Living a life in God is a life of faith. We are inclined to base our actions on our five senses and emotions. We want to see that something is working immediately. When living for God, we don't always have that privy.
God understands we want to know He hears our prayers, and He is answering them. I believe that after you read this blog article, you will have full confidence in your heart that this is the case.
Prayer is a life of faith, not physical senses and emotions.
We can see in the Bible many people choose to follow God and his plans no matter what. It didn't matter what their physical senses and emotions were saying! But, sometimes, it took years for them to see their prayers answered.
Think of Noah, the time it took him to build the Ark. Getting mocked daily for years. How often do you think he wanted to quit for not seeing the physical results of his prayers?
Are there signs God is answering your prayers?
I know you are here because you want the quick list to know how your prayers are being answered. But it's not that easy; there is no list, and if anyone says they have one, I am sorry, they are not being truthful.
Anyone can pray! But to get results is another thing. There is a way to live your life, and pray specific ways to produce better results! The Bible says, "The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results."
As a believer in Jesus Christ for over 30 years, I can say there is a better way to pray! After implementing these things in my life, I have seen my prayer life supercharged! YOU CAN DO THE SAME!
Don't Make It Legalistic; God Is Full of Grace, Mercy, and Love!
Before I get into my "Prayer Recipe," I want to say, don't make this legalistic. Legalism only creates bondage in your life. It is a form of religion, and God did not send his son, Jesus Christ, on the cross to create a religion. He did so to have a loving and intimate relationship with you!
Matthew 7:9-11 (NLT2) 9 "You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? 10 Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! 11 So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him?
God wants to answer your prayers; he doesn't want to make it difficult. He loves you. He is your Abba father (intimate way to say, Father God, Galatians 4:6)
The Prayer Recipe
1. Take Time to Examine Your Life with the Help of God.
We need to examine our lives. Many don't want to do this because it may force them to face certain areas of their life. I can tell you that this is where a victorious prayer life begins. We must get our hearts and lives right with God. We must rid ourselves of things that are hindering our prayers.
Make a simple prayer to the Lord to examine your heart. Ask him to show you areas that need to be adjusted. Then pray that he will help you through the Holy Spirit to make the necessary changes.
I promise that God wants to help you and free you from any areas that would hinder you.
I remember one time in my own life. I was praying for healing in my knees. I could not walk. I was binding the devil and speaking life in my knees, but the pain was still there.
As I was praying for wisdom, the Lord said, "You don't have a devil or faith problem." That struck me, I told my wife, and she asked, "Are you consuming something that is causing the pain?"
As we sat there and prayed about it. The Lord showed me the problem. The cholesterol medication I was taking had a side effect of causing joint and ligament pain.
Long story short, I stopped taking the medication. The Lord showed me how to lower my cholesterol through my diet, and I no longer have knee pain! Glory to God!
2. Having a Strong Connection to God Enhances Your Prayers.
John 15:7 (NLT2) 7 But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted!
We can't have a touch-and-go relationship with God. Many only seek his face in case of an emergency; He is not fire insurance! God wants a constant and continuous relationship with him.
We do this through a daily prayer life and reading the Word of God. As we do this, we begin to see who he is in our lives and how much he loves us.
Also, as you read the Bible, you will begin to be aware of the promises to you. You will pray right when you know what God has promised you. It's kind of like having a benefits package. You will never know what you have unless you read it.
3. Faith Is the Factor to Get Your Prayers Answered.
Hebrews 11:6 (NLT2) 6 And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.
Matthew 21:22 (NLT2) 22 You can pray for anything, and if you have faith, you will receive it."
The Bible tells us we need to please God; we must have faith. If there is, one area in a believer's walk that we need to work on is our faith. In my own life, for many years as a believer in Christ, I walked in weak faith. Today, I am still developing a greater understanding of it, but it is getting stronger each day.
Faith is like a muscle. Any of you who go to the gym and work out knows it takes time to develop your muscles. Yet, if you do so, you will see development in your physical body.
