There is not a single prayer uttered that is not part of all the answered prayers all over the world. Does GodHe have sufficient resources to grant all these requests? Does God respond to every prayer?
These are just some of the endless questions raised about prayer. Rest assured, our heavenly Father is so powerful that the answer to the questions raised above is a resounding “Yes!”
But how shall we determine the Almighty’s answer to our prayers?
Answered Prayers Are Answered In 3 Ways
There are three significant ways God answers prayer: Yes, wait and no. The answers depend on our faith in Him and our dependence on His Will.
“YES!”
Yes is the answer everyone desires, at least in our understanding. The Lord’s response depends on the severity of the need and our attitude when we receive it.
When God answers “yes” to prayer, it comes in many forms.
Outright Yes
God answers prayers swiftly if we are on the verge of disaster or near death. During Jesus’ ministry on earth, He performed miracles to heal the sick and raise the dead right on time.
The closer our relationship with God, the more likely we are to receive an outright yes! Why? Because we personally know His will and therefore ask according to His will. Building a close relationship with the Lord will only result when we study and live by His Word.
By seeking His will in our lives, heavenly wisdom will direct our prayers to ask for what is best and for His glory.
Alternative Yes
Sometimes God changes the “packaging” when He answers our prayers. From a human standpoint this may cause frustration and even complaints against Him.
But the “return and exchange” principle does not apply when God answers our prayers.
He sees the future. This also applies to the “yes” He has given.
When His answer is different from what we hoped for, we should consider it to be the best option.
Yes, With Extra Perks
When the Lord blesses, He opens the windows of heaven. To visualize how vast this is, the last time God opened heaven’s windows there was a colossal, worldwide flood.
Similarly, when our heavenly Father says “yes,” He floods us with blessings too. This usually happens when we prioritize matters that seek His glory. God answers prayers by giving more than our hands can hold.
Remember when Solomon asked for wisdom only? God granted his request and, in addition, made him the wealthiest man on earth!
Conditional Yes
The Lord desires our total surrender and wants us to leave our carnal desires behind. He will answer our prayers as we trade-off cherished sins and bad habits.
Sin is the primary reason why we are unable to fully enjoy His blessings. By continually clinging to sinful habits we are totally blinded to God’s answers.
Yes, Even If We Don’t Ask
When it comes to the needs of humanity, our heavenly Father’s providence is absolute. Everyone enjoys equally the blessing of sunshine and rain, whether sinful or righteous.
The air we breathe, the cyclical seasons and all of nature is provided for in our unspoken pleas.
The Lord answers “yes” to the prayers we don’t even think to ask. He knows what’s best for us and does not hesitate to provide these things—whether we like it or not.
“WAIT!”
When the Almighty puts a “delay” on our expected timeline, it is because He knows what is best for us. The following are some classic scenarios that help explain why “wait” is sometimes a part of answering prayer.
Rethink the Request
Sometimes motives are driven by swayed emotions or as a product of our desires. The Lord wants us to be certain that what we ask for is what we need. He does not want us to have regrets. Sadly, the human tendency is to blame Him for our poor choice of judgment.
Prepare for a Beautiful Presentation
With the vast universe at His disposal, our Father in heaven may delay His answer in order to provide a more excellent presentation. It is also worth noting that sometimes God answers prayers in such a way as to give a powerful message to unbelievers or those of little faith.
Not Yet Time
It would be ironic to ask for a college degree when we are still in elementary school. Perhaps this is an exaggeration but, the point is, the Father makes sure that He answers our prayers according to His perfect timeline.
“NO!”
It is frustrating to receive “no” as a response. The sour feeling results from our finite understanding.
The truth is that the Father never forsakes His children. He preemptively prevents circumstances that might lead to our eventual downfall.
This explains that a “no” answer is what we needed all along.
Twenty Amazing Ways God Answers Prayers
While there are three main ways God answers prayers, God has unique ways of sending these answers.
Take a look at the following twenty incredible ways God has of answering us:
1 – He gives us peace of mind.
No one ever has a perfect, problem-free life. These problems include finance, relationships and health, to name but a few.
If these troubles overwhelm our sanity, a string of unfortunate events uncoils. When someone is no longer able to deal with stress, health issues loom.
Prayer is in high demand if a heart is broken. The never-ending chain of troubles leads us to seek divine intervention.
God answers prayer by giving us peace of mind. He knows that a troubled mind can obliterate a solid faith. Therefore, peace of mind is the foremost timely answer for a confused mind.
This may not be the finite answer to all our supplications but it is of great assurance to know that God answers our prayers.
2 – He restores our confidence.
We may be asking our Father to help us reach our life’s goals. He answers by restoring our confidence.
