How to Pray to God and Get Answers

Prayers to God are meant to come true. Did you know that?

Praying is supposed to be a Christian’s secret weapon, but we must know how to pray to God. 

In order to pray to God, you have to believe that He hears you. Simply talk to Him the way you would talk to a friend. He loves you and wants to hear from you. 

Prayer is an incredible gift from God. It is the ability to connect with God Almighty at any time and receive help from Heaven.

If it seems like God is ignoring your prayers, it may be that you are not cooperating with the principles of prayer that God has established.

Everything that we receive from God in prayer requires faith.

Once you understand how the Kingdom works, you will start seeing your prayers answered. 

But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. James 1:6-8 NKJV

The truth is God does hear your prayers and wants to answer them.

Prayers must be prayed in faith. 

There are reasons why people pray and don’t see the answer come to pass.

It is NOT because God said no or because God is ignoring you, it’s because many times we don’t know how to pray to God effectively!

How to Pray to God

Did you know that prayers can be ineffective?

Prayer can be ineffective when you are just rattling off religious words. I hear these kinds of prayers all the time.

Prayer can also be ineffective when you don’t understand how to pray.

Remember in Luke 11 when Jesus’s disciples ask Him to teach them to pray? They obviously saw that Jesus’s prayers were effective! Jesus knew the secrets of how prayer works.

There are laws, or principles that govern how prayer works. God Himself will not violate these principles.

Most people are violating these principles and not seeing the answers to their prayers!

It’s like jumping off a building and wondering why you didn’t fly.

There are laws that govern the physical world- and gravity is one of them. If you violate the principle of gravity, you will reap the consequences.

The same is true in the Kingdom of God. There are principles that govern how prayer works.

There is a reason people pray for things and don’t see the answer. Sometimes it is because people are praying for something outside of the will of God. 

Most of the time, it’s because they are praying ineffectively by asking God to do something He’s actually already done. 

If I gave you my car, and then you started calling me every day asking me to give you my car, I would be a bit confused. Didn’t I already give you my car?

Why are you asking for something I have already given you? Shouldn’t you be calling me just to thank me for what I’ve given you?

This is similar to many of our prayers. We are simply asking God to give us things He has already given us.

When we ask God for something He’s already given us, it’s essentially a prayer of unbelief.

We don’t believe God has already given us what we’re asking for. A prayer of unbelief is going to be ineffective.

Belief is the one requirement to receiving from God. He wants us to believe!

Unbelief may not seem like a big deal, but it is toxic in the Kingdom of God.

Unbelief will keep you out of the things God has for you, in the same way that it kept the children of Israel from entering the Promised Land.

You have a promised land as well, a land of rest in the finished work of Jesus- where everything is provided and the enemies are defeated. But unbelief will keep you from entering into this life.

What is Unbelief? 

Unbelief is simply choosing not to believe what God says.

You may think “Oh no, I always believe what God says” but in reality, you don’t.

The truth about what we believe is made evident through our words and actions. If you really want to know what you believe in your heart, listen to your words and especially look at your actions. This is how you really know what you believe in your heart. 

For example, we say we believe what God says, but then we ask Him for peace. Didn’t Jesus say He gave us His peace? So if we are asking for something He’s already given us, then we don’t actually believe that He’s given it to us. 

You may think this is a bit extreme, but I’m telling you- the reason you don’t have peace is because you don’t believe you already have it.

It is the reason so many Christians are defeated. They just don’t believe what God said in the Bible.

It may sound too simple, but it’s the truth. Most people are praying prayers of unbelief, and it’s keeping them out of the life God has provided for them.

So let’s dive into how to pray to God.

1. Know the Will of God 

When it comes to praying the prayer of petition, or praying for something specific, you need to know what the will of God is. God’s Word is His will. It’s that simple. The life of the Lord Jesus displays the will of God perfectly. Jesus only did the will of the Father, and He was a perfect representation of the nature of God.

God has provided everything you could ever possibly need through the finished work of Jesus, and He’s outlined it all in the Bible. Most Christians are not aware of what they already have.  The Word of God tells us what is ours in Christ. The Bible tells you what God has done and what He will do. 

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. 1 John 5:14-15

When you know that you are praying in agreement with the will of God, you can be absolutely certain that the answer is yes. 

