We don’t have to use complicated words to pray to God, but it can be a simple conversation with God. We can be honest with God about how we feel about our current circumstances. Prayer doesn’t have to be only in the morning or evening but can be throughout the day. God always listens to our prayers so we can talk with Him all day. We often go to Him when we need wisdom for major life decisions, but He wants to answer small and big prayer requests. I’ve noticed that God has answered small prayers, like getting a parking spot at a shopping mall, helping with a project, etc. But I often forget to ask Him for smaller requests. Recently, I started to write down all prayer requests, including the small ones, and also have a separate section that says ‘answered prayer.’ This helps me be more disciplined in praying for small and big prayer requests.
The Bible talks about the importance of asking. According to Matthew 7:7-8, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, it will be opened”. As a kid, my motive to pray was to get something from God. Later on, in my life, I learned that prayer is more than just receiving from God; it is a relationship. The more time we spend with God, the more we know what He wants us to do in a specific situation. The Bible also asks us to check our motives before asking God. According to James 4:3-4, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.” It is important to check our motives to see if we are asking something to cause harm to others or for other selfish reasons.
God often answers our prayers with yes, no, or wait. When it’s a ‘yes,’ God gives me a lot of confirmation by changing the circumstances around us or through other people. When it’s a ‘no,’ He might make it clear to us through the Holy Spirit who lives in us. I have also noticed that I usually won’t have the peace to pursue the path God does not want me to take. Other times I will know it’s a ‘no’ when the door I was trying to pursue closes. When His answer is ‘wait,’ it could mean that we may not be ready for the next stage, and He might also be working on our character to prepare us for the next season. He knows that if He allows us to have something before the time, we might not be ready. He knows the bigger picture, and we can trust that He knows what’s best for us.
It is important to listen to what God is saying about a situation. The more we talk to God and spend time in His word, the more we hear from Him. It is our choice whether or not to walk in obedience based on what we hear from God.
