Is there a way to pray more effectively? Why does God not answer my prayers? If you ever asked these questions, please read on and see how you can pray effectively.
The Righteous Person
“The effective prayer of a righteous person can accomplish much.” (James 5:16)
Who is a righteous person? This is a person who believes in Jesus and repents of his sins. If he is aware of any sin, he turns away from it, asks for God’s forgiveness, and is seeking God’s help to resist that sin in the future. That person can be you and me.
If you have not received Jesus as your Lord, take a look at this article on Eternal Life. Please know that if you let Him, God will cover you with His righteousness and forgive you of your sins so that you can be righteous through Him.
The Right Motives
“You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.” (James 4:3)
Never forget that God is a righteous God who will give what is good for you. He will fulfill our needs but He is not an enabler of our bad habits. If we ask with the wrong motives (for example, out of jealousy, greed, or pride), our righteous God will not answer such requests. When we ask, we need to examine our heart to make sure we have the right motives.
The Right Focus
“Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for Your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:31-33).
You may have many prayer requests and needs personally. But you should not focus on your needs only. Seek God’s kingdom first, which is believing in Jesus as Lord, and His righteousness, which is learning to obey Him. Are you spending time with God daily by praying and reading His word? If you are only coming to Him to get what you want, then you are missing something important.
As you learn to be faithful to Him, all that you need will be given to you as well.
Don’t Lose Heart
“Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart…” (Luke 18:1)
“…Will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them? I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8)
Jesus wants us to trust Him with all our heart. He will help us and He is never late. Sometimes we get ahead of God to do our own thing. Or we give up on seeking God’s help. Do not give up on God before He comes to help you, and do not fall into despair and lose heart. When God comes to help us, will He find faith in us? Or will He see that we don’t really trust Him to help us with our situation anymore?
Even though God might still answer an ineffective prayer because He loves us, depending on the situation, God may also choose to not grant an answer or to delay His response.
“But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that person ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man…” (James 1:6-8)
God’s thoughts are not our thoughts. His thoughts are higher than our thoughts and His ways are higher than our ways (Isaiah 55:8-9). We often need something urgently from God and focus only on that need. But God wants us to learn to obey Him by trusting Him.
Effective prayer: Practice these things
So in order to effectively pray, practice these things:
- Repent of any known sins, because sin should not become a wall between you and God.
- Ask with pure motives.
- Don’t neglect a relationship with God and continue to do the things that please Him.
- Trust in the Lord and wait for God.
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!” (Matthew 7:7-11)
Fervent prayer
Sometimes we need to pray for others fervently. What does being fervent mean? It means praying diligently and praying as if you were that other person. How would you pray if you were that person in need? Pray as if you are in their situation.
For example, if you are praying for the sick, pray as if you are sick. If you are praying for those in prison, pray as if you are imprisoned with them.
Jesus tells us, “All things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you” (Mark 11:24), and “With God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26).
So ask for great things from God. Don’t ask for something small, knowing you can ask for a bigger thing. Ask for things as high as heaven (Isaiah 7:11)! Do not think that if we ask for something big, God will only give us something smaller. Do not think that way, because the Bible says God “is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20). If He is able to do so, He will do so because He is a good God.
Therefore, don’t hesitate to ask for great things from God!
Read Luke 18 in the Bible.
To learn how to increase your faith, see this article on Increase Faith in God.