Keys to Answered PrayerSample

The Importance Of Knowing God’s Will

Yesterday we looked at what inhibits prayers from being answered: doubt and unbelief. Today, we’ll look at the importance of knowing God’s will and the crucial role this plays in answered prayer.

Let's start by looking at the wrong way of praying.

James 4:3
"You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures."

Sometimes we pray for things that are outside of God’s will — desires that are not based on His truth. God doesn’t answer those prayers because they don’t come from a pure heart.

God promises in His Word that He will give you the desires of your heart when you delight yourself in Him (Psalm 37:4).

1 John 4:14-15:
"Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him."

Have you ever considered what God truly desires for you, the times that you’re living in, or for those around you? When you know what God’s will is, you can pray for it in faith. As we’ve just seen, you have a promise in 1 John that says you will receive what you ask for!

So, approaching God in faith is important, but knowing His will is essential. How do you think we can find out what His will is?

You guessed it: by knowing His Word.

John 15:7 says:
"If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you."

God reveals His will through His Word. When that is your foundation, your desires will naturally align with His will—and He will always answer your prayers.

When you know His Word, you know His will, and it causes you to pray differently. You’ll approach His throne with a newfound boldness and pray full of faith. Why? Because you know who He is, you know what He has said, and you know what you can stand on. You know His promises, His will, and His Word.

So before you pray, ask yourself: is this in line with God’s Word?
Do not doubt! Look it up. Find a Bible verse to stand on. Remind God of His own Word (Psalm 119:49).

Are you wondering how you’re going to pay your bills this month?

Philippians 4:19 says:
"And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus."

Are you looking for a job or struggling with your business?

Deuteronomy 8:18 says:
"And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day."

Are you experiencing illness or pain in your body?

1 Peter 2:24
"By His stripes, you are healed."

Are you in need of wisdom in a difficult situation?

James 1:5
"If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him."

Are you up against an ‘impossible’ problem?

Psalm 18:30
"For by You I can run against a troop, by my God I can leap over a wall."

Simply put: everything that God has provided for you by His grace—such as healing, forgiveness, peace, provision, and rest—is His will. For every situation, there is a Bible verse where you can recognize God's will and pray accordingly, knowing with 100% certainty that God will answer your prayers!

When you pray with conviction, you don't need to pray the same thing over and over again. You pick a Bible verse, remind God of His Word, ask in faith, and end with thanksgiving—why is that? Because you have already received it, in faith! And for that, you can thank and praise God.

Maybe the situation still looks the same at that moment, but you can thank God in advance for the fact that it will change. That is faith.

Hebrews 11:1
"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

In other words: if it’s already visible, you no longer need to have faith for it. However, if you don't see it yet, but you have a promise from the Bible that you can stand on, and you ask God for it, then you’ve already received it — by faith! That is called ‘walking in faith’. Believing that you have received it even before it is visible.

2 Corinthians 5:7
"For we walk by faith, not by sight."

Here’s the point: faith is a lifestyle you can adopt. Do you have a need? Go to God's Word. Find a promise. Ask God for it, knowing that it is His will. Thank God for it. Let it go. You don’t need to beg. It’s already been given to you. God has already promised it. Thanksgiving releases God's promises into your life, so what are you waiting for? Rejoice in the Lord!

Activation:
What do you regularly pray for? Can you confidently say that it aligns with God’s will according to His Word?
If yes—celebrate in faith that He has already heard you.
If no—find a promise from His Word today and align your prayer with it.

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This Bible plan is based on a lesson from One in Him Foundation’s One Basics Study Guide. The book covers the fundamentals of faith in 32 lessons. It’s great for personal study at home and even better in group settings.