Prayer - Pray Expecting to Get Answers

Ever prayed for something and did not expect God to answer and He didn't?  Your lack of faith could be why your answer did not come.  If we want God to answer our prayers, we must have faith and expect an answer from Him.  This shows Him that we truly believe in Him and His Word.  Do not doubt His power!  Expectant prayer shows God that we are confident in His goodness!

“5 If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. 6 But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.” (James 1:5-6 NLT)

God will direct you in your life, but you must first do two things:  1 – You must ask Him, and ask with the proper attitude.  2 – You must ask in faith, expecting Him to answer.

“21 Then Jesus told them, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and don’t doubt, you can do things like this and much more. You can even say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. 22 You can pray for anything, and if you have faith, you will receive it.” (Matthew 21:21-22 NLT)

“I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you've received it, it will be yours.” (Mark 11:24 NLT)

“But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted!” (John 15:7 NLT)

Does this guarantee that we will always get exactly what we ask for?  No.  We must remember, although every proper prayer is answered, sometimes the answer is not what we asked for.  Sometimes, we get a “Yes”.  Sometimes, we get a “Yes, but not the way you expected”.  Sometimes, we get a “No”.  Sometimes, we get “Wait”.  We don’t know exactly what God’s will is for every situation.  God never makes a bad decision or answers incorrectly.  His Will is ALWAYS the best for us.  God always acts out of love, grace, wisdom and perfect timing.

Prayer is not an argument or negotiation with God in which you attempt to persuade Him to move things your way.  Prayer enables you to move yourself in His way!  Stay in Christ by maintaining a healthy, constant relationship with Him.  Once you do this, you will see your will coming in line with His.  Your requests will begin to mirror what Christ wants to do in your life and in the lives of those around you.

“14 And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. 15 And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for.” (1 John 5:14-15 NLT)

Make your requests the best you can with the wisdom He has given you, and then do what Moses told the people to do:  “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today.” (Exodus 14:13 NLT)

Remember, when Jesus prayed on the Mount of Olives, he stated “Yet I want your will to be done, not mine” (Luke 22:42 NLT excerpt).  Jesus knew that God’s will was best.  We too, should always remember that God knows what is best for us and will work in our lives accordingly when we ask Him.