“14 Now this is the confidence we have before Him: Whenever we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears whatever we ask, we know that we have what we have asked Him for.”
1 John 5:14-15
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This is simple, and it makes sense. If we pray for things that honor God, that stand according to His purpose and will, then we are asking Him for things or to move in ways that stand according to His purpose and will, and those things we pray for will be honored because they do not stand contrary to God and His will. Right? If we pray and ask God to move or act in a way that stands against His nature, that move against His laws, statutes and character, we should not be surprised when He does not pay attention to those prayers because He will not move in, act on or affirm anything that stands contrary to His will and purpose.

“Dear God, help me win the lotto, oh, and please give my neighbor with the loud exhaust hearing problems because he refuses to fix it. Also, please make people at work like me more, and that dog who barks all the time a few doors down? Give it throat cancer. Amen.”

God is not going to listen to or honor that prayer. It is selfish, immoral and wrong. It stands against His nature to act and move in those ways.

“Dear God, please kill off all those extremists from that other religion.”

Again, God doesn’t act according to our will and desires. He does not act on our hatred, only according to His own Justice.

“God, please give me and my live-in love interest a raise at work so we can get a nicer house.”

If we are living in sin, refuse to acknowledge it and ask God to move in a way that affirms and encourages that decision, He is not going to do that. We cannot refuse Him in one area, acknowledge Him in another, and hope it all levels out together.

“14 Now this is the confidence we have before Him: Whenever we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears whatever we ask, we know that we have what we have asked Him for.”

Thee are those key words “according to His will” that clue us in to the types of prayer that God will hear and honor. And when we do pray and seek Him out in a way that honors His will and plan. –then– we can be certain that He will move, because it is something that He already approves.

“Dear God, give me the strength and wisdom I need to invite my coworker to church this weekend.”

Yes.

“Dear God, please bring comfort to my hurting neighbor, use me to say the right thing and lend a hand if needed at the right time so their heart is drawn to you.”

Yes.

“Dear God, help me learn to be content in everything and to honor you in my heart, mind, soul and actions.”

Yes.

“Dear God, use me however you see fit to talk to my neighbor who seems to be struggling with making good choices.”

Yes.

“Dear God, you be honored in my life however You see fit. Do what You will, teach me, grow me, use me according to Your purposes.”

Yes.

“Dear God, please change my attitude toward my coworker who ridicules me for my faith in You. Give me wisdom in dealing with them, so their hearts might be drawn to You, rather than me lashing out and damaging my witness for You.”

Yes.

“Teach me to be generous. Show me how to love like You do.”

Yes.

And it goes on. We can pray from the flesh and remain unheard, or we can pray from the will of God and be confident that what we ask for, He will do. This is simple. If we are going to GoLove others in the Name of Christ, moved by the Holy Spirit, then it must be done according to the will of the Father. Those are the prayers He hears, answers and moves in.