God always hears us when we pray. The Scriptures show countless examples of prayers that God has heard and answered. He continues to answer our prayers in our day. Through the power of prayer, you can receive answers to your questions and receive the blessings God has in store for you. Answering prayers is one of the many ways God shows His love.
God is our Heavenly Father
When you know who you are and who God is, you can gain a deeper understanding of the power of prayer and why it works.
God is your Father
The Apostle Paul taught that we are “God’s offspring” (Acts 17:29). You are a child of God. God is literally the Father of your spirit. He wants to have a relationship with you. He wants you to communicate with Him through prayer, and He always listens when you do.
God loves you
Just as earthly parents care deeply about their children, your Heavenly Father loves you and wants you to be happy. That doesn’t mean your life will always be easy or happy. God will allow you to experience challenges in order to teach you important lessons that will help you become a better person. But God will always answer your prayers because of His endless love for you and all of His children.
God wants to bless you
Our loving God wants His children to receive all the blessings He has for them. Jesus Christ explained God’s desire to answer our prayers: “What man is there of you, whom if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? 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 good things to those who ask him?” (Matthew 7:9-11).
God knows the best way to answer your prayers
God will answer your prayers – but that doesn’t mean He will give you everything you ask for. He will answer your prayers in His own way because He knows what is best for you. Strive to ask for things that are in harmony with God’s will.
Pray to know God’s will
The purpose of prayer is not to change God’s will or force Him to do what you want Him to do. Prayer allows you to receive the blessings God has in store for you. As you pray to know what God wants you to do and what He has in store for you, you will see more blessings in your life and receive more answers to your prayers. Jesus taught, “If you remain in me, and my words remain in you, you will ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you” (John 15:7).
Pray with faith
The New Testament teaches, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God…and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith” (James 1:5-6). Faith is the belief in things we cannot yet see (Hebrews 11:1). If you pray and sincerely believe that God will answer you, He will.
God wants us to do our part
Receiving and recognizing answers to our prayers may require some work and patience.
Ask
It may sound simple, but we need to ask God for the blessings we need. Jesus taught, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find” (Matthew 7:7). When you are sincerely striving to obey God’s commands, He will answer your prayers and you will be ready to receive them. “God hears the prayer of the righteous” (Proverbs 15:29).
Fast
Fasting is a powerful tool for receiving answers to prayer. Fasting is depriving yourself of food or water for a certain amount of time. This shows God your humility and your willingness to sacrifice in order to receive blessings. When Jesus found that some of His disciples had tried to heal a young man without success, He told them that the righteous blessing they sought could only be obtained through “prayer and fasting” (Matthew 17:21).
Be patient and have faith
Sometimes God doesn’t seem to answer prayers right away—or at all. Does this mean He doesn’t care or isn’t listening? No, not at all. Sometimes God waits to answer our prayers because He trusts us to make the right choice. Other times, God requires us to wait patiently for the answer so we can develop faith and trust in Him. And in other situations, God gives us answers, but they may not be what we expected. Whatever the answer, you can take comfort in the fact that God always listens when you pray and that He wants the best for you. Your Heavenly Father will take care of you and help you become the best person you can be.