Biblical Answer

Praying According to God's Will

Praying according to God's will is a crucial aspect of effective prayer. To pray according to God's will, we must first understand that prayer is not about imposing our will on God, but rather about subordinating our will to His. We must seek God's will in Scripture, where He gives us commands and direct guidance. Jesus teaches us to pray, "Your will be done" (Matt. 6:10), and He gives us an example by praying in the garden of Gethsemane, "Nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will" (Matt. 26:39).

Discovering God's Will

When we don't know what God's will is, we should ask Him for deeper understanding and then pray for what seems best to us, giving reasons to the Lord why, in our present understanding, that seems to be His will. We should also acknowledge that God's will is to be accepted rather than altered by prayer. Jesus prayed, "Yet not what I will, but what you will" (Mark 8:22-15:47). We must also be willing to sacrifice to pray and come to the place of enjoying prayer, eagerly seeking time to pray. This will happen when we realize that prayer is an ongoing relationship with God.

Praying with Confidence

We should have great confidence that God will answer our prayer when we ask Him for something that accords with a specific promise or command of Scripture. We know what God's will is when He has told us, and we simply need to submit our wills to Him. Our prayers will be influenced accordingly, and we will pray as Jesus did, "Not my will, but thine, be done." We should also look to the future and make a list of big things that will focus our prayer, making sure to pray according to God's will and not our own desires. By doing so, we will demonstrate that we are as concerned as God is that His will be done.