Silas
Beloved of All
Your sincere cry to God for help and safety and for Him to take charge is precious to Him, and He does hear the honest prayer that comes from the heart.
The most important part of any prayer is who you are addressing and the relationship you have with Him. Jesus gave His followers a model for prayer that begins with calling God Father. That relationship is what opens the door to real and effective prayer, and that relationship comes only through Jesus Christ. If that relationship has not yet been established, the one prayer God most wants to hear is simply, God be merciful to me, a sinner. That prayer of repentance and faith in Jesus brings you into His family, and from that place you can talk with Him as your Father at any time.
Prayer is not meant to inform God of your needs, because your Father already knows what you need before you ask Him. And prayer is not a way to make God do what you want. The true purpose of prayer is to see God's will done. Prayer begins with God and His purposes, He makes His desires known to your heart, you speak them back to Him, and then He works to accomplish them. In that way prayer opens the door for God to do what He has wanted to do for you all along, without forcing or violating the choice He has given you. That is why the wisest and safest prayer you can pray is, Lord, work out Your perfect will in my life, have Your way in my situation.
You do not need long or perfect words for God to hear you. The prayers recorded in Scripture are often very short, sometimes even silent prayers lifted in a moment from the heart. What matters is not length but sincerity. Scripture says the fervent prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective, the kind of prayer that rises from deep need and trust, like the prayers of Elijah or David when he was surrounded by trouble. At the same time the Bible says if I hold onto sin in my heart, the Lord will not hear me, so coming to Him honestly, confessing sin and trusting Jesus, keeps the way open between you and Him.
God also calls you to continue in prayer with thanksgiving and to watch for His answer. Persistence is not to wear God down or change His mind, but to bring your heart into harmony with His purpose. Sometimes He answers yes, sometimes no, and later you can look back with gratitude that He did not give what would have harmed you. He does want to bless you and keep you, and to keep His hand upon you and guard you from evil.
Keep bringing your situation to Him in simple, heartfelt prayer, trusting His love and His will above your own. Prayer was never meant to take the place of responsible action either, as men like Nehemiah and Daniel showed when they prayed and also did what was right before God day by day. As you walk with Him in His Word and in prayer, you can rest that He is in charge, He is faithful to keep His promises to those who love Him, and He will answer in the way that is best for you. We join our faith with yours and ask the Father in Jesus name to hear your cry, to surround you with His protection, to give you peace, and to work out His good and perfect will in every part of your situation.
The most important part of any prayer is who you are addressing and the relationship you have with Him. Jesus gave His followers a model for prayer that begins with calling God Father. That relationship is what opens the door to real and effective prayer, and that relationship comes only through Jesus Christ. If that relationship has not yet been established, the one prayer God most wants to hear is simply, God be merciful to me, a sinner. That prayer of repentance and faith in Jesus brings you into His family, and from that place you can talk with Him as your Father at any time.
Prayer is not meant to inform God of your needs, because your Father already knows what you need before you ask Him. And prayer is not a way to make God do what you want. The true purpose of prayer is to see God's will done. Prayer begins with God and His purposes, He makes His desires known to your heart, you speak them back to Him, and then He works to accomplish them. In that way prayer opens the door for God to do what He has wanted to do for you all along, without forcing or violating the choice He has given you. That is why the wisest and safest prayer you can pray is, Lord, work out Your perfect will in my life, have Your way in my situation.
You do not need long or perfect words for God to hear you. The prayers recorded in Scripture are often very short, sometimes even silent prayers lifted in a moment from the heart. What matters is not length but sincerity. Scripture says the fervent prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective, the kind of prayer that rises from deep need and trust, like the prayers of Elijah or David when he was surrounded by trouble. At the same time the Bible says if I hold onto sin in my heart, the Lord will not hear me, so coming to Him honestly, confessing sin and trusting Jesus, keeps the way open between you and Him.
God also calls you to continue in prayer with thanksgiving and to watch for His answer. Persistence is not to wear God down or change His mind, but to bring your heart into harmony with His purpose. Sometimes He answers yes, sometimes no, and later you can look back with gratitude that He did not give what would have harmed you. He does want to bless you and keep you, and to keep His hand upon you and guard you from evil.
Keep bringing your situation to Him in simple, heartfelt prayer, trusting His love and His will above your own. Prayer was never meant to take the place of responsible action either, as men like Nehemiah and Daniel showed when they prayed and also did what was right before God day by day. As you walk with Him in His Word and in prayer, you can rest that He is in charge, He is faithful to keep His promises to those who love Him, and He will answer in the way that is best for you. We join our faith with yours and ask the Father in Jesus name to hear your cry, to surround you with His protection, to give you peace, and to work out His good and perfect will in every part of your situation.
