Biblical Answer

Understanding God's Will in Prayer

When praying according to God's will, it's essential to acknowledge that God's will is not something we can impose on Him through prayer, but rather, it's the prescribed way of subordinating our will to His. We seek God's will through prayer, and Jesus teaches us to pray, "Your will be done" (Matt. 6:10). To know God's will, we can look to Scripture, which provides commands and direct revelations of His will. We should also pray for guidance, asking, "Lord, what is your will?" and trust that God will answer our prayer when we ask Him for something that accords with a specific promise or command of Scripture.

Praying According to God's Will

When praying according to God's will, 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 should not try to make God's will conform to ours, but rather, pray as Jesus did, "Not my will, but thine, be done" (Matt. 26:39). If we're unsure of God's will, we should ask for deeper understanding and then pray for what seems best to us, giving reasons to the Lord why, in our present circumstances, that seems to be the best choice. We should also acknowledge that God's will is to be accepted rather than altered by prayer.

Prayer as an Ongoing Relationship with God

Prayer is not just a routine, but an ongoing relationship with God. To pray effectively, we must come to the place of enjoying prayer and eagerly seek time to pray, even sacrificing to do so. This happens when we realize that prayer is a conversation with God, and we're seeking His guidance and will in our lives. As we pray, we should look to the future, making big requests that focus on God's purposes and plans for our lives. We should also pray with faith, trusting that God will keep His promise and direct our affairs to the full accomplishment of His purposes. By doing so, we'll demonstrate that we're concerned with God's will being done, just as He is.