This is a first in a series of blog posts on “Praying Effectively.” Today’s post focuses on:
“What Does God Want from Me When I Pray?”
Ever feel like your prayer life may not be as effective as it could be?
I have.
As I added “Prayer” to the list of potential topics to be covered for the women’s morning bible study class I teach at our local church, I wondered:
“Could I be the only one who feels this way?”
We often think prayer should be effortless. And sometimes it is, but then sometimes, if we’re honest with ourselves, it isn’t.
“It is a most delightful reflection that if I come to the throne of God in prayer, I may feel a thousand defects, but yet there is hope. I usually feel more dissatisfied with my prayers than with anything else I do.”
— Charles Spurgeon
Effective prayer, in particular, can be hard work. We live in a world full of distractions, and without personal discipline, our prayer lives as Christians can easily be relegated to the “bottom of the proverbial pile” if we’re not careful.
But thanks be to God, our prayers don’t have to be complex, eloquent, or long to be heard by Him.
Defining Prayer
For simplicity’s sake, prayer is simply “talking with God.” Good communication is fostered with good listening skills too. Listening to God is just as important as talking with Him.
What Does God Want from Us in Our Prayers?
The Bible tells us that God wants something from us with we pray. God wants us to express our hearts to Him with genuine (not superficial) communication, a humble and obedient heart, and with a trusting faith that He will answer.
Genuine Communication
The Bible gives us many examples that exemplify how we should genuinely communicate with God. It’s important that we recognize that many times, genuine prayers are not “pretty” prayers. On the contrary, they may be pretty messy as was the case when the Prophet Isaiah told King Hezekiah that he would die in the Old Testament.
2 Kings 20: 1-3 (NIV):
“In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah, son of Amoz, went to him and said, ‘This is what the Lord says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.’ Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, ‘Remember O Lord, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes.’ And Hezekiah wept bitterly.”
Hezekiah learned of his impending death and reminded God that he had served Him with all his heart. Then, overcome with emotion, he couldn’t pray any more — at least not out loud.
But before Isaiah makes it out of the palace grounds, God sends Isaiah back to Hezekiah with a new message, that He has heard his heartfelt prayer. In response to Hezekiah’s prayer, God adds 15 more years to the life of the king!
Amazing? Yes, first that our prayers allow God to shower His divine mercy on us and that God doesn’t want mere lip service; He wants committed, obedient, humble hearts.
Humble and Obedient Hearts
In her article, “The Not-Fair Prayer,” Jennifer Rothschild says that God wants us to “admit our pain, perplexity, and powerlessness,” because God is near to us when we call on Him in truth.
Rothschild, at the age of 15, was diagnosed with a rare, degenerative eye disease that eventually blinded her. She’s an example of a Christian who knows God’s big enough and strong enough to deal with the broad spectrum of human emotions that can include anger, disillusionment, and despair.
God wants you to be real with Him in your prayers. Rothschild notes that instead of being a barrier, our pain can be a “bridge that invites Him in to heal and comfort you.”
Trusting Faith
When we recall the ways God has answered our prayers in the past, it helps us to continue asking and expecting answers. When we come to Him in prayer, we know that He always hears us (1 John 5:14; Psalm 34:15). He provides what we need (Philippians 4:19). And He will always make everything work together for our good when we trust Him with it (Romans 8:28).
My next post(s) will focus on “Who Should I Be Praying For?”
