How to Get What You Want Through Prayer

The Church George Washington Prayed in After his Inauguration

When it comes to getting what you want from God, here's what I have found to work.

Instructions

1. Ask God for what you need.

   The biggest thing here is, don't be greedy. There's nothing wrong with asking for great gifts. There's nothing wrong with shooting for the stars. But, you need to have a plan to help more than just you with that gift. You have to be ready to turn that into blessings for the greater good.

2. Ask him for it so it can glorify him.

   Don't ask so you can brag at your next high school reunion. Everything we do should be with the intention of glorifying God. That doesn't mean being pushy about your faith. It doesn't mean "Bible thumping" or any such thing. (If that's your calling, great, but that's not what I mean by glorifying God.) The greatest testimony you can give to bring others to Christ, is your life. Nothing is more powerful than having someone look at your life and think, "I want a life like that." If you don't hide your faith and live your life in a way that glorifies God, you will lead others to him without even knowing it.

3. Have complete faith that he will provide what's best for you.

   Once you ask, know it's gonna happen in the way, and at the time, that's best for you. Relax. You can pray about it more than once, more to remind you than to remind God, but be at peace about it. Believe in your heart that through the Holy Spirit (others have called it the universe, the ether, whatever) things are falling into place to meet your needs. Be patient. God isn't good with timelines, but he is always good and working in your best interest. Re-read the passages outlined here. Believe in your heart. Get rid of any thoughts that don't support your belief. Just tell those thoughts, "Thanks for coming, good-bye."

4. Listen to what he tells you to do.

   Here's where we will depart from some of the "intentions/universe" crowd. After you ask, your job's not always over. God may require some action from you to achieve your objective. In my experience, God whispers. You have to be listening. You have to keep your eyes open. You have to be willing to act boldly, but only when and how he guides you. If you have any doubts, go find the Christian whose judgment you most trust and ask him to pray with you about it. Also, try reading Proverbs. There's a lot of practical wisdom in that book.

   You have likely heard of athletes being "in the zone." That phrase describes a state of heightened awareness that comes from being highly focused and completely settled simultaneously. This is probably the most productive state we can be in as humans. In the zone, we are calm, focused, unerring and on-task. This state is only possible when you are mentally relaxed. Allow your faith to put you into this state when you are working towards your objectives. God's watching out for you. Relax and do what he says.

5. Relax and receive his blessings.

   Be patient. Keep your eyes open for the blessings God will put in your life. It may not be the big goal, just yet. It may only be a tiny step in the direction of the goal. It may be new information on what the goal entails. It may just be a beautiful sunset at the end of a tough day. Whatever it is, notice how God gets things done for you. Notice how he is meeting your true needs, all the time.

6. Be thankful and never forget where it all comes from.

   As you notice those blessings, whether big ones or little ones, remember who it is that is putting those things in your life. Then praise and thank him for them. If your wife passes you the salt at the dinner table, you automatically thank her. (If you don't, quit being a jerk and appreciate that woman.) Remember to thank God as he aligns the very universe to get you closer to your goals.

   In addition, when things are going right, we tend to give ourselves a big old pat on the back, saying, "Great job, old boy." Even our co-workers and boss sometimes get in on the act and give us a pat or two. When this happens, each and every time, I want you to mentally say, "Thank you, God. I know I couldn't have done anything without your help." Then say something like, "Yeah, I'm excited it's working out. What a blessing!" Give credit where credit's due.

Tips & Warnings

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Resources

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