Anxiety and failures are inevitable. Success is an uphill climb with a series of ups and downs.
We know that God answers our prayers when our confidence remains strong, even with the threat of failure.
It is God working through us when we are still able to maximize the ability to resolve our limitations.
When feelings of exhaustion advance, God’s answer is swift. Restoring confidence is an automatic “yes” from Him, whether it be for success or failure! When we ask for Him for faith, we are surrendering our will to His. The Lord never rejects anyone who submits to Him.
3 – He lets us interact with strangers.
There are many tales of people being saved by strangers. Whether a knock on the door, a smile or a simple interaction, these have significantly impacted lives. The most commonly reported cases are those that have prevented attempted suicides.
There are times when God uses strangers to answer our prayers. A baby’s sweet smile or a comforting gesture from someone is maybe all that is needed.
“Don’t talk to strangers” is not applicable when our Father hears our earnest prayer. If we feel comforted by and comfortable with a stranger during a simple conversation, we can know that God has answered our prayer.
4 – He awakens the generosity in someone.
When the gravity of the need is heavy, God answers prayers through the benevolence of others. Food baskets or monetary help from our neighbours are examples of the Lord’s hand reaching us.
God’s promises are absolute when it comes to providing for our needs. When our “basket” runs low, the windows of heaven will open to flood us with blessings.
In times of need, don’t hesitate to accept the generosity of others. It is the Father answering our prayers through them.
5 – He changes the weather.
Did you know that there are three significant historical accounts from the American Revolution that describe how circumstances changed as a result of the weather?
Neither Napoleon nor Hitler could conquer Russia due to the bitter winter.
Jesus commanded the storm to cease when the disciples were trembling in fear.
God moved the sun to assert His promise of healing when King Hezekiah was gravely ill.
Yes! The Almighty can change the weather conditions in order to answer prayer.
6 – He changes mindsets.
Shifting the goalposts is a very challenging feat, especially if it comes off the back of failure. Starting from square one can be exhausting.
When we pray for redirection, God answers our prayers by changing our mindset. This change fuels our determination and helps us to better understand why we need to shift the goalposts and our priorities.
7 – He displays miracles.
When science and reality both agree on an outcome’s failure, the Father sends a miracle to turn the tide of events.
Sometimes human faith is only bound by facts. When the condition goes beyond our earthly knowledge, human faith dwindles.
Where there is extreme faith, God will answer prayer through miracles. There is no terminal disease He cannot heal. He even raised someone from death after four days! On top of that, even the devil complied with His commands!
Miracles are a testament to God’s limitless, supernatural power that can be used to answer our prayer.
8 – He sends angels to the rescue.
There are many stories circulating the internet regarding the intervention of angels. Most of these occurred during near-death scenarios.
They range from stories of angels in human form to angels displaying their majestic heavenly state. God sent them to rescue people on the verge of death. Such incidents leave us full of wonder when no trace of angelic beings has been seen, only the results of their actions.
On the brink of an accident, just mentioning the Lord’s name is already a prayer. God answers by sending His angels in a lightning-flash fashion. He has stationed a guardian angel to protect each one of us. Sometimes, in a dire situation, God has made His angels visible in order to reassure His people.
9 – He makes our decisions wiser.
When we ask God for blessings, or for our lives to be improved, He answers by making us wiser with our decisions. Wisdom is the ability to determine right from wrong. It encompasses all aspects of life, from our moral duty to business decisions.
By making us wiser, we can make better use of our investments. We can negotiate wisely and use our talents to their full potential, since we are using them for good and avoiding evil.
10 – He sends us friends.
A dedicated and loyal friend is a gift from above. The Lord sends our friends to us when we desperately need comfort or support.
Friends are an extension of God’s ears when we need someone to talk to, and His shoulders when we need someone to lean on.
A true friend is also an extension of the Lord’s mouth when we need a firm reprimand or advice.
Indeed, God answers prayers by keeping our friends nearby. They are sent as immediate responders when we are in distress. Their companionship and presence is also the Lord’s. Like Him, they will remain with us through the sunshine, rain and storms of life.
11 – He answers on social media.
Social media has been the recent favourite platform for soliciting help. Its broad reach is a perfect avenue to gain sympathy from people across the globe. This vast social network attracts more people via multiple sharing mechanisms.
The Lord also exploits social media technology to answer our prayers. However, there is an understandable delay while the request goes viral on social media. This is God’s way of calling out His people across the globe to rally for His work of giving.
The “waiting time” God imposes is worthwhile and will yield an overwhelming response. When we pray for help, we might as well ask His permission to post the story on social media. Who knows? God answers prayers by letting them go viral first and then you will better appreciate the answer.
