If you’ve been a Christian for any length of time, you’ve probably heard this advice about prayer:
“Make sure you are praying for things that are in God’s will!”
At first, this sounds simple. But what if you don’t know God’s will? That’s where another common phrase comes in:
“Just say, ‘If it is Your will, Lord.’”
The idea is that if your prayer isn’t answered, then it must not have been God’s will. That seems reasonable, right? But wouldn’t it be better to know God’s will before we pray, so we can pray with confidence?
The good news is that God doesn’t hide His will from us. He makes it clear in Scripture. And when we align our prayers with His will, we can be sure that He will answer.
What Is God’s Will?
God’s will is not a mystery. The Bible gives us two clear priorities that define what He desires:
1. God Wants Everyone to Be Saved
“The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” – 2 Peter 3:9 (ESV)
God’s greatest desire is that no one would be lost. He wants every person to repent and receive salvation through Jesus Christ. That means that when we pray for someone’s salvation, we are always praying in line with God’s will.
2. God Wants to Be Glorified
“Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once.” – John 13:31-32 (ESV)
“Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” – John 14:13 (ESV)
“I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.” – John 17:4 (ESV)
To “glorify” means to honor, praise, and give rightful recognition. God created everything, including us. He deserves all the credit and worship. He does not want His glory given to anyone or anything else.
When we pray for something, we should ask:
“Will this bring glory to God?”
If our request will lead to people recognizing and praising God for who He is and what He has done, then it aligns with His will.
Praying in God’s Will
Now that we know God’s will—salvation and His glory—we can use this to evaluate our prayers.
James 4:2-3 warns us:
“You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.” (ESV)
This verse reveals why some prayers go unanswered: the motives behind them are selfish. If we pray for something that only benefits us but does not further God’s kingdom or bring Him glory, we are not praying in His will.
Instead of asking, “Will God answer this prayer?” we should ask:
✅ Will this request lead to someone’s salvation?
✅ Will this request give glory to God if it is granted?
If the answer to both questions is yes, then we can pray with confidence, knowing God will answer.
A Prayer Life Aligned with God
When we shape our prayers around God’s will, two things happen:
- We grow closer to God.
- Our hearts align with His passion for saving the lost.
And as we align our prayers with His purpose, we will see more of them answered. Why? Because we are no longer praying with selfish motives—we are praying for what God already desires.
Instead of wondering if our prayers will be answered, we can pray boldly, knowing they are in perfect alignment with God’s will. And when our hearts are in tune with His, we will experience the joy of seeing Him work through our prayers.
Spread the Gospel, lives depend on it!!!
Your brother in Christ,
Duane
Other Resources:
How to pray
Our Blessed Hope
