“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything ACCORDING TO HIS WILL, he hears us.”
—1 John 5:14.

Remember that God wants to teach us, as well as give us things, through prayer. So sometimes He says, “No”; sometimes He turns us in another direction. This can help us pray more “on target” in the future. Prayer is a means of getting more and more in synch with God’s will. So we need to remain sensitive to God’s responses and learn from them. Keeping track of your specific requests and what happens as a result can be a great help.

The Bible reveals God’s will to us (Psalm 119:105, 133), and the Holy Spirit helps us zero in on the right mark: “The Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will” (Romans 8:27). Remember that our will would always coincide with God’s will if we could see as He does.

4. Wait patiently on God.

“I WAITED PATIENTLY for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry.”
—Psalm 40:1.

The main point here is to keep your focus on God, keep your focus on His solution. Don’t just send out a quick plea and then stare in horror at the problem, letting it overwhelm you. Don’t ask God for support one minute and then try to drown your troubles in frenzied pleasure-seeking the next. Wait patiently on the Lord. In our age of microwave dinners and remote control entertainment we badly need that discipline.