12 – He lets us realize what we ask.
Sometimes delayed answers to prayer are part of God’s solution. The waiting time is His way of letting us ponder the request.
The human tendency is to insist on our expectations. The motivation stems from an emotional standpoint rather than rational intellect. The Lord wants us to carefully understand His will so that we will better appreciate the answer.
13 – He lets us see events unfold right before our eyes.
There are answers to prayers that just can’t happen overnight. Prayers for a change in character or circumstances have to undergo specific processes. This is not because of God’s limitations but for our appreciation.
Our heavenly Father may answer our prayers little by little. He makes us see and realize the unfolding of events right before our eyes. It’s as if God is using “time lag” to answer our prayers by allowing us to see His plan develop. This is God’s way of helping us to strengthen our faith.
The Lord showed the ancient Israelites His power by responding swiftly. This was more in order to shut their mouths from murmuring.
14 – He answers in unexpected ways.
Interestingly, the King of Kings uses artistic means to answer us. Sometimes the method seems odd but it is still full of His wonders.
Have you heard the story of the ant that carried a contact lens? This tale is one of many that shows how God answers prayer in most unexpected ways.
When the Lord needs to silence our doubts, He uses unexpected and strange means to deal with us. He takes His time to craft the answer, ensuring that “the delay” we keep murmuring about is worth the wait.
15 – He concurs with your “signs”.
When faced with overwhelming choices in life, people often turn to the heavens for clues or signs.
Sometimes we run out of patience and begin to lose faith. With just the smallest shred of faith intact we ask God for a sign.
The good news is God does hear and answer prayers. No matter how odd the sign may seem, He acts with a message to prevent us from losing hope. He is always listening.
16 – He teaches humility and obedience.
Sometimes we wonder why God didn’t let us pass the examination. Or why He allowed us to be involved in an accident. Why doesn’t He heal us?
We’ve offered our most earnest prayers, but they seem to go unanswered. The problem may be due to the way we prayed.
Hypocrite’s prayers are far from God’s ears. When Jesus heard the Pharisee pray He rebuked the man. The words may be godly but the heart is impure.
We prayed that we could pass the examination but it’s possible we didn’t revise enough, or even resorted to cheating. We prayed for safety but didn’t wear a seatbelt. Or maybe we prayed for healing but continued to eat unhealthily.
God still answers prayers by teaching us humility and obedience. Prayer does not exclude us from rules and regulations.
Humility and obedience are the primary requisites in prayer.
17 – He gives a contented heart.
Unfortunately, some prayers are too selfish. Our materialistic natures dictate thus.
When the Almighty gives the material things we ask for, we tend to ask for more. It’s not a sin to desire wealth; it is when our hearts are full of greed.
When we ask for luxuries, God answers our prayers by giving us a more contented heart. He makes sure that greed and selfishness do not flourish within us.
18 – He never answers prayers with evil intentions.
For obvious reasons, God never answers prayers that intend to cause harm.
We wonder why criminals succeed in their exploits. First and foremost, remember the devil also has a degree of power.
God condemns prayers with evil intentions. When the desire to do evil is strong, we reject God’s Spirit.
19 – He lets us act on prayer.
God never answers prayer without us also doing our part.
As much as we pray, the Almighty wants us to act on those prayers.
We cannot merely ask for a better life if we are too lazy to put in the work required. Similarly, we can’t ask for forgiveness if we are full of hatred.
We pray because our efforts are not enough. We cannot make the Lord our proxy. God answers prayers when we act on them too!
20 – He wants us to have a firmer faith.
There are countless times when we doubt our prayers. The doubts may become so great that they overshadow our faith. This is all because we doubt God’s power.
God does not always give us what we ask for, not because He can’t, but because we already have it. We have become blinded to the answers He has revealed to us.
God answers prayers by increasing our faith. It is through faith in Him that our doubts are revealed, the doubts that blind us from the beauty of His blessings.
Three Main Answers
The truth is, God says “yes” to all our prayers.
He says “Yes, I’ll grant this now”; “Yes, at the right time”; or “Yes, with the best and right answer.”
When our priority is for God to be glorified, He will add everything we need in life. When we align our dreams with His will, God answers all our prayers.
Most importantly, God never says “no” to a prayer that seeks His heart.
God wants us to pray without ceasing. By continually praying, our relationship with Him becomes stronger.
All prayers reach the King’s throne. He hears and determines how to answer all prayers at the same time!
The most pivotal part of prayer is that the Lord will use us as an instrument to answer the prayers of others!
Have you ever tried asking God to make you the answer to someone’s prayer? How did it go? Can you share your wonderful experience in the comment section?
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