It Happens After Prayer

1. Prayer is the Essential Christian Response to Life's Challenges.

Though you may not be able to control what happens to you in life, you can control how you respond.

Life's inevitable troubles. Challenges, temptations, needs, sickness, financial issues, relational problems, and worries are unavoidable aspects of life for everyone, including Christians. Faith in Christ does not eliminate trials; in fact, it may introduce new ones. However, being a Christian provides unique options for how we respond to these difficulties.

Choosing your response. Unlike those without faith, believers are not merely thermometers that register their circumstances. We can be thermostats, regulating our internal state regardless of external pressure. This spiritual climate control allows us to choose responses like love, forgiveness, trust, and joy, even amidst hardship, rather than being dictated by our situation.

The ultimate solution. When faced with overwhelming circumstances that we cannot fix on our own, the biblical response is prayer. Examples throughout Scripture, from Moses and Jehoshaphat to Nehemiah, David, Daniel, the early church, and even Jesus in Gethsemane, demonstrate that turning to God in prayer is the reliable option when life tumbles in.

2. Prayer is Both a Divine Command and a Profound Privilege.

Prayer is an act of obedience to God.

A divine mandate. The primary reason to pray is that God commands it in His Word. Prayer is not an optional activity but a divine mandate found throughout Scripture, from Isaiah and Jeremiah to Jesus, Paul, and James. It is a fundamental Christian duty and a key expression of submission to and dependence upon God.

Measuring dependence. Prayer serves as an objective measurement of our dependence on God. The things we pray about are the things we trust God to handle, while the things we neglect to pray about reveal areas where we rely on our own strength. God delights when His children bring their needs to Him in faith, as it brings Him glory.

A wonderful privilege. Beyond being a duty, prayer is a wonderful privilege. It grants us direct access to the Creator and Sustainer of the universe through the blood of Jesus Christ. We can approach the throne of grace with confidence, not as beggars, but as children approaching a loving Father who promises to hear and answer.

3. God Answers Prayer, But Always According to His Perfect Will.

God works all things according to the counsel of His will.

Prayer works because God works. While prayer is not a rigged slot machine guaranteeing every request, it is effective because God works when we pray. God is able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think, according to His power at work within us.

Sovereignty dictates answers. God's absolute sovereignty means our prayers do not obligate Him to do whatever we ask, regardless of how fervently we pray. God is in heaven, doing whatever pleases Him, and He answers prayer based on the counsel of His will, which is always good, wise, and just.

God's "no" is not failure. Sometimes God's answer is "no," or it may not be the answer we desired or expected. This is not a sign of unanswered prayer but an answer rooted in God's love and wisdom, often giving us what we need rather than what we want. Like Paul's thorn or the author's prayer for his father, God's refusal can lead to deeper trust and personal transformation.

4. Pray with Reverence, Dependence, and Persistent Faith.

God is not a sleepy friend.

Reverence for God. Jesus' model prayer teaches us to pray with reverence, recognizing that God is God, not a cosmic ATM or Santa Claus. We address Him as "Father," emphasizing His nearness, but also acknowledge His greatness. Our prayers should be God-sized, God-centered, and God-exalting, prioritizing His name, kingdom, and will before our personal requests.

Dependence upon God. The parable of the friend at midnight teaches us to pray with steadfast dependence. Need drives us to God; prayerlessness is a declaration of independence. We should pray shamelessly, like the midnight caller, recognizing our need and God's sufficiency, knocking persistently until we receive what is needed, trusting that God is not a sleepy friend but one who neither slumbers nor sleeps.

Confidence in God. Jesus assures us that God is willing and able to answer prayer, arguing from the lesser (evil human fathers giving good gifts) to the greater (the heavenly Father giving the Holy Spirit and good things). We are commanded to keep asking, seeking, and knocking, praying about anything and everything with confidence in God's ability and willingness to provide.

5. Pray Honestly, Confessing Sin and Trusting God's Mercy.

The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

God hears the righteous. God does not answer every prayer, and some prayers He will not even listen to, particularly those offered from a heart cherishing iniquity. Answered prayer flows naturally from a life committed to God; God accepts the prayer because He accepts the person praying.

Sincerity and honesty. Nehemiah's prayer exemplifies sincere and honest prayer. He prayed immediately upon hearing bad news, making prayer his first response, not a last resort. His prayer moved from worship to honest confession of his own and his people's sins, acknowledging they deserved judgment.