It is the same with our faith. You can develop your faith to be strong and powerful, attaining the things you are praying for.
4. The Big Question: Are Your Prayers Aligned with God's Will and Plan?
1 John 5:14 (KJV) 14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us:
When I tell people that God will answer their prayers. Someone will ask if they pray for a million dollars. Will God give it to them? Yes and no.
Can we pray for a million dollars? Sure, you can. But let me ask, can you manage $10,000 or even $50,000 without blowing it? If you answer no, why would God give you a million dollars to destroy your life?
Can you learn to be a good steward of your finances in such a way to where God would help you get $1,000,000 if it was his plan for you? Yes!
I have even heard people pray for their spouse to die so they can marry someone else. How foolish some people can be?
When I pray, I want it to line up with the Word of God. Also, I will ask, is it the plan and will of God for my life? Right now, I am a missionary in Guatemala. Suppose I pray for God to move my wife and me to Alaska. Is this within his plans for my life? No, it's not, and I wouldn't pray for it even if I wanted to move there.
5. Effective Prayers: Speak to Your Mountains
Mark 11:23-24 (NLT2) 23 I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, 'May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,' and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart. 24 I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you've received it, it will be yours.
We often ask God for something he has already promised us. The Bible says, "by his (Jesus's) stripes, you were healed," in 1 Peter 2:4. So, why are we asking God to heal us? Jesus told us to speak to the mountain. I don't ask God to heal me.
I speak to the sickness in my body. I come against it and command it to leave. I thank the Lord for the healing power that is inside of me through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Example: If I gave you a car by parking it in your driveway and giving you a title with your name on it. Would you call me every day for me to give you the car? No, you would not. So why would we pray to God for something we already have?
If God has already promised it to you in the Bible, we don't ask him for it. Instead, we command it to come forth in our lives. Also, we speak against whatever is hindering us from receiving it.
God already told us that he would supply all our needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. We don't need to question that. God is not a man that should lie.
Move the mountains in your life by commanding them to go!
6. Claim Your Authority Through Jesus to Get Your Prayers Answered.
Matthew 16:19 And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven."
Jesus gave us the power and authority to operate here on earth. This isn't something we get in heaven. What are we going to be doing with it up there in heaven? Going around binding angels? Are we going to be praying against sickness? No, we are to be binding the power of darkness and losing the power of God here on earth. We are to be praying against sickness here and now!
The Bible says that the effectual prayer accomplishes much. One key to an effective prayer is using the authority given to you by Jesus.
You have the power over the kingdom of darkness; you need to use it in your prayer life.
7. God Gives You the Desires of Your Heart When You Delight in Him.
Psalm 37:4 (NLT2) 4 Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you your heart's desires.
This is a promise that is from God and in his Word. If you delight in God, he will give you the desires of your heart. But we must look at the word delight more so. An easy way to explain it is, that as you take pleasure or delight in God, your desires will align with His will, plan, and purpose for your life. His desires will become your desires.
I can say this, what I once desired in my life; I no longer desire them. Many of them were to feed my constant obsession with wanting more or to fuel my self-centeredness and selfishness. Now, my desires are consumed with God, and wanting to fulfill His plan in my life. I want to serve humanity and be a blessing to others. BUT, all this is a result of my delighting myself in the Lord.
What are some of my desires? I want to see my ministry expand. I want to see people know God. I want joy and peace in my life. I want a blessed marriage. I want my children to follow the Lord and raise their kids in God. I pray for a continual financial supply in my household to pay my bills and fund my ministry. I pray that God gives me guidance and wisdom in running my ministry. I want to walk in divine health.
These are only some of my desires, but I think you can see the importance of delighting yourself in the Lord and how God will direct your desires.
Today, I see these desires being fulfilled in my life daily! God is always pointing me in the right direction to fulfill these desires in my life. He will do the same in yours.
