by Anne Sanders

Created on: February 26, 2010   Last Updated: March 17, 2010

Prayer is about asking for something but it is also about seeking God’s will.  What we ask for shows our beliefs about God. Do we speak to God about all things or just the big ones? Are we willing to take “no” for an answer? Do we wait for an answer or plow forward according to our own desires? Is our heart aligned with His will? 

Here’s an acronym that you can use for how God wants us to pray—Patiently Receive After Yielding (PRAY). In prayer, we have to trust God to give us what we need, rather than asking him just for what we want. We need to wait for God’s will rather than rushing forward with our own. The way that we come to God affects our prayers, and their effectiveness.

Covenant Prayer

“Be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray.” 1 Peter 4:7 This passage hints that in order to pray, you need both clarity and control.  Often I go to God because I have neither. I don’t know what to do so I want help or I am doing the wrong things and I want forgiveness. How can I get clarity?

You may have heard of the saying, “It is better to ask for forgiveness than permission.” Which is better to God? He is a loving God, but he also is just, perfect and as the Old Testament says—jealous.  That doesn’t mean he can’t live without us since, after all, He is all powerful and all knowing. It means we can’t live without Him, so when we try, that is when we fail.  He wants to be the wind beneath our wings and the clarity in our thoughts.  That’s why when I’m unclear, I go to God asking for His will in the matter. He knows we’re not perfect and we need Him. He doesn’t expect perfection, thank goodness.

Many times in the bible, the Israelites turn away from God and break their covenant with Him. Their idol worship in the Sinai meant they wandered there for 40 years. Solomon understood the history of his people, so after spending 20 years building God’s temple, he prayed to God in a surprisingly frank way.

He starts his prayer not unlike the Lord’s Prayer, honoring God the Father by saying, “O Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven or on earth—you who keep your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way.” 2 Chronicles 6:14

Kind of makes you wonder if you are one of those continuing “wholeheartedly” in God’s way or not, doesn’t

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