Getting Answered Prayers
“I just want God to make it clear what He wants me to do. I need Him to answer my prayer in a way that is clear for me to understand.”
The comment came from a friend struggling with an issue. Many people had offered sound advice. Sermons had been preached around her that related to her situation. She still wrestled with knowing how to get an answer from God.
We are told to dig into the Word before we come into the battle because once in the trenches the light gets tough to see. My friend was deep in battle and had fallen into the troubles without the right armor to help her through.
Tips for Getting Prayers Answered
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1. Know the Word – God has offered many promises for His children, but it is the job of the children to know those promises. I should be willing to spend at least the same amount of time in the Word of God that I give other media outlets.
2. Know the want – My four year old will stand and look at me without saying a word. Sometimes he just holds out an empty glass. I wait patiently for him to tell me what he wants even though I already know what he wants. It teaches him to ask for the thing that he specifically needs or wants. God waits on my to make my requests known even though He already knows all that I will ever need.
3. Protect the thoughts – Thoughts give birth to attitudes which will eventually control all actions. The thoughts that I allow to roam through my brain must match up with the Word and the want.
4. Protect the mind – The seeds planted in the mind give birth to the thoughts that eventually control the heart. I have to continually put into my mind the things that support the Word and lift up the heart.
5. Look for the quiet – The noise of the world will crowd out the voice of the spirit. I have to choose to get away from the static around me and get to a place where the still and quiet can dominate.
6. Look for the answer – Faith in prayer is revealed by the expectation of the heart. I show my belief when I begin actively looking for the answer.
7. Give it all – I have to be willing to back up my prayers with action in heart, mind, and body. My part in the answered prayer comes in doing all that I know to do and that I have been led to do without hesitation.
8. Give praise and thanks – Take time to thank God for the answered prayer and show others His amazing blessing in your life.
No magic formula exists for getting the answers that you seek. It comes back to a personal relationship with the Giver. Get into the Word and understand all that He desires for your life. Then you will have the boldness to stand firm in faith in those promises and to share the blessing of answered prayers with all that you encounter.
