“And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us.” – 1 John 5:14 KJV
God answers prayers that are according to His will. We have different voices in this world, we hold different opinions about many things. Sometimes, these different opinions work and sometimes they fail us. God has something to say about everything, the lives we live and the things we have. God’s opinions are so true and correct that we cannot deny their superiority to ours.
How Can I Pray According to God’s Will?
The first thing about God’s will is that it is important to God. Everything God intended for humanity is so important that ignoring them means ignoring what makes life what it should be. Without these essential things, we are no different from the people of the world. Praying according to God’s will makes a believer a spiritual Christian.
If you you want to pray according to the will of God, you must do the following:
1. Pray for the the things that matter most to God. All things matter to God, but there are things that matter most to God’s heart. He thinks about them all the time, and they make up a larger part of His will for humankind. Some of the things that matter most to God are the salvation of souls, unity among believers, peace on earth, love for enemies, and missionaries around the world. Other examples are for the prosperity of the gospel, those in positions of authority, relief for the sick and suffering, healing of the saints, and grace to do God’s will no matter the cost. We must include all these things in our prayers.
2. Praying like the people in the Bible. Many Bible characters understood the mind of God. We read about them and try to emulate them in many ways. We trust that they are good examples of true believers in God. When we read their prayers to God, we find that these prayers were according to the will of God. Imitating the prayers of these godly men and women can make our prayers effective. Examples of these prayers are the intercession of Abraham (Genesis 18:23-33), the prayer of Elijah (1 Kings 18:36-38), the prayer of Moses (Exodus 33:12-13), the prayer of David (2 Samuel 7:8-29), and the prayer of Solomon (1 Kings 3:5-14).
3. Praying with the right intentions. We should pray with the right motive. Our prayers must not focus on ourselves only, but on others too . Even when we pray for our needs, we must use the blessings God gives to help others. God blesses us so we can be a blessing to the people around us. Praying with the wrong intentions will never produce results.
Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. – James 4:2-3 KJV
4. Praying in the spirit of forgiveness. God wants us to learn to put up with other people. This is because God is love, and He is patient with all people on earth. Our sins are enough to make Him rain fire and brimstone on all of us (Matthew 5:45-48). But He chose to bear with us, hoping that one day we would change. In the same way, God expects us to always forgive people. Through forgiveness, we share in God’s nature and live in accordance with His will.
5. Praying with gratitude. God wants us to be grateful for everything in life. Even when we face tough times, we should be thankful that something worse didn’t happen. When we think of all the things God has done for us, we see that there’s a lot to be thankful for. That’s why the Bible encourages us to “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7 KJV).
6. Praying without ceasing. This is what Jesus commanded. Prayer is like knocking on the door of a friend’s house at midnight. Your friend may be asleep, tired from the day’s work. They may not feel like waking up and responding to your request. Then you keep knocking and calling their name. Although your friend absolutely needs some rest, they would rise and give you everything you need just to make you go away for that night. In the same way, God wants us to pray until the answers come. This is the kind of attitude that pleases God.
7. Praying and depending on the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God helps us in prayer. Sometimes we feel weak, sad or too distracted to pray. By depending on the Spirit’s help, we not only pray fervently but also pray according to the will of God. Only God’s Spirit knows what is in the mind of God. When we depend on the Spirit of God, He empowers us to pray right.
Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. – Romans 8:26-27 KJV
Begin to pray God’s will today. This prayer book for all Christians will go a long way to help you understand areas of God’s will to pray. God wants you to pray according to His will.