How Does Prayer Really Work?

Many people believe that prayer is something that gets us what we want; it is us asking God for what we want.  Then when that doesn't work the way they wanted, they get mad and proclaim God doesn't exist or He doesn't care.  Let us take a quick look on how prayer really works.   We first must understand that prayer is a tool for people to come into communion with God.  It is through prayer that the sinner comes to God and prays for forgiveness (Luke 22:32, James 4:7).   It is where the believer gathers strength (Jude 20, Matthew26:41), and so many other wonderful things.  So how does prayer work then?  We read In Psalm 66:18, “If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, my Lord would not have listened.”  We find out from this piece of scripture to be heard we must confess our sins and give our lives over to God.  Many people say I prayed once and nothing came of it, did they confess their sins did they truly want to come into communion with God or did they want to get something from God without having to change their lives?

We must pray in faith, we must pray knowing that God is going to answer and we are going see some great and amazing things come from pray.  “But when you ask him, be sure that you really expect him to answer, for a doubtful mind is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. People like that should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. They can’t make up their minds. They waver back and forth in everything they do.”(James 1:6-8)  As we pray we need to pray in line with Gods will, not our will or what the world prays for but for the things of the Kingdom of God.  “we can be confident that he will listen to us whenever we ask him for anything in line with his will.  And if we know he is listening when we make our requests, we can be sure that he will give us what we ask for.”(1^st John 5:14-15)  We need to be sincere in our prayers as well, truly seeking out God and not our own wants.  “And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s people, ²² let us go right into the presence of God, with true hearts fully trusting him. For our evil consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.”(Hebrews 10:22)  We are to also pray presently without begging or trying to bargain with God.  We are to continue to pray for some things for a long while until God answers them.

Matthew 7:7-11 we read this;  “Keep on asking, and you will be given what you ask for. Keep on looking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened.  For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And the door is opened to everyone who knocks.  You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead?  Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not!  If you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.”  God has given us a powerful tool in prayer. All we need to Ask, Seek, And Knock.  But too many times we do not understand this wonderful gift that God has given us.  We grow in faith through prayer, we get wisdom through prayer, we come into communion through prayer.