Journey: A New Believer's Guide to Spiritual GrowthSample

Prayer Changes YOU

Have you been praying for something and you’re not seeing any results? Do you get discouraged when God doesn’t seem to be answering your prayers? How does God answer prayers? You can be sure that God always answers prayers; sometimes he says “Yes,” sometimes “No,” and sometimes “Not now, wait.” However, when you’ve been on your knees or prone on the floor asking God for help, it may not be very very comforting.

So what is the power in prayer, especially when you’ve been praying hard and not seeing any answer? It’s the change in YOU that happens when you pray, especially for others. 

Scripture tells us that God hears us when we pray; he is eager to give us what we want, especially when we ask for things that please him, things that are in line with his will. Even Jesus prayed, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” (Matthew 26:39 NLT)

When we pray, we change our focus from ourselves to others, and that in itself is a major improvement. When we pray in accordance with God’s will, we change our attention from what we want to what God wants for us, and THAT is ALWAYS better! And when we ask God to help us recognize his answers, it builds our faith and our trust in his promises. 

I’ve changed my prayer focus recently. When someone asks me to pray for them (for a job, for a home, for healing, or some other provision), I find myself praying that God would protect them from harm, that His will would be done, and that he would make it clear to all of us who are praying what he is doing and why. Because, bottom line, I want his will for me and those I love, even when it doesn’t make sense at the time. And I’ve been seeing God at work in ways I never did before -- when my son lost a home that his family desperately needed, only to discover later on that it was in very bad shape and would have ruined them financially. God’s sight is like hindsight -- infinitely wiser than “now” sight.

List out the things in your life that God would want to do or change. Make this into a prayer list that you pray through every day. Keep track of answered prayer. See if it builds your confidence when God answers your prayers and if it changes your focus from what you want to what God wants for you and those you love.

Pray: Make another prayer list, but make it about others. In fact, make sure it doesn’t benefit you in any way. If you’re having trouble, pray for the heart and mind of Jesus to begin your prayer time. Let this inform your requests.