Have you ever been on your knees and at a loss of words? You really don’t know where to start. You know deep down God knows and sees what you going through, but you wonder why He is really giving no answer. You wish He could perhaps say “you are going through this because…”. We need to always remind ourselves that we serve a God who doesn’t always give details of what He is doing.

What do you do with a God who doesn’t seem to follow your prayer list? A God who most of the times goes “off scripts”?

Often times when our prayers aren’t answered we think perhaps we need to pray more or maybe we need to spend more time in scriptures or maybe we should start to obey more. But what if our prayers didn’t tell God what to do, but simply longed for God’s will? We all go through deep tunnels and dark times but what if during those times we simply prayed like Jesus, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” Luke 22:42

If our prayers only say “God, please take this away from me”, I believe we are really missing the point. Prayers should change our hearts not God’s. Most times we pray and we just want God to approve our prayers.  God please, forgive us because we don’t know what we are doing. Lord, please, always remember that we are just dust.

“I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is none like Me.
I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. 
I say, My purpose will stand, and I will do what I please.” Isaiah 46:10

Yes, prayers are so important because Paul tells us to pray without ceasing time and time again (Ephesians 6:18; 1 Thessalonians 5:17) but I believe most of us don’t know how to pray. God doesn’t care about lengthy prayers (And when you pray, do not keep babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of many words. Matthew 6:7), He only cares about our intentions. Jesus never prayed lengthy prayers.

“Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. I know that You always hear Me; but because of these people standing around I said it, so that they may believe that You sent Me.” John 11:41-42

“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” Luke 23:34

“Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!”  John 12:27

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Matthew 27:46

“Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” Luke 23:46

Through the Lord’s prayer, Jesus wanted to teach us the words that really move God!

First thing we need to realize is this: there is really no need for many words simply because “… our Father knows what you want before you ask Him.” Matthew 6:8

“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your Kingdom come,
Your will be done,
on earth as in heaven
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins,
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.” Matthew 6:9

If we sincerely always prayed this prayer, we wouldn’t be frustrated whenever God doesn’t work according to our script. If I’m praying “Your kingdom come, Your will be done” I won’t be frustrated with what God does with my everyday life because I’m trusting that whatever is allowed in my life is His will.

Let’s take a deep breath and be thankful for this truth: If God isn’t changing my situation He is busy changing my heart. Glory to God! Glory to God.

God isn’t concerned about making us comfortable, He is determined to make us holy. He tirelessly wants to make us like His Son. His love is relentless. I want to get this truth down in my spirit. And when the devil whispers his lie “why hasn’t your God answered your prayers”, with an unquenchable faith I will answer “”His job” is to make me like Him, not to answer my prayers.”. I am thankful for a God who ignores my groaning but is busy shaping me into the likeness of Jesus Himself. Glory to God. 

“To say that “prayer changes things” is not as close to the truth as saying, “Prayer changes me and then I change things.” God has established things so that prayer, on the basis of redemption, changes the way a person looks at things. Prayer is not a matter of changing things externally, but one of working miracles in a person’s inner nature.” ~Oswald Chambers

Every word we whisper to the Lord matters. Fewer words with the intention to glorify God move God greatly, we saw this through the prayers of Jesus.

Lord, we are bowing and humbly praying Matthew 6:9. May Your will be done Lord. And thank you very much that You hear us before we even utter a word. In Jesus’ glorious name we pray, Amen!!!