Lord, Teach Us to Pray, Part 4
We have been exploring the importance of the Lord’s prayer. In response to the disciple’s question, “Lord, teach us to pray.” (Luke 11:1), Jesus provided principles for effective prayer (Luke 11:2-4).
Since prayer was central to Jesus’ ministry, He wanted it to be a foundation in His disciples’ lives. What we call the “Lord’s Prayer” might be better called the “Disciples’ Prayer,” as it serves as a guide or blueprint for prayer.
Throughout Bible and church history, we see many examples of prayer’s power. God chooses to use humanity through prayer to move mountains and change the course of history.
As nineteenth-century minister and author E.M. Bounds stated,
“God’s acquaintance is not made hurriedly. He does not bestow His gifts on the casual or hasty comer or goer. To be much alone with God is the secret of knowing Him. God yields to the persistency of a faith that knows Him.” 1
Faith to move mountains begins in the secret place with God.
God anoints men and women of prayer. What our world needs is for the Church to dedicate itself once again to this ministry.
More programs and marketing won’t reach a hopeless world. An empowered Church will—it begins and is sustained by daily, dedicated prayer.
Today, as we continue this series, let’s explore prayer in accordance with God’s will.
Luke 11:2 “Your kingdom come; your will be done.” (NKJV)
Love, along with faith, should support our prayers. If we have faith to move mountains but lack love, we are spiritually ineffective. God promises that even with a small amount of His faith, we can move mountains. However, it must be grounded in love and a desire to do God’s will.
A key trait of effective prayer is praying in harmony with God’s will. God assures us that we can be confident in prayer when our requests align with His will.
First, we have God’s written Word. The Bible is filled with nearly 7,500 of God’s promises that reveal His will.
Secondly, the Holy Spirit continually speaks and guides us through both the written Word and what the Spirit reveals.
Jesus taught that “His people (sheep) hear His voice!” (John 10:27). Expect to hear the voice of the Lord and to be guided by the Spirit. Paul said in Rom. 8:14, “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.” (NLT)
Of the 7,500 promises of God in scripture, some are universal (apply to everyone), but many are situational (only for those at that time). For example, the promise made to Joshua that God would deliver Jericho into the children of Israel’s hands was a situational promise for that specific moment. (Jos. 6)
But other promises in God’s Word are universal. For example, Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp for my feet.” It’s an unconditional, universal promise.
Or Phil. 4:19 is another unconditional, universal promise: “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (NKJV)
Other universal promises are conditional. For example, Matt. 21:22 “And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing (conditional), you will receive.” (NKJV) 1 John 1:9, “If (conditional) we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (NKJV)
John writes,
14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him. 1 John 5:14-15 NKJV
John highlights the confidence we gain from understanding God’s will. He states that this confidence starts with our relationship with God. Prayer is primarily a conversation with God—not just asking Him for things (I’ll cover petitionary prayer in another article).
God desires a relationship with you. Seek Him first, not just the answers to your problems. If you only seek answers, you might often miss them; but if you seek God above all, the answers will come to you.
As long as you pray according to God’s will, you can be confident that you have received what you asked for. The use of the present tense “we have” in 1 John 5:15 doesn’t necessarily mean the prayer has already been answered immediately, but it does show an immediate confidence that it has already been granted by God.
It may take some time for the full manifestation, but this initial assurance remains unchanged by time. Now, you can keep praying through the process until the desired outcome appears.
Much of unanswered prayer is because it falls outside of God’s will.
Here are just a few examples of prayers that fall outside of God’s will. Each of these could serve as a message; let me briefly mention them.
Unforgiveness. “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.” Mark 11:25 NKJV
Or a marriage relationship that is out of order. “In the same way, you husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat your wife with understanding as you live together. She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God’s gift of new life. Treat her as you should so your prayers will not be hindered.” 1 Pet. 3:7 NLT
Unbelief also influences unanswered prayer. “6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.” James 1:6-8 NIV
Fear can hinder our faith in God for the answer. Throughout scripture, we are told to fear not and instead trust the Lord. Fear can prevent us from confidently asking God for help or acting on what He has revealed to us. Consider the promise to Joshua that holds true for us:
“This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Jos. 1:9 NLT
Also, it might be caused by selfish motives. “You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.” James 4:3 NKJV
Have you ever prayed a “misdirected prayer”? Most of us have. My definition of a “misdirected prayer” is a prayer driven by our desires and will, rather than one guided by the Holy Spirit and God’s will.
I’m thankful Jesus hasn’t answered all my prayers—maybe you can relate! As I’ve grown in Christ, I realize that not all my prayers were truly from the heart and aligned with God’s will. Learning how to pray and connect with God through relationship and love is a key principle for a meaningful prayer life.
A heart filled with hurt, offense, unforgiveness, and judgment often prays incorrectly.
Do you remember the story of James and John wanting to call down fire on a Samaritan village because they rejected Jesus?
Regarding the village’s rejection of His message, observe how Jesus responded, the one who was rejected.
54 And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?” 55 But He turned and rebuked them, and said, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. 56 For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.” And they went to another village. Luke 9:54-56 NKJV
Hmmm, have you ever wanted someone to receive “justice”? You know, get what they deserve? Jesus makes it clear in the passage above and throughout the gospels that God’s way is love and forgiveness—vengeance belongs to Him, and His mercy triumphs over judgment.
By the way, we are in the new covenant age of grace, where God’s love through Jesus is freely given to humanity. God does not want anyone to perish but to repent and turn to Him, as He is reconciling the world to Himself through Christ.
Therefore, calling down fire or wishing judgment on others isn’t God’s will or way! God’s love, shown through the power of the cross and Jesus’ resurrection, is greater than humanity’s sin, behavior, and brokenness!
If prayer is aimed at making God do my will, it is misguided. Instead, we seek for God’s will to be fulfilled in our lives, families, and relationships, in accordance with the nature of heaven.
Jesus prays to the Father, “Not My will, but your will be done!”
Jesus, in the Garden of Gethsemane, set the ultimate example of commitment to God’s will. He was battling the powers of darkness, and yet, even though His soul was tortured and troubled, He was able to pray.
He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” Matt. 26:39 NKJV
Jesus submitted to God’s will, even though it meant He would endure intense suffering and face a painful death. Such love!
If we want prayers to be answered and mountains to move, we must be fully committed, like Jesus, to God’s will. We need to be willing to pray, not ‘my will, Lord,’ but ‘your will be done!’
This involves releasing our self-centered life. Look at Jesus. After His death, He experienced His resurrection! When we surrender our ambitions and desires, He can bring new dreams and promises to life according to His will and purpose. He was a man of sorrows, but God also filled Him with joy (Heb. 12:2).
Therefore, when we pray according to God’s heart and will, we are confident that He hears us and trust that in His time and way, our prayers will be answered.
An answered and fulfilled prayer is divine! It starts with love for Jesus and a desire to be with Him—that’s the core of all prayer: communion with God and love for Him and His presence.
David wrote,
“I delight to do Your will, O my God, And Your law is within my heart.” Psalm 40:8 NKJV
When we commit to God’s will and live according to His purposes, circumstances tend to resolve themselves. Consider Rom. 8:28.
“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” NLT
God causes the events and situations in our lives to align with His greater will and purpose. As a result, we have expectations when we pray because we are praying according to the will of God!
FootNote
1 E.M. Bounds, Power Through Prayer (New Kensington, PA: Whitaker House, 1982), 56.