If you don’t know the will of God in the area you are praying, then immediately stop praying until you know the will of God, or switch your prayer to asking for wisdom concerning the situation. Pray that your spiritual eyes would be opened so that you can receive revelation of His will in this area. 

Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. Ephesians 5:17

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Romans 12:2

Find the will of God concerning what you are praying. Has He already provided what you are praying for? Probably. There’s a promise in the Word of God for absolutely everything you could face in life.  Just because you don’t see what you’re praying for in your life yet, doesn’t mean He hasn’t already provided it for you. It’s just that you haven’t received it by faith yet. 

2. Plant God’s Promise in Your Heart 

Every promise found in the Word of God is for you! The finished work of Jesus has made the answer to every promise a big YES. 

For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us. 2 Corinthians 1:20

Find the promise concerning what you need and meditate on it until it becomes alive and real in your heart. Until your heart is utterly convinced that this promise is for you. Your heart is designed to be the soil from which everything in your life grows. Your heart needs to be completely convinced of what Jesus has done.

Listen to spirit- filled teachings that explain what Jesus has done for you through His finished work. Ask the Lord for a spirit of wisdom and revelation so that you can understand spiritual things. Your faith will become effective as you realize everything Jesus has given you. 

that the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus. Philemon 1:6

A great way to convince your heart of truth is to speak out loud the Word of God. Your heart will believe your own words more than the words of another person. The Word of God that comes out of your mouth will go through your ears and into your heart. Speak what the Word of God says concerning your situation until it is rooted in your heart and becomes real on the inside of you. 

3. Pray and Receive What He Has Provided

Once your heart is in agreement with and assured of what God has provided, you can now pray the prayer of faith, which is extremely effective. 

One of the major keys to answered prayer is to believe you receive when you pray. 

Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. Mark 11:24

Thank God for what He has provided, and receive it by faith. Once you receive it, you have it. There’s no more asking for it. Read that again. Once you pray and receive what you are asking for- that settles it. You have it at that moment, whether you can see it with your physical eyes or not. This is the prayer of faith.

You may have thoughts come to you and tell you that you didn’t receive it. But that is a lie. Believe you received it when you prayed. Sometimes it is helpful to write down “at such and such a time, I received this in prayer. I have it now”. 

You know that what you have asked for is in agreement with the will of God, you know He heard you, and you know you have what you have requested. 

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. 1 John 5:14-15

4. Speak to the Mountain 

God has given you the authority to move mountains. Let me say that again- God has given YOU the authority to move mountains. A mountain is simply any obstacle or hindrance that is standing in the way of the will of God manifesting in your life. The mountain could be sickness, lack, confusion, or bitterness. Anything that is opposing the will of God is a mountain in your life.

How do you move the mountain? By speaking to it. God told YOU to speak to the obstacle and see it moved. 

So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. Mark 11: 22-24

This is a major reason why people don’t see the answer to their prayer manifest. They don’t obey this principle of speaking directly to the problem. 

Just because you prayed for something, doesn’t mean there will not be any hindrances arise. For example, when Jesus told His disciples to get in the boat and go to the other side, that was the word of the Lord. That was the will of the Lord. But what happened? A storm arose, almost hindering their ability to see Jesus’s words come to pass. But what did Jesus do in this situation? He took authority over the obstacle, and then rebuked His disciples for not doing it themselves. 

Whatever is between you and the will of God manifesting in your life, speak to it. Speak directly to the problem and command it to be moved. Believe that you will have what you say. 

Everything in existence was created by the Word of God. At the very basis of everything that has been created are sound-waves. Words are what created this universe. Words are what hold this universe together, and words are what change things. Use the Word of God to change your circumstances like you were created to do. 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. John 1:1

who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, Hebrews 1:3

5. Call Things That Be Not As Though They Did

After you have spoken directly to the problem and commanded it to be removed, the next step is to begin to call things that have not yet manifested in the physical realm as though they have. This is exactly how God operates, and He wants us to imitate Him.

Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. Ephesians 5:1

God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did; Romans 4:17

This is another major key to seeing the answers to your prayer come to pass. The principle of calling things that be not as though they were means speaking only in agreement with your answered prayers. Speak as if you have the answer already manifested. 

