“Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” It takes many believers years to come to the conclusion of praying for the will of God versus praying for our will to be done. Truth is, there’s no special formula for God giving us the desires of our hearts but it shouldn’t stop us from trusting Him. Many scriptures are filled with comfort but God wants to bring change.
Prayer changes things! It may not necessarily change our circumstances but it can change our perspective. It can change how we view what we're in which will help us in getting through it. Imagine if we viewed every situation as an opportunity to learn, grow, love, find contentment, develop patience or just develop a characteristic that we're lacking. Pray for the will of God. What is the will of God? The word tells us that before God ever formed us, He purposed a plan for our lives. Pray for what God has already purposed to manifest and trust that it’s good because HE is good. How do you know it's God's will? Ask yourself, is it glorifying God? Is your mission, cause, or purpose drawing you and those around you closer to God? As believers, our purpose here on earth is to serve God, so step away from the mirror and start serving and praying for others and God will bless you in the process. Pray that God shows you the way.
Our prayer lives ought to be the most exciting and exhilarating aspect of our spiritual lives. If we're not seeing answers to our prayers, it's not because there's something wrong with God; more than likely, there’s something wrong with us. We should be asking in faith and knowing that God will not grant anything that is inconsistent with His character. True faith is confidence in the power and the promises of God. We should learn to pray passionately, persistently, according to the will of God, and the Word of God guarantees that our prayers will avail much. Do you believe that? 
How can we go wrong when we pray for God’s will? There is nothing Satan wants more than to get in our hearts and minds and he attacks us even while we pray. Sometimes God has to shake us from the pursuit of our earthly desires to draw us closer to Him and that takes dealing with God’s nos. I would venture to say that God answers all prayers with a yes, a no, or a not yet. Just because He didn’t answer according to your will doesn’t mean He didn’t answer. No is an answer. Sometimes God has to limit our options because we would go in the opposite direction when He's trying to lead us into our destiny. We need to get to a place in our spiritual lives where we trust God with His yes and His no and thank Him for it.
Also, please understand that our prayers won't move God to do what He wasn't going to do anyway. The will of God is the will of God and it doesn’t change based on our feelings towards His response. It's nice and all that we submit our desires and requests to Him, but we also have to trust that if it doesn't happen, it's for our good. Believe it or not, our desires will change, especially if we’re in the will of God, and some of those things we think we want or need will seem so meaningless. Our minds and desires are sometimes so simple and limiting. We think just enough, but God thinks greater. When we pray for our will to be done we may very well be praying against our best interest. Had God granted some of my previous prayers, I wouldn’t be who I am or where I am today. I thank God for His resounding NO! Trust Him in all your ways and He promises to direct your path.
Let us not walk in righteousness based on God blessing us with things we desire on earth; let’s do it because we love Him and no matter how He blesses us, His love, His gift, His grace and mercy are ENOUGH. God wants us to love Him for who He is, not what He has. Praying the will of God is saying, even if He does not give me that husband/wife, new career, new car, new house, millionaire status, new business, or whatever you desire; HE is already ENOUGH, period.
Consider why our prayers seemingly go unanswered. Don’t you know that sin hinders prayer’s effectiveness? Isaiah 59:2 tell us that "our iniquities (sinfulness) separate us from God and that God hides himself from those who are in sin." In Proverbs 1:28-29, it says that God will not answer those who hate his knowledge and do not fear Him. Anyone who willfully abides (unrepentant) in sin, is not choosing the fear (reverence) of the Lord. Therefore, God will not listen to us or our prayers will be hindered until we repent.
We serve God by rejoicing in hope not in results. God is not here to fulfill our every desire like a genie in a bottle. The purpose of prayer is not to get God to bend to our will but to get us to bend towards His. As believers, we are commanded to live with our eyes toward heaven. Though we may suffer afflictions, it's not an excuse to abandon our hope or our continuance in prayer. We should allow our trials to build our patience and hope and move by faith with a willingness to do the work of the Lord.
The Lord knows exactly what He is doing in your life, and in the lives of those He has called you to pray for. Seek His will in every situation. Pray that His Spirit would always call you into alignment with His plan for your life. He knows best. Always. Pray that God’s perfect will is done in your life and in the lives of every person God places on your heart to pray for. Your kingdom come, Your perfect will be done in earth, as it is heaven! In the name of Jesus, Amen.
Leave a comment