Before moving on to point number 8, I do want to say, that God does want us to have nice things (cars, houses, clothes, etc.). He takes pleasure in us being blessed, but when you begin to obsess over them, or they are never enough, and they take precedence over your life, then I think it's time to step back and re-evaluate things.
8. Following Peace, From God Helps Unlocks Your Prayers
John 14:27 (NLT2) 27 "I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don't be troubled or afraid.
Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT2) 6 Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
The Bible says to pray. Then you will experience God's peace that exceeds anything we can understand. Never violate peace in your prayers. If you pray and still don't have peace, you must examine why. Peace is like our green light; no peace is our stop light.
As you seek direction and wisdom from God, I promise he will show you why you are not having peace. As you make the adjustments, you will begin to gain the needed peace, all the while seeing your prayers answered.
9. Tap Into the Holy Spirit to Get Your Prayers Answered
Proverbs 16:3 (KJV) 3 Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established.
Psalm 37:23 (NLT2) 23 The LORD directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.
Romans 8:14 (NLT2) 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.
The Holy Spirit is so vital in our lives. When we commit our hearts to the Lord, the Holy Spirit comes and lives inside us. The Bible says that he will lead and guide us into all truth.
It is clear if we commit our works (activities) to the Lord. God will establish our thoughts. Also, the Lord directs the steps of the godly. He does this through the Holy Spirit. We must learn to listen to him all throughout the day.
10. Unlocking Blessings Through Thankfulness
1 Thessalonians 5:17-18 (NLT2) 17 Never stop praying. 18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
Part of the will of God for our lives is being thankful. Sadly, many want to complain about what life isn't doing for them. They fail to consider all the things we should be thankful for.
As we are thankful for even the most minor things in our lives, it brings much glory to our Father God. We begin to see who he is in our lives and how big he truly is. When we see who God is, we realize what we are currently going through is not as great!
Thankfulness is a crucial component of our faith in the Lord. As we discussed earlier, faith is the key to everything in our prayer life. As you are thankful, it's like throwing gasoline onto the fire.
11. Patience Is One of the Keys to Answered Prayers
Psalm 40:1 (NLT2) 1 I waited patiently for the LORD to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry.
Daniel 10:12 (NLT2) 12 Then he said, "Don't be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in heaven. I have come in answer to your prayer.
This subject is a book in and of itself. So often, we don't receive answers to our prayers because we are not patient. We don't allow God to do the work behind the scenes.
Think about praying for a job promotion. Then, think of all the steps involved to get you that promotion.
Do you have the skill at the time? God will need to get you the education.
Is someone else in that position at the time? God will need to move them to another area of the company or get them a promotion as well.
How many people does it take to decide on your promotion? God will need to deal with their hearts.
The list can go on and on, as we can see from Daniel's situation in the Bible. He was waiting for an answer from God.
12. Transform Your Prayer Life With Forgiveness and Love
Ephesians 5:2 (NLT2) 2 Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.
Ephesians 4:32 (NLT2) 32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.
As we all know, love is the centerpiece of being a believer in Christ Jesus. Not only are we to love God, but we are to love people. Let me take it one step further; we must love our fellow brothers and sisters in God. We are even to love our enemies.
Jesus Christ is our example. We must live our lives filled with love. He died on the cross for those who hated and persecuted him. Some may find this hard to do. They even say, I can't do that, but you can through the love of Jesus in you and the power of the Holy Spirit.
With that love comes forgiveness. We are told or commanded in the Word of God to forgive. It's not an option. I know some reading this have gone through horrific situations with others. They find it hard to forgive, but I can say this, God wouldn't expect it unless we could. I don't mean to be insensitive. My heart goes out to you. I pray that you can find that forgiveness in your heart through the leading of the Holy Spirit.
Wrapping it Up
Prayer is an essential part of our lives as believers. It's not something we do when we are in trouble. It's what we do daily to develop an intimate relationship with the Lord.
We can't keep putting our Father God on the back burner in our lives. The one who loves us more than any other being in our universe wants to be involved in our lives each moment. He wants to answer our prayers. We have to open the door to him and allow him to do so.
