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6 Ways to Wait for God’s Answer to Your Prayers

Posted on by Bob Hostetler

If you’re anything like me, your prayers often reflect impatience, even petulance. “Hurry up, God!” “What’s taking so long?” But the person who prays must learn to wait on God. So what does that mean? How do we do that? Waiting on God is not a passive posture. It involves action. It requires effort, much of which is counter-intuitive, particularly to 21st century people. 

Here are 6 ways to actively wait to hear from God:

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1.  Don’t stop praying.

David, the great shepherd-king of Israel, earned a Ph.D. in waiting on God. He wrote and sang of it often:

I waited patiently for the Lord; And He inclined to me and heard my cry (Psalm 40:1, NASB).

Wait for the Lord; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord (Psalm 27:14, NASB).

Indeed, none of those who wait for You will be ashamed (Psalm 25:3, NASB). 

Who better, then, to show us how to wait on God than David and his Psalm 130? Psalm 130 is a prayer from beginning to end. David pours out his heart to God:

Out of the depths I have cried to You, O Lord.
Lord, hear my voice!
Let Your ears be attentive
To the voice of my supplications (Psalm 130:1-2, NASB).

Waiting on God is not a cessation of prayer, a pause but intensification. If we are waiting on God we are, if anything, more active in prayer than we were before. 

2.  Examine yourself.

As he waits, David’s thoughts turn inward, reflecting on the status of his heart and life and reminding himself of God’s fondness for forgiveness:

If You, Lord, should mark iniquities,
O Lord, who could stand?
But there is forgiveness with You,
That You may be feared (Psalm 130:3-4, NASB).

While we wait on God, we also search our own hearts to confess any sin that may hinder an answer or make any surrender that will further align us with God’s plans and purpose. 

3.  Focus and refocus your heart, soul and mind.

David doesn’t spend his time twiddling his thumbs or pacing the floor; he focuses his thoughts and aligns himself with God’s word:

I wait for the Lord, my soul does wait,
And in His word do I hope (Psalm 130:5, NASB).

Waiting on God often involves reading and repeating God’s word and focusing our thoughts on “what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable….[and thinking] about things that are excellent and worthy of praise” (Philippians 4:8, NLT).

4.  Keep your eyes and heart open and alert.

Waiting on God requires a heightened attentiveness and watchfulness in which you scan your surroundings, circumstances, conversations and “coincidences” for clues and indications of God’s answer on the horizon:

My soul waits for the Lord
More than the watchmen for the morning;
Indeed, more than the watchmen for the morning (Psalm 130:6, NASB).

A watchman on the walls of a city was constantly searching the horizon and scanning the landscape for movement. The soul who waits on God will be similarly alert for hints and harbingers of God at work.

5.  Keep trusting, reminding and hoping.

Even as he waits, David reminds himself and those around him of who God is, what God has done and why they should continue to hope in Him:

O Israel, hope in the Lord;
For with the Lord there is lovingkindness,
And with Him is abundant redemption (Psalm 130:7, NASB).

6.  Keep going.

Too often when we are waiting on God—or think we are—we tense and freeze and stop progressing. But God is just as able to close doors and pathways as He is to open them. So rather than choosing inaction, we who wait on God can keep moving ahead, trusting as David did that God will guide our steps as we go:

And He will redeem Israel
From all his iniquities (Psalm 130:8, NASB).

4 Ways to Ask God to Answer Your Prayers

Posted on by Bob Hostetler

There are many good reasons to read the Bible–inspiration, comfort, instruction.

But one of the best reasons is for instruction in how to pray. And one of many ways the Bible instructs us in praying is by showing us examples of how the people of God have prayed before us. One such lesson is to give God good reasons to answer your prayers.

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Most of us, knowing God knows everything and can see into our hearts, skip this technique. But the prayers of the Bible show us that building a case to God in prayer is definitely a biblical way to pray. The prayers of people like King David and Solomon and others reveal at least four ways to twist God’s arm in prayer, so to speak. 

