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The Perfect Prayer

By Gwen Miller

Have you ever run out of words to pray over a situation? It’s impossible to see all sides of a problem, so how should we pray when we don’t know what to pray?

Some people might say, “It doesn’t really matter how I pray over this situation because God is sovereign and will do what He pleases.” While this is true, God has chosen to answer our prayers in Jesus’ name. Answering prayer is God’s idea, not ours. James 4:3 tells us either our methods or our motives may be wrong if our prayers seem to be going unanswered.

Methods of Prayer

What is the proper method of prayer? Praying God’s Word is one way to offer the perfect prayer. When a situation arises in our lives, we should first go to God’s Word. What is His will in this situation?

Let’s say you are single and are attracted to someone new at work. You may wonder if you should pursue the relationship. The man doesn’t have a relationship with Jesus, but you decide to go ahead with the relationship, hoping your friend becomes a believer soon.

In this situation, there’s really no need to pray about whether to date the unbeliever. God’s Word teaches us not to be unequally yoked or connected with unbelievers. The only prayer to pray in this situation is a prayer of salvation for your friend. You’ll realize you can’t continue a dating relationship with an unbeliever.

No matter your circumstance, God’s Word has the answer. Isaiah 55:11 tells us, “My word that goes out from my mouth; It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” Praying God’s Word will establish His plans and purposes in our lives.

When you know what God’s Word says about your situation, you can be confident when you pray. James 1:6 tells us we should “believe and not doubt” when we pray. How do we get this kind of solid faith? It comes through immersing yourself in the Word of God.

Motives of Prayer

The best way to measure our motives is to read 1 Corinthians 13. If our prayer is based on love, our motives will be pleasing to God. Jesus said the greatest commandment is to love God and love our neighbors. If you’ve been offended or hurt by someone, you may not be walking in love and your prayers may be hindered.

A few years ago, I was deeply hurt by a friend. She said some things I never expected her to say. At first, I had a hard time praying about the situation. Anger and pain welled up inside me and I knew it wasn’t pleasing to God. So I began to read aloud 1 Corinthians 13:1-8 every day. I was honest with God and said, “Lord, You know my friend has betrayed me. I feel so angry and hurt. Please help me love those who hurt me and say evil things against me. I want to walk in love like You commanded. I know You wouldn’t ask me to do something and not enable me to do it. Your word says I should love my enemies. So I forgive her and commit to love her no matter what.”

The pain didn’t go away immediately. I had to make the choice to love based on what God’s Word said because I had no emotional feelings of love. But as I began praying for her family, her health and her job, the pain decreased.

I read 1 Corinthians 13 often to remind myself love isn’t a response to others treat me, but it’s a choice I make. Things didn’t change overnight. But after a few months, God turned the whole situation around. My friend came to me one day and apologized for the hurt she had caused me. As she began to share her feelings, I saw she had said those things because of her own feelings of fear and rejection. Our relationship was restored and we are friends today.

Like me, you may wonder if your heart is right when you pray over relationships or circumstances. Is your motive pure? Let love be your standard.

We can pray the perfect prayer and believe God for the outcome. As our prayers are answered, God is glorified and our testimony grows. The more answers we receive in prayer, the more we want to pray. We begin to see God’s will being done on earth as it is in heaven. We recognize the awesome fact that we are partners with God and He chooses to work through the prayers of His people.

GWEN MILLER lives in Fort Worth, Texas, with her husband of 18 years and four children. Gwen assists her husband, who pastors a growing church. She enjoys teaching others to walk out their God ordained destinies. She can be reached at chapelassembly@att.net.