Praying According to God’s Will
Jesus, our supreme example, prayed according to God’s will at an early age when He was 12 years old (Luke 2:49), during all of His ministry (Matthew 6:10), and just before the crucifixion (Luke 22:42). In all things, He lived according to the will of the Father. Believers are to imitate Christ’s example as well as follow these biblical guidelines for praying according to God’s will:
1-Know God’s will? We can pray for-Salvation (Romans 10:1), mercy and forgiveness (Psalm 51:1-2), witness (Acts 4:29), not to enter temptation (Matthew 26:41), delivery (James 5:13), healing (James 5:16), our enemies (Matthew 5:44), religious leaders (Colossians 4:3; 2 Thessalonians 3:1), and governments (1 Timothy 2:1-3).
2-Submit: Jesus submitted without question or hesitation to the Father’s will, “Here I am, I have come to do your will” (Hebrews 10:9).
2-Obey: Jesus “learned obedience from what he suffered” (Hebrews 5:8). For Him obedient entailed suffering and death; He “became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:8).
3-Have Faith: Jesus said, “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours” (Mark 11:24).
4-Ask for wisdom: “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you” (James 1:5).
5-Live for the glory of God: “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).
6-Put God’s kingdom first: “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33).
7-Pray with Godly motives: “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts” (James 4:3).
8-Walk in love towards others: “And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins” (Mark 11:25 also Matthew 5:23-24).
8-Praise: “Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4).
9-Persist in prayer: “Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up” (Luke 18:1). Christians are to “pray continually” (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
10-Pray in the Spirit: “We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will” (Romans 8:26-27).
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In His service,
BibleAsk Team