1)  Refer to God’s attributes.
The “sons of Korah” (a clan devoted to worship music and pageantry) concluded the long prayer that became Psalm 44 with these words:

Rise up and help us;

rescue us because of your unfailing love (Psalm 44:26, NIV).

They buttressed their requests with an appeal to God’s nature—His unfailing love. Referencing God’s attributes is a great way to pray. It grounds our prayers not in what we want, necessarily, but in who He is.

2)  Remind God of His promises.
The prayers of Bible saints include frequent references to God’s promises. At the dedication of the Jerusalem Temple, King Solomon prayed:

“Give attention to your servant’s prayer and his plea for mercy. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence. May your eyes be open toward this temple day and night, this place of which you said you would put your Name there. May you hear the prayer your servant prays toward this place” (2 Chronicles 6:19-20, NIV).

God’s memory is not faulty, of course. He does not need to be reminded of anything. But we often do, and praying “You said” prayers can help us remember God’s words and focus our requests on the unfailing promises of God. 

3)  Mention desirable or undesirable consequences.
What might happen if God doesn’t answer your prayers? How might things be different when He does? These are good questions to ask in prayer, as Heman the Ezrahite did in Psalm 88:

Do you show your wonders to the dead?

    Do their spirits rise up and praise you?

Is your love declared in the grave,

    your faithfulness in Destruction?

Are your wonders known in the place of darkness,

    or your righteous deeds in the land of oblivion?

But I cry to you for help, Lord;

    in the morning my prayer comes before you (Psalm 88:10-13, NIV).

God knows all things, of course. So why did Heman pray like that? Maybe because prayer is a two-way conversation. Maybe because Heman wanted God to know he had thought long and hard about what he was asking. Maybe because, again, praying this way focuses our prayers not on our momentary need but on God’s eternal glory, which is always a good way to pray.

4)  Reveal your investment in the answer to your prayer.
In a psalm believed to reflect King David’s repentance after sinning against Uriah, Bathsheba, and God Himself, the king prayed:

Create in me a pure heart, O God,

    and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Do not cast me from your presence

    or take your Holy Spirit from me.

Restore to me the joy of your salvation

    and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

Then I will teach transgressors your ways,

    so that sinners will turn back to you (Psalm 51:10-13, NIV). 

It seems a little like David is bribing God, doesn’t it? “If you do this for me, I’ll do that for you.” Maybe there was some of that going on. But his promise to “teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you” shows a willingness to change and to contribute in more or better ways to God’s purposes as a result of God’s answer.

Praying like this may feel a little strange at first, as though you are approaching God like a used car salesman trying to swing a deal. But it is nonetheless a biblical way to pray, and apparently a prayer God welcomes. Try it. After all, it may not be God’s arm that needs twisting but yours.

4 Questions to Ask If Your Prayers Aren’t Answered

Posted on by Bob Hostetler

We read the Bible and wonder why our prayers don’t get answered like the people we read about in Scripture. Elijah called down fire from heaven. Hezekiah rose from his deathbed. Paul raised Eutychus from the dead. Man, if only…

But not every prayer was answered. The Bible itself makes that clear. Here are four questions to ask yourself if your prayers aren’t being answered.

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1)  Have I asked—or just wished?

A wish isn’t a prayer. James wrote to early Christians, “You do not have because you do not ask God” (James 4:2, NIV). Well, duh. But how often have I wanted God to do something but haven’t really made that “something” a subject of prayer? More often than I care to admit.

2)  Have I asked according to God’s will?

The author of the Bible book of 1 John wrote, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of Him” (1 John 5:14-15, NIV). Even Jesus submitted His requests to the Father’s will (see Matthew 26:39, 42). So, it’s worth asking myself whether I’m praying according to my agenda—or God’s.

3)  Have I asked from selfish motives?

James also wrote, “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures” (James 4:3, NIV). Holy moly, this is a loaded question. What percentage of my prayers are motivated by my own desire—demand, even—for pleasure and comfort? Chances are, the higher that percentage, the lesser my experience of answered prayer is likely to be.

4)  Have I considered that God may have something better in mind?

