray. That means your role in getting answers to prayer is to pray according to His will. When Jesus spoke the words of the Lord’s Prayer, it was because His disciples said, “Lord, teach us how to pray.”
When you pray according to His will, He will answer according to His will that He led you to pray. That means your role in getting answers to prayer is to pray according to His will.
~Alicia Purdy
Does getting answers to prayer mean overcoming reluctance in God? No! God hears and answers prayer, that is a promise! However, the only Scriptural expectation when it comes to getting answers to prayer is that God will answer, but not with an expectation of how.
Have you ever thought that, perhaps, God’s answer to the situation you’re praying about might be…you?
Getting Answers to Prayer Sometimes Means Looking Within
When you pray, sometimes the answers from God are a clear “yes”, or “no” or “not yet”, but mostly your answers will be found in the Word of God. Psalm 138:2 says the Lord honors His Word above His name. Getting answers to the prayers you’ve brought to the Lord means aligning your prayers with the Word He has spoken, not expecting Him to agree to the words you speak.
1 John 5:14-15 says, “This is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.Β So if we know that He hears whatever we ask, we know that we have whatever we asked of Him.” (MEV)
God hears and answers prayer! God sees, (Gen. 16:13) and He knows (Luke 12:7) and He understands. (Heb. 4:15-16) Don’t let the enemy make you doubt Him! He has your answer, but sometimes, in the most honest way to see things, the answers God has for you may be right in front of you – a more practical answer than a “supernatural” one. Sometimes the miracle God wants to do is in you, first.
As you think about your life and your situations, you need the Lord’s perspective on it all so you must fix your eyes on Jesus and let Him show you what you can’t see.
- Psalm 40:1-3 says, “I waited patiently for the Lord, and He turned to me, and heard my cry. He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet on a rock, and established my steps. He has put a new song in my mouth, even praise to our God; many will see it, and fear, and will trust in the Lord.” (MEV)
- Psalm 18:6 and 16 say, “In my distress I called on the Lord, and cried for help to my God; He heard my voice from His temple, and my cry for help came before Him to His ears…He sent from above, He took me; He drew me out of many waters.” (MEV)
- Isaiah 49:8 says, “In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.” (MEV)
As you think about your life and your situations, you need the Lord’s perspective on it all so you must fix your eyes on Jesus and let Him show you what you can’t see.
~Alicia Purdy
It’s easy to ask God to make things happen, or to make them go away according to your own will or desires, but it’s hard to ask the Lord to show you what He sees, to tell you what He wants to do, to learn His plans for a situation, to show you how you can be part of the solution, or to give you His perspective on the challenges, experiences, trials and struggles you’re facing.
Getting Answers to Prayer is a Spiritual Partnership
Just like any other relationship, your relationship with the Lord must personal, committed, nurtured daily and must be built upon the most raw, honest version of who you are- and a willingness to let Him make adjustments as needed. That is one of the most important principles to getting answers to prayer!
If you’re not getting answers to prayer, one real possibility may be that you’ve been expecting something God may not plan to give. If you’re not first placing yourself before Him, willing to be an active part of your own miracle, you might miss the answer! A lifestyle of worship and praise will keep you strong as you wait on the Lord for your answer.
The foundation of answered prayer is partnering with God’s will, not asking Him to partner with yours.
~Alicia Purdy
Worship is exclusively God-centered- and that, in and of itself, often causes people to stumble upon it, because being God-centered means that you must be willing to release control of yourself and your situations to Him. James wrote, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend on your pleasures.” (James 4:3) The foundation of answered prayer is partnering with God’s will, not asking Him to partner with yours.
Getting answers to prayer isn’t overcoming reluctance in God. He wants to answer your prayer, He promised He would- and maybe He already has! Ask the Holy Spirit to show you the answer, even if you have it within yourself. Don’t seek “miracles”, seek Him in His Word as you pray and His answer will be on time, a perfect fit and a new testimony of His power.
Thought for Today: You are a Crucial Part of Others Getting Answers to Prayer too
You are living witness to the power, goodness, faithfulness, mercy and love of God. That means you are the answer to the prayer that Jesus prayed in Matthew 6:10 when He said, “Your kingdom come; Your will be doneΒ on earth, as it is in heaven…” He has sent you as the answer to someone else’s prayer too!
Because you are a person of faith in the Lord, there will always be something God wants to reveal to you, but also there is something another person needs to learn through the revelation God has given you. Don’t become so focused on getting answers to prayer in your own life that you forget that part of that blessing is for the purpose of blessing others!
Psalm 40:1-3 says that the testimony you have of the times God answered your prayer will become the “new song” that you sing in worship to Him. Then, that becomes the testimony of His power that “many will see and will put their trust in the Lord.” As you are getting answers to prayer throughout your life, don’t forget to turn and testify to other believers who are seeking as well!
Explore More About Your Role in the Breakthrough God Has for You
“The Secret Place and the Hidden Power of Praise”
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