You are designed to use your tongue to create, subdue, and change things in the natural. This is how Adam and Eve were instructed to have dominion over the physical realm.  

You are designed as a speaking spirit, just like God. Changing circumstances through your spoken word is a faith principle in the Kingdom of God which you can employ everyday.

Learn to control the words that come out of your mouth so that you are only speaking what you want. This is critical. Speak the things you have prayed for as if you have them now (because you do in the spiritual). This is a principle that most people are violating, then wondering why their prayers aren’t working. We must learn to master our tongues and only speak in agreement with the Word of God. Our tongues hold tremendous power. 

Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell. James 3: 5-6

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit. Proverbs 18:21

6. Thank God That You Have What You Have Prayed For

Now that you’ve found the promise for your situation, meditated on it until it became real in your heart, believed you received it when you prayed, spoke to any mountains in the way, and began calling things that be not as though they were, it’s time to switch over into thanksgiving. The work is done and you can begin to thank God for what is accomplished. There should be a rest in your soul concerning the situation, even if you don’t see the answer in the physical realm yet.

For we who have believed do enter that rest, as He has said: Hebrews 4:3 

We are designed to live in this place of rest and trust. This is the walk of faith- knowing that Jesus has accomplished everything we could ever need through His finished work on the cross. 

Whatever you have prayed for, see it completely accomplished in your imagination. Your imagination is a powerful tool that God has given you. The imagination is where miracles are conceived. Make sure that what you are seeing in your imagination is in agreement with the answer to your prayer. This is critical. What you see on the inside is so important. 

Continue to thank God that you have the answer to your prayer. Continue to confess that it is done. This is mainly for your benefit. God has already done it, but as we continue to thank Him for what He has done, it keeps our mind in a place of faith. When doubt and unbelief try to creep in, continue to give God thanks that the work is finished. This is powerful. 

7. Employ Patience

When it comes to receiving the answers to your prayers,  the only way you can lose is if you give up. You must keep your faith on the field until the game is over, until you see the victory in the physical realm. So many people stop believing right before they see what they long for. Don’t give up! Don’t quit speaking what you have prayed for. Don’t allow your tongue to ruin your prayers.

Patience is a powerful force that you can use while you wait to see the reality of what you prayed for. Faith and patience work together as an unstoppable partnership. 

And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. Hebrews 6: 11-12

Patience is not just sitting around, twiddling your thumbs and waiting on God to do something. Patience is a spiritual force that empowers you to remain steadfast as long as it requires. 

If you choose to employ patience, and keep your faith out there, there’s no stopping you. You WILL see what you have prayed for!!

But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. James 1:4

Power of Agreement 

Sometimes it is helpful to have someone who knows how to receive things in prayer agree with your faith. There is strong power in agreement. 

Be careful that you only ask people to agree with you who know the will of God and how the principles of faith operate. If you do not know anyone like this who can agree with you in prayer, you can shoot me an email and I will be happy to agree with you. 

Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. Matthew 18:19

Remember, don’t withdraw your faith until you see what you have prayed for!

Prayer of Intercession

You’ve probably had someone ask you to pray for them. You say “yes, I will pray for you”. But then what? What do you pray for? Your friend didn’t tell you anything specific, so how do you know what to pray about?

Or maybe you know you need to be praying for your spouse or your children, but what are you supposed to pray?

When we pray for the needs of others, it is called the prayer of intercession. You are making intercession for another person. Maybe you just feel the need to pray for someone but don’t know what to pray. The best thing to do in times like this is to pray in the spirit, also called praying in tongues. The Bible says that when we do this, we make intercession for the saints. The Holy Spirit knows exactly what needs to be prayed and will pray through you, interceding for the person.

Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. Romans 8:26-27

For more information about praying in tongues, I recommend reading 9 Reasons We Need to Pray in Tongues.

Another great way to intercede for a person is to pray the Word of God for a person. We do this by declaring the Word of God over them. The New Testament has many great prayers that Paul prayed for believers. We can use these same ones to pray over our loved ones. Here are a few of those prayers:

Prayers to Pray for a Loved One

that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power Ephesians 1:17-19

For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:14-19

For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;  that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. Colossians 1:9-14