Elijah—the great champion of God, the great man of faith, the great prophet of Israel, prayed, “Take my life” (1 Kings 19:4, NIV). Mary and Martha, grieving the recent death of their brother, Lazarus, each said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died” (John 11:32, NIV). In each case, the petitioner was disappointed—for a time, at least. Elijah eventually went to heaven in a chariot of fire, and Mary and Martha saw God’s resurrection power displayed before their very eyes. God’s ways are not our ways, He says (see Isaiah 55:8-9), so it shouldn’t surprise us too much if our prayers sometimes go unanswered because He has a better idea.

These are not the only reasons our prayers go unanswered (see this post for a few more), but they do provide us with good questions to ask ourselves anytime we pray. 

The Most Powerful Prayers in Just One Syllable

Posted on by Rick Hamlin

Here Are Some Favorite Single-Syllables Words of Prayer

The idea of short one-word prayers is hardly original with me. As you know, Guideposts offers much help in this arena, including a book—available for now as an e-book—with some great examples (okay, I offered a few myself).

Let me also offer up some advice—also not original with me—that comes from a 14th-century anonymous English writer, probably a monk, who authored a wonderful book called The Cloud of Unknowing.

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What he suggests—it’s probably a “he”—is using not just single words but words of one syllable, like God, faith, hope, love, Christ, peace, even sin. “Sin?” I wondered. Why “sin?” As the Cloud author writes, “If your word is sin, focus on sin as a lump, impenetrable to your mind, but none other than yourself.”

Yes, I have sinned, and I do sin, and admitting it to God in prayer is a way to be free of sin. After all, it’s there in the Lord’s Prayer, “Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.”  Or “trespasses” or “debts.” Whatever translation you’re using, it’s all the same.

So let me give you some of my favorite single-syllable words of prayer:

God

This is my favorite. I come back to it again and again. Can you think of three letters that say more? That encompass so much? Using the word “God” in prayer pulls me back to what’s important, what I need to share, what must be at the center of my life.

Peace

There’s never enough of it in the world, and so if I’m using this word in prayer, I’m asking not only for peace in the world but peace also in my heart. The world can only change one person at a time. Or as a song we used to sing puts it, “Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me.”

Love

The more you give, the more you have. Being stingy with love is a losing battle. You give love away, and you get more love back. 

When I pray the word “love” I’m asking for God to fill my heart with God’s perfect love. To love others as I love myself. Jesus commanded us to even love our enemies. Of the three virtues, faith, hope and love—as the Apostle Paul put it—love is the greatest.

Hope

Hope means looking ahead…hopefully. Full of positive thoughts. The news barrages us with information that makes us look to the future in fear. Hope is just the opposite of that. And I find it impossible to hope without God, without prayer.

Strength

As Jesus said you should love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul and all your strength (Luke 10:27). The image that comes to mind is some guy at the gym pumping iron. But I don’t think Jesus is talking just about physical strength but inner strength.

Here again, it’s in the giving that we receive. God gives us strength when we love God with that part of our being. I can feel that strength, that resilience, simply by praying the word.

You’ll have your own set of single-syllable words for powerful prayers. Try them.

Pray the Thomas Prayer

Posted on by Bob Hostetler

Jesus appeared many times to people after rising from the dead. He showed Himself to Mary Magdalene near the garden tomb (John 20:11-17). He appeared to many of His closest disciples behind locked doors (John 20:19-23). He appeared to two of His followers on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35). He even appeared to more than 500 people at once (1 Corinthians 15:6).

But perhaps the most dramatic of Jesus’ post-Resurrection appearances was His encounter with Thomas, who had not been present when Jesus appeared to the rest of His closest circle of followers. John recorded the event in his Gospel:

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Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”

Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:24-29, ESV).

Ever since, of course, Thomas has been branded as “doubting Thomas.” But I don’t think that’s fair. He could just as easily be called “confessing Thomas” or “praying Thomas,” because his exclamation–“My Lord and my God!”–is among the first post-Resurrection prayers the Gospels record (the first was probably Mary Magdalene’s one-word, “Rabboni!” in John 20:16).

