How can I get my prayers answered by God?
The Bible teaches that prayer is not a technique for controlling divine action. Because God is immutable—unchanging in his being and purposes (Malachi 3:6; James 1:17)—and impassible—never manipulated or emotionally coerced—no level of intensity or emotional display can force God to respond. Scripture does not portray God as moved by human passion in the sense of being altered; instead, he responds according to his eternal will, perfect wisdom, and steadfast love. For that reason, the Bible’s teaching on answered prayer centers not on intensity but on alignment with God’s purposes, walking in righteousness, and praying from a sincere heart. Fervency in prayer matters, not because it pressures God, but because it expresses a heart honestly seeking him. Answered prayer flows from relationship, faith, obedience, and a life oriented toward God’s kingdom.
1. Approach God as Father through Christ
According to the Bible, answered prayer begins with relationship. God answers the prayers of those who approach him as Father—those who belong to him through faith in Christ.
Key biblical foundations:
Prayer is to the Father (Matthew 6:9).
Access to God is through Christ (Ephesians 2:18; 1 Timothy 2:5).
The Spirit enables believers to cry “Abba, Father” (Romans 8:15).
Christ intercedes and brings requests before God (Hebrews 7:25).
Prayer is answered because it is offered within covenant relationship. The Bible does not portray prayer as a general religious act but as the privilege of children who come confidently to their Father (Hebrews 4:16).
To have answered prayer, one must stand in that relationship.
2. Pray according to God’s will revealed in Scripture
The Bible repeatedly connects answered prayer to praying according to God’s will.
“If we ask anything according to his will, he hears us” (1 John 5:14).
“Your will be done” is the model Jesus gives (Matthew 6:10).
Prayers aligned with God’s purposes bear fruit (John 15:7–8).
This means:
Praying for what God has already promised in Scripture.
Praying for righteousness, holiness, and Christlike character.
Praying for God’s kingdom to advance, not merely for personal comfort.
Allowing Scripture to shape desires so that requests match God’s heart.
The deeper one’s life is rooted in Scripture, the more one prays in harmony with the will of God—and the more prayer is answered.
3. Live a life of obedience and righteousness
The Bible links effective prayer to obedience. God is attentive to the righteous and opposes the prayers of the rebellious.
“The prayer of a righteous person has great power” (James 5:16).
“Whatever we ask we receive from him because we keep his commandments” (1 John 3:22).
“The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous” (Psalm 34:15).
“If one turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination” (Proverbs 28:9).
This does not mean perfection earns answered prayer.
It means:
A repentant, obedient posture pleases God.
A life resisting God’s word disrupts fellowship.
God answers prayers offered from a heart walking with him.
Obedience aligns the whole life with God’s purposes, making prayer a continuation of a life already submitted to him.
4. Pray with faith, humility, and confidence in God’s character
Answered prayer is tied to genuine faith and dependence.
Faith
“Whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it” (Mark 11:24).
“Without faith it is impossible to please him” (Hebrews 11:6).
Humility
God “gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6).
Humility acknowledges God’s sovereignty and seeks his wisdom.
Confidence
“Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace” (Hebrews 4:16).
God is eager to give good gifts to his children (Matthew 7:9–11).
Faith does not force God’s hand; it rests in God’s goodness, wisdom, and timing, trusting that his answer—whether yes, no, or wait—is perfect.
5. Remove barriers that hinder prayer
The Bible teaches that answered prayer can be hindered by heart conditions that oppose God’s ways.
Unrepentant sin
“Your iniquities have made a separation… so that he does not hear” (Isaiah 59:2).
Unforgiveness
“Forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father… may forgive you” (Mark 11:25).
Wrong motives
“You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions” (James 4:3).
Dishonoring relationships
Mistreating others hinders prayer (1 Peter 3:7; Matthew 5:23–24).
Answered prayer requires a softened heart, confession, forgiveness, and alignment with God’s holiness.
6. Pray persistently and fervently, without believing intensity forces God’s hand
The Bible encourages persistence and fervency in prayer, but not as a means of manipulating God. Because God is immutable and impassible, he does not change in response to emotional pressure (Malachi 3:6; Numbers 23:19). Fervency is not a way of “moving” God—rather, it is the expression of a heart fully engaged with him.
Fervency in the Bible is marked by:
Sincerity, speaking honestly before God (Psalm 62:8).
Longing for God’s will, not merely personal outcomes (Matthew 6:10).
Perseverance, continuing to seek God because he is faithful (Luke 18:1–8).
Dependence, rooted in trust rather than emotional intensity (Philippians 4:6).
Persistence in prayer does not change God—persistence changes us. It aligns the heart with God’s will, deepens trust, cultivates submission, and shapes desires to match God’s purposes.
The Bible repeatedly commends this kind of persevering, wholehearted prayer:
“Ask… seek… knock” (Matthew 7:7).
“Continue steadfastly in prayer” (Colossians 4:2).
The persistent widow “did not give up” (Luke 18:1–8).
Fervent prayer reflects earnest dependence, but never functions as leverage against God. God answers in perfect wisdom, and fervency simply reveals a heart genuinely seeking him.
Conclusion
The Bible does not present answered prayer as a technique or formula, but as the fruit of relationship with God through Christ. Answered prayer grows out of a life shaped by Scripture, obedience, repentance, faith, and alignment with the Father’s will. God hears his children, responds with perfect wisdom, and answers according to his purposes. The path to answered prayer is the path of communion with God—seeking his kingdom, trusting his goodness, and submitting to his will. When prayer flows from faith, holiness, and the heart of Christ, God’s answers abound.
Bible Verses about Answered Prayer
1 John 5:14, “This is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.”
Psalm 34:15, “The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry.”
Psalm 6:8, “The Lord has heard my plea; the Lord accepts my prayer.”
Isaiah 59:2, “Your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God… so that he does not hear.”
Matthew 7:7, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”
Mark 11:24, “Whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”
James 5:16, “The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.”
John 15:7, “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”
Hebrews 4:16, “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace.”
1 Peter 3:12, “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer.”