God's promise to the honest. Confession is a neglected area of prayer, yet Scripture promises mercy and forgiveness to those who confess and forsake their sins. God is willing to give rebels another chance, not because they deserve it, but because they are His people, whom He has redeemed. His steadfast love and mercies are new every morning.

6. Pray with Spiritual Priorities, Focusing on Godliness Over Material Things.

For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you.

Generosity from a godly heart. David's prayer after the generous offering for the temple reveals the theological convictions behind true generosity. A generous hand flows from a godly heart that understands God's nature and our relationship to Him and our possessions.

God-exalting worship. David blessed God for the offering, recognizing that God is the source of all greatness, power, glory, victory, and majesty because He owns everything and reigns sovereignly. Riches and honor come from Him, and He generously shares His resources. Knowing God is great and good should lead to constant thanksgiving and praise.

God-centered humility and trust. True generosity stems from humility, recognizing that we are merely strangers and sojourners, sustained by God, and that everything we possess belongs to Him. Giving back to God is simply returning what is already His. This humility is tested by how we handle money, revealing our heart's true focus. We trust that God knows our hearts and our future, and if we prioritize Him, He will take care of us.

7. Be Ready for Answered Prayer by Waiting, Watching, and Working with God.

The problem is that we often miss or mishandle the answers God gives, because we are not ready to receive the things we ask God for.

The discipline of waiting. Answered prayer can be a mystery because we are often not ready for it. Being ready involves the discipline of waiting on God's perfect timing. Like Nehemiah waiting four months before the opportunity arose, we must take our burdens to God and leave them there, trusting Him to act in His time, not running ahead of Him.

The devotion of watching. Readiness also requires the devotion of watching for God's divine intervention. Nehemiah's sorrow was noticed by the king, and he recognized this as God's opening. We must be focused on God, not just our circumstances, to discern His movement, even in ordinary events. If your situation is to change, you must shift your focus from the problem to God.

The duty of working. Answered prayer is a spiritual partnership. We must work with God, not just wait for Him to work for us. This means being ready for the opportunity by planning and preparing, even when hope seems low, and being ready for opposition, which often accompanies open doors for effective work. Faith is not an excuse for idleness but requires diligence and readiness for both opportunity and adversity.

8. Prayer is God's Answer for Anxiety, Bringing Peace Beyond Understanding.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

Stop worrying, start praying. Sinful anxiety is internal strangulation, pulling our hearts and minds in different directions. God commands us to stop worrying about anything and instead be prayerful in everything. Worry and prayer cannot coexist; turning worries into prayers is God's prescribed way to overcome anxiety.

The privilege of praying about everything. The phrase "in everything" highlights the immense privilege of prayer. Nothing is too big or too small to bring before God. He is intimately aware of our struggles, cares deeply about our situation, and is actively working on our behalf. We can cast all our anxieties on Him because He cares for us.

Practice brings peace. Prayer is a discipline that requires practice before pressures arise. Disciplined prayer involves spending time in communion with God, not just making requests. It involves trust, affirming God's ability to meet our needs. It involves thanksgiving, which, when practiced consistently, can cause worries to vanish and doubts to dissolve, leading to the peace of God that surpasses all understanding, guarding our hearts and minds.

9. Pray for Devotion to God's Will and Dedication to Walking Worthy.

And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding.

Praying with spiritual priorities. Paul's prayer for the Colossians, even while imprisoned, focuses on their spiritual state rather than his or their physical circumstances. This teaches us to pray about heart-level issues, recognizing that when something is wrong, the heart of the matter is the matter of the heart. God is always more concerned about what is happening in us than what is happening to us.

Devotion to God's will. Paul prays that the Colossians would be "filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding." This is not a prayer for God to reveal His will (He already has a plan and wants us to know it), but for them to be governed by and submissive to His will. Discerning God's will requires a precommitment to obey; you can't know it if you won't do it.

Dedication to walking worthy. Paul continues by praying that they would "walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God." This is a prayer for practical godliness and fruitful living, empowered by God's strength. It reminds us that prayer is not just about receiving blessings but about being transformed to live lives that honor God and bear spiritual fruit.

Last updated: May 10, 2025