Scriptures on Answered Prayer
Mark 11:24
1 John 5:14-15
John 15:7
Matthew 7:7
John 15:16
James 5:16
Hebrews 11:6
1 Thessalonians 5:17
Jeremiah 33:3
1 John 3:22
Matthew 21:22
Frequently Asked Questions
What to do when God answers your prayers?
I am overjoyed to share with you all the incredible experiences I had when God answered my prayers! It is truly a life-changing moment that has deepened my faith and trust in Him. In Matthew 7:7-8, Jesus tells us, “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened." This powerful promise reminds us that God is always ready to listen and respond to our heartfelt prayers.
When God answers our prayers, it is important for us to recognize His faithfulness and give Him thanks. Psalm 107:1 says, "Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever." Expressing our gratitude not only glorifies God but also strengthens our relationship with Him. Furthermore, Ephesians 5:20 encourages us to "give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." So let us be intentional in expressing our gratitude and praise to God for His marvelous works in our lives.
Lastly, when God answers our prayers, let us not forget to share our testimony with others. It is through our testimonies that we can inspire and encourage others to trust in God and His unfailing love. Acts 1:8 says, "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” So let us boldly proclaim the goodness of God and His faithfulness. May our testimonies serve as a beacon of hope and draw others closer to Him.
Praise be to God for His faithfulness in answering our prayers. Let us continue to seek Him, trust Him, and rely on His wisdom and guidance in all areas of our lives.
How do I activate my faith for healing?
It's so crucial for us to understand that our faith has the power to bring about miraculous healing in our lives. In James 5:15, it says that the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well. Isn't that amazing?
But here's the thing, activating our faith goes beyond just saying a prayer. It requires us to truly believe in the power of God's healing and trust in His promises. It means surrendering our doubts and fears to Him and stepping out in boldness. Just like Jesus said in Matthew 17:20, if we have faith as small as a mustard seed, we can move mountains. So let's not underestimate the power of our faith!
I encourage you all to dive into the Word of God and discover the countless stories of healing and restoration. Surround yourself with a community of believers who can uplift and support you in your journey of activating your faith for healing. Let's remember that with God, all things are possible, and our faith has the potential to bring about incredible transformations in our lives. Trust in Him, and activate your faith for healing!
What to do when struggling with doubt?
Struggling with doubt is a common experience, but it doesn't mean we have to remain stagnant in our faith. Doubt can be a powerful catalyst for growth if we approach it with the guidance of the Holy Spirit. As the psalmist reminds us in Psalm 34:8, "Taste and see that the Lord is good." Instead of avoiding our doubts or dismissing them, we are encouraged to bring them to God, to taste and experience His goodness firsthand.
In times of doubt, let us remember the example of Thomas, the disciple who doubted the resurrection of Jesus. In John 20:27, Jesus said to him, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe." Jesus didn't rebuke Thomas for his doubt; instead, He invited Thomas to confront his doubts and find the truth in His presence. In the same way, we can come before God, seeking His presence and asking Him to reveal the truth to us.
Furthermore, we can turn to the Word of God for reassurance and answers. In Romans 10:17, it says, "So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ." By immersing ourselves in the scriptures, we can find comfort, wisdom, and guidance in times of doubt. It is through the power of the Holy Spirit that the Word of God becomes alive and active in our hearts, strengthening our faith and dispelling our doubts. When we approach doubts with humility and a desire to seek God, He is faithful to meet us and guide us through our struggles.
Shawn Paul is an author and missionary who has been living and working in Central America for the past 10 years. He is passionate about living for Jesus Christ and inspiring others to do the same, which is the focus of his blog, where he shares his expertise in Christianity.
In addition to his missionary work, Shawn enjoys reading books, studying God's Word, growing plants and flowers, feeding birds, and keeping up with the latest technology.
As a writer, Shawn's unique perspective and passion for his faith shine through in his work. Shawn's goal for the future is to impact people around the world for Jesus through his writing and missionary work.
Comentarios