In fact, Thomas’s prayer can be a great way to pray during the Easter season. Try it. Begin your post-Resurrection-Sunday prayers with Thomas’s post-Resurrection prayer. When you rise in the morning, greet your Savior: “My Lord and my God!”

As you bow your head in gratitude for a meal, begin: “My Lord and my God!” When you intercede for a friend or someone in need, say, “My Lord and my God!” When you lay your head on your pillow at night, whisper: “My Lord and my God!” 

Try it, and please let me know in the comments that you did. 

Praying Through the Seasons

Posted on by Pablo Diaz

Red, orange, yellow and green–the colors of fall are breathtaking. Once again, the divine artist is at work, showcasing the wonders and beauty of nature. Summer is over; autumn is in full swing.

In life, we experience the changing of nature’s seasons and the ever-changing seasons of our lives. At this time, my dear friends, Betsy and Linda, find themselves in a season of their own as they grieve the loss of their sister Millie to cancer. My son’s friends, Marcin and Stephanie, were recently married and are now celebrating this joyful time. My son Paul is turning 30, and my mother is struggling with health issues. Everyone finds themselves in a season of life. Some seasons bring loss while others fill us with joy.

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How do we get through these ever-changing seasons? The answer is simple–prayer! This is what keeps me connected to God at all times. Whether I am in a season of struggle, joy, grief or pain, prayer is what keeps me going.

As I celebrate my son’s birthday, I remember how prayer helped my family get through a tough season of his life. Almost five years ago, Paul was involved in a serious car accident. Not only did prayer give my family strength, it also gave Paul the gift of recovery.

President Abraham Lincoln, who faced many troubling seasons, once said, “I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom and that of all about me seemed insufficient for that day.”

It doesn’t matter in what position we pray–on our knees, walking or sitting. What is important is that we turn to God for guidance. At times, I may be short of words, but God knows my heart; he knows my fears and my joys. Prayer is our lifeline.

Are you experiencing a difficult or joyful season? If so, please share.

Lord, teach us to keep prayer in our lives throughout the changing of the seasons. Help us to understand your power, great presence and love.

Prayer Power: Summer with God

Posted on by Brett Leveridge

For some, summer is a verb. As in “Where do you summer?” The question assumes a certain level of wealth and leisure. Of course, not everyone can afford a lake house or country home, let alone an extended stay away from the pressures of daily life. But we can all summer with God.

Want to enjoy a season of spiritual warmth, growth and renewal? Pick from among the following six suggestions, which form the acrostic summer. Or even try them all!

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Slow down.
Summer brings a change of pace—vacation, holidays, travel. Why not take advantage of that change and invite God into it? Take a break, whether it’s a beach vacation or a weekend away, and listen for God’s voice. Pause for prayer on a walk or hike. Arrive early at church, or linger a little longer in God’s presence.

Unload a burden.
We dress lighter in summer: No heavy coats, scarves or sweaters. But is something still weighing you down? A grudge? Regret? A bad habit? An unrealistic expectation? This summer, ask God to help you let go of whatever’s cluttering your spirit.

Move prayer practice outside.
Take your morning coffee-and-prayer time to the backyard. Or find a spot in the park to pray and read your Bible or an inspirational book. A favorite memory of mine is from a backpacking trip I took with my teenage son. We stopped by a mountain stream, kicked off our shoes and read In His Steps while dangling our feet in the cool water.

Mingle seasonal pleasures with prayer.
Stop to smell the roses—literally—and give thanks for the fragrance of summer. Share a tall glass of lemonade or slice of melon with your prayer partner. Drop by a Little League game or neighborhood playground to savor the sounds of the season, and let God prompt a few fond memories from your childhood—or your children’s.

Enjoy an outdoor worship experience.
Do any churches in your area host concerts or worship services in the park or at the beach? Some churches even hold periodic “holy hikes,” blending worship and low-impact walking. Check out a nearby prayer labyrinth. Or simply find a flower-filled meadow and sing a hymn of praise to God.

Reflect and recharge.
When you look back on these summer months, how would you like your spiritual life to be different? Refreshed? Rejuvenated? What moments might produce such a result in you and for you?

