Life is hard. It humbles us. We are frail, and we need God’s deliverance. That is part of being human.
From time to time, every believer faces a crisis that needs urgent prayer. Health crises, family crises, financial crises. And in those moments, the question surfaces: does God actually hear me?
Psalm 34:4 says, “I sought the LORD, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.”
The answer is yes. He hears. He answers. He delivers.
In 1 John 5:13-15, the apostle John writes, “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.”
One of the perks of being a child of God is confidence toward him. Confidence that he loves us, confidence that he hears us, and confidence that he will grant any request aligned with his will.
God is not a genie. We are not his master. We are his children. He is our Father.
Petition Your Father. He Cares for You.
Jesus began the Lord’s Prayer with two words: “Our Father.”
Every prayer begins with that reminder. We are petitioning our Father. And what father doesn’t want to bless his children? God may not want to spoil them, but he does want to bless them.
Prayer should begin with respect and affection. “Our Father, hallowed be your name. Your will be done.” Our requests should always put God’s will ahead of our own. Who can know the mind of the Lord? But whatever you have planned, Lord, your will be done.
According to his will: give us what we need, but not more than we can handle. Forgive us as we forgive others. Lead us. Deliver us.
Paul writes that we have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” In the modern vernacular: Dad, I need you.
And further down in Romans 8:26-28, he reassures us: “The Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good.”
It is not about the words. It is about the heart being aligned with the will of God. When our hearts are conditioned to seek him, his will and his purpose, it is all going to work out for the good. Every time.
Ask, and it will be given. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and it will be opened. Your Father wants to bless you with good things. He loves you. Trust him to provide. Trust him to forgive. Trust him to lead. Trust him to deliver.
Discussion
- What does it look like to put God’s will ahead of your own request when you pray? How does that change the prayer itself?
- When has a delayed answer to prayer actually been a gift in your life?
Key Takeaways
- God is our Father, not our genie. Prayer is not about summoning wishes. It is about petitioning a Father who loves his children and knows what they need.
- The Spirit intercedes for us. Even when we do not know what to pray, the Holy Spirit translates the heart’s cry according to God’s will.
- Trust is the foundation. Ask, seek, knock. These are invitations to trust, not formulas for getting what we want.
Watch Your Motives. Focus on Him.
James cuts through the noise. “You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.”
Is the prayer covetous or contentious? Is it asking God to rubber-stamp a desire that would be pursued regardless of his answer? That prayer will fall on deaf ears. Watch your motives.
Jesus draws a hard line. Do not lay up treasures on earth. No one can serve two masters. You cannot serve God and money.
Who is the master you serve? Your Father? Or your desires? If it is your Father, you are storing up treasure in heaven. That is where your heart is.
But if your master is simply to satisfy desire, your motivation is corrupt.
Now, this is not to say that God does not care about needs. He does.
Philippians 4:19 promises, “My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”
Hebrews 4:16 says, “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
As a child of God, he knows what you need. He cares for your needs. And you can have confidence that he will help at just the right time.
Discussion
- How do you tell the difference between a genuine need and a selfish desire when you bring something to God in prayer?
Key Takeaways
- Motives matter in prayer. James warns that asking with wrong motives, to spend on our passions, is asking wrongly.
- God provides for real needs. He promises to supply every need, not every want. The difference matters.
Fear Not. First Things First.
At the end of the Gospel of Matthew, the final words of Jesus were these: “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).
Knowing he is with us, always and forever, is reassuring. So fear not.
“When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.”
“The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?”
“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.”
“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.”
Fear no evil. He is near. He is with you. He will deliver. He will comfort.
So why does he allow the crisis to begin with? Why all this affliction?
Read 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (ESV)
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction.”
The Father wants us to experience his comfort in affliction so we can be equipped to comfort others who are suffering. That is our ministry.
Do not be anxious. Look at the birds of the air. Consider the lilies of the field. Your heavenly Father knows what you need. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added.
God’s will, God’s glory, God’s kingdom, his righteousness. Seek these first. Seek these first, and your needs will be met.
James 5:16 says, “The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” God wants our hearts to be pure and our prayers to be fruitful. This is living proof to others that we are his disciples.
“If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.”
Abide in him. Patiently. It is not always easy. But our Father hears our prayers.
So do as Paul suggests in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18: “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
Discussion
- When has God’s comfort through a past crisis equipped you to comfort someone else?
- What does it look like to “seek first the kingdom” in the middle of a season of anxiety or fear?
Key Takeaways
- Affliction equips us for ministry. God comforts us in crisis so we can comfort others. That is the purpose behind the pain.
- Seek first things first. God’s kingdom, God’s righteousness. When we seek these first, everything else falls into place.
- Prayer is not a formula. It is a relationship. Abide in him. Bear fruit. Prove to be his disciples.
Something to Sit With
Our Father hears our prayers.
Not because we say the right words. Not because we pray long enough or loud enough. Because we are his children, and he loves us.
Petition him. He cares for you. Watch your motives. Focus on him. Fear not. First things first.
Pray without ceasing. Give thanks in all circumstances. Trust him with the outcome.
He hears. He answers. He delivers.
“I sought the LORD, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.” (Psalm 34:4, ESV)
Frequently Asked Questions
Does God answer every prayer?
God hears every prayer from his children. But answers are aligned with his will, not our wishes. Sometimes the answer is yes. Sometimes it is wait. Sometimes it is no. In every case, the answer flows from a Father who knows what is best for his children.
What does it mean to pray “according to his will”?
Praying according to God’s will means aligning our hearts with his purposes before presenting our requests. It starts with “your will be done” and trusts that God’s plan is better than ours, even when the outcome is not what we hoped for.
How do I pray when I don’t know what to say?
Romans 8:26 promises that the Spirit intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. When words fail, the Spirit translates the cry of the heart. Prayer does not require eloquence. It requires honesty and trust.
Why does God allow suffering if he loves us?
2 Corinthians 1:3-4 explains that God comforts us in affliction so we can comfort others. Suffering is not random. It is often the classroom where God equips his people for ministry. It builds patience, trust, and compassion.
What is the difference between worry and prayer?
Worry carries the burden alone. Prayer hands it to God. Matthew 6:25-34 contrasts anxiety with trust, urging believers to seek first the kingdom and let the Father handle the rest.
Scripture quotations are from the ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version), copyright 2001 by Crossway.