You might spend an hour reflecting on the first half of this year and asking for God’s blessing on the second half to come. Or you might renew a practice you’ve let slide, such as attending church or singing in the choir. Or you might rekindle a friendship and pray together over the phone.

Summer is an easy season to love. You’ll love it even more if you include God in your plans and summer with him.

For more inspiring stories, subscribe to Guideposts magazine.

A Prayer for the End of Summer

Posted on by Rick Hamlin

Dear Creator God,

You made the wind and the waves and the wide sandy beach that stretches as far as the eye can see. I felt Your presence as I baked in the sun and dove in the sea-green water, listening to the gulls darting overhead.

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May I continue to bask in Your warmth in the cooling autumn days.

The ice cream truck was always there when I wanted it, and somehow the rain stayed away when the picnic supper was planned or at least it waited until the blankets were folded and we were safe inside.

I give thanks for Your bounty at all times.

Every September I still feel like it’s the first day of school again, and I need to buy new notebooks at a back-to-school sale and brush up on my Algebra or rusty French so that I don’t make a fool of myself on the first day of classes.

Help me be an eternal student of Your goodness.

No sooner had I unpacked my dirty laundry from the trip we took did I glance at the calendar for the month ahead and saw it crowded with meeting after meeting after meeting. What happened to the calm of August? Even You got to rest on the seventh day.

Let me hold on to the peace and quiet of vacation.  

The days are already getting shorter. The sun isn’t such a dependable alarm in the morning. It set before we even finished dessert last night, and the stars were our unexpected companions on an evening walk.

Teach me, Lord, how to measure my days.

Soon the leaves will turn in color and drop from the trees, and I’ll have to dig out the sweaters from the bottom of the drawer, and I’ll declare that October is the most beautiful month of the year. Brisk, clear, luminous. In the meanwhile…

Thank You, God, for summer. May there be just one more round of fresh corn on the cob. 

Pray Away the Winter with 5 Winter Prayers

Posted on by Bob Hostetler

Depending on where you live, winter can be a challenging season. It may bring gloomy skies and heavy rains. It may feature freezing temperatures and biting winds. It may include snow and ice. In some climates, winter is nearly synonymous with darkness and depression. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Winter prayers can be a powerful way to sustain our hope and joy throughout the cold season.

William Shakespeare opened his history play Richard III by having the title character say, “Now is the winter of our discontent made glorious summer by this sun of York.” In other words, now that his brother was king, winter’s discontent had given way to spring’s sunshine. It is a happy beginning to a play that quickly turns tragic.

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But Richard’s famous line suggests a great way to pray during the long days of winter, and that is by applying Shakespeare’s poetry to your prayers. Here are 5 winter prayers to help get you through any tough season:

Woman in a blanket drinking tea and saying a winter prayer for illness

Prayer for Winter Illness

If you’ve been plagued by colds, flu, Covid-19, or other maladies, find comfort by praying the following:

Lord, turn the winter of my discomfort into a glorious summer of health and vitality.

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Winter Prayer for Financial Stress

If you’re enduring a season of financial strain, try praying:

God, grant that this winter of deficit and debt may become a glorious summer of recovery and generosity.

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Winter Prayer for Grief

Have the clouds and fog of grief invaded your home and heart in recent months? Then make your prayer something like:

Father, let this winter of loss and pain become glorious summer by the way You heal our hearts and restore our hope.

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Prayer for Winter Weather

It’s a simple but delightful way to pray, especially when storm clouds gather and winter winds blow. You can even turn the pattern into a prayer of thanks and praise—depending on where you live, of course.

God, thank you that this winter of slush and snow will soon give way to another glorious spring and summer of sun and surf.

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Prayer for the Winter Blues

When overcast skies or inclement weather get you down, it helps to honestly express the not-so-pleasant, wintry elements of your experience while envisioning a better, warmer future ahead. Pray this and fill in the blanks with things that currently give you anxiety and things that you are looking forward to this summer:

Now let the winter of ________ be made glorious summer by ________.

READ MORE TO STAY POSITIVE THIS WINTER: