Prayer might be the most misunderstood assignment God has given His children. Why were we told to pray? What is prayer? We look first in the Old Testament. The Hebrew word for our English “to pray” is palal (Strong’s H6419). It has meanings that include: to intervene, interpose, pray, mediate, judge, intercede, intreat, and make supplication. What is clear in these terms is this – not all prayer is asking for something or making supplication. Sometimes prayer is an intervention. Sometimes “to pray” means to take verbal action and intercede in a matter. Sometimes prayer is mediation – or acting on behalf of two parties to settle a dispute. Sometimes prayer means to bring judgment in a matter.
In the New Testament, several Greek words are translated “prayer” in our English Bibles. One is proseuche (Strong’s G4335). It can refer to a prayer to God or a place set apart for prayer like a synagogue. The word “prayer” can also be translated proseuchomai (Strong’s G4336). This word means to supplicate, pray to God, and to worship. Another word for prayer in the New Testament is deesis (Strong’s G1162). This word implies supplication and making requests.
Breaking down the word proseuche we get pros and euche. Pros means “face to face” and euche means “to wish, to desire, or to vow.” This is important to know because we tend to think of prayer as supplication only. Many do not think of prayer as making vows. Sometimes prayer is getting face to face with God and asking Him to do something. At other times, prayer is joining God in declaring a vow or a proclamation of God’s will over a matter. Making declarations of God’s will can be a form of prayer.
In a previous Truth study titled “Prayer of Declaration” the concept of euche as a “vow” was explored. In this study, the meanings of euche “to wish, to desire” will be covered. The requests we make of God are the most understood and practiced form of prayer – the “prayer of supplication.”
Many good books and articles have been written about the prayer of supplication, and you are encouraged to read and study them. This study will only scratch the surface and serve as a launch pad for developing your knowledge of prayer and developing your own prayer life. As a general guide to the prayer of supplication, we look at the Apostle Paul’s admonition to the Philippians.
Philippians 4:6,7 (NLT)
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
According to the Holy Scriptures we are not to worry about anything. Worry is not sanctioned by God. When we pray and make a request for help from God, peace should descend on us and guard our minds. The Amplified Classic version expands verse 6.
Philippians 4:6 (AMPC)
Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God.
The word “anything” is expanded to “every circumstance” and in “everything” in the Amplified Classic version. Nothing in our lives is exempt from prayer. Nothing is too big for God, and nothing is too small for God. We are told to pray about it all. Notice that our petitions should be “definite requests.” Holy Spirit is encouraging us to get specific. If we make our requests more specific, a greater peace will guard our hearts. We know that God knows exactly what we are bringing to His throne in prayer. Thanksgiving and praise should always accompany prayer requests. Give God thanks and praise for hearing your prayer and give Him thanks, in advance, for answering your prayer. We will explore, more thoroughly, the “thanksgiving” component of “prayer and petition with thanksgiving,” first.
Three notable examples of “prayer with thanksgiving” and recounting God’s goodness and faithfulness in a prayer are given in scripture.
In 2 Chronicles, when Jehoshaphat was king of Israel, there was a time when armies of Israel’s enemies came to wage war against them. Different translations of the Bible use different terminology like “a vast army,” “a great multitude,” and “a huge force” to describe the situation Jehoshaphat and Israel faced. They were understandably frightened, but Jehoshaphat called on God in prayer.
2 Chronicles 20: 6-12 (TLB)
6 “O Lord God of our fathers—the only God in all the heavens, the ruler of all the kingdoms of the earth—you are so powerful, so mighty. Who can stand against you? 7 O our God, didn’t you drive out the heathen who lived in this land when your people arrived? And didn’t you give this land forever to the descendants of your friend Abraham? 8 Your people settled here and built this Temple for you, 9 truly believing that in a time like this—whenever we are faced with any calamity such as war, disease, or famine—we can stand here before this Temple and before you—for you are here in this Temple—and cry out to you to save us; and that you will hear us and rescue us. 10 “And now see what the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir are doing. You wouldn’t let our ancestors invade those nations when Israel left Egypt, so we went around and didn’t destroy them. 11 Now see how they reward us! For they have come to throw us out of your land which you have given us. 12 O our God, won’t you stop them? We have no way to protect ourselves against this mighty army. We don’t know what to do, but we are looking to you.”
Jehoshaphat begins his prayer by praising God as “God in all the heavens” and “ruler of the kingdoms of the earth.” He goes on to tell God that He is powerful and mighty and asked, “who can stand against You?” Jehoshaphat reminds God that He previously drove these enemies out of the land when Israel first arrived. He states that the land under attack was given to Abraham and his descendants as their covenant possession. The prayer is initiated with words of praise and thanksgiving. Then Jehoshaphat asks God to stop the invading armies because Israel has no way of protecting themselves against such an onslaught. He finishes by telling God, “We don’t know what to do, but we are looking to you.”
In Isaiah 37, we see a report of Israel being mercilessly assailed by the brutal Assyrians and verbally harassed by the King of Assyria’s emissary. It is an important story demonstrating how Satan (in this instance, the king of Assyria and his henchman) will intimidate and torment the people of God. Israel’s King Hezekiah told his people to be quiet and not respond to the taunts and verbal attacks (Is. 37:21). Nevertheless, he was distraught and prayed this prayer.
Isaiah 37: 15-20 (ERV)
15 He prayed to the Lord: 16 “Lord All-Powerful, God of Israel, you sit as King above the Cherub angels. You alone are the God who rules all the kingdoms on earth. You made heaven and earth. 17 Lord, please pay attention and hear this. Open your eyes, Lord, and see what is happening. Listen to all the insults against the living God in the message Sennacherib sent! 18 It is true, Lord. The kings of Assyria did destroy all those nations. 19 They did throw the gods of those nations into the fire, but they were not real gods. They were only wood and stone—statues that people made. That is why the kings of Assyria could destroy them. 20 But you are the Lord our God, so please save us from the king of Assyria. Then all the other nations will know that you are the Lord, the only God.”
King Hezekiah beings his prayer much like King Jehoshaphat began his prayer. They both honor God as the ruler of the kingdoms of the earth and as the all-powerful Sovereign. Next, they essentially listed their concerns and described what they were up against. Then they asked for help. In both cases, God brought deliverance. You are encouraged to find some quiet time to read and meditate on each of these accounts of people in bad situations crying out to God for help.
The third instance of “prayer with thanksgiving” is found in the Lord’s Prayer. In this passage, Jesus provides His own instruction on prayer. It is possible that this was one of the prayer models He used when He would leave the disciples to go be alone and pray.
Matthew 6:9-13 (HCSB)
9 “Therefore, you should pray like this: Our Father in heaven, Your name be honored as holy. 10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And do not bring us into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one. [For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.]
Jesus states that we should pray “Our Father in heaven, Your name be honored as holy.” As demonstrated by King Jehoshaphat, King Hezakiah, and the Lord Jesus Christ, the first words that we are to utter in our prayers are words that honor God. Thanksgiving, praise, adulation, and blessing are to be given from a thankful, grateful heart that acknowledges God for Who He is. Only after this should we begin to make our requests. In this prayer, we also see that the end of the prayer includes honoring and giving glory to God. In a sense, the requests for daily bread, forgiveness, and deliverance from temptation are “sandwiched” between declaring the goodness of God. A truly powerful prayer would be one that has more a declarations of God’s great goodness with a “oh and by the way, will you please do this thing for me?” added in the middle.
Jesus also gave His disciples instruction on prayer at the Last Supper. Recorded by the Apostle John in chapters 14, 15, and 16 of the Gospel of John are bold and exciting statements made about the prayer of supplication. However, these verses must be kept in context and studied as an entire body of information designed for those who would be building and establishing the Christian church.
John 14:13, 14 (NASB)
13 Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.
In verse 13, the term “whatever” is in the context of the Father being glorified in the Son. Clearly “whatever” is not something sinful or harmful. Jesus claims He will do what we ask when we ask, “in His name.” It takes very little discernment to interpret this correctly. If He is validating our request by use of His name, our request must agree with His will and purposes. We cannot ask for something by or with faith that God has not already granted by grace. However, this is another passage that encourages us to “pray about everything.” The phrases “whatever you ask” and “ask Me anything” reinforce Holy Spirit’s encouragement to pray about all the large events and circumstances of our lives, the small and seemingly unimportant details of our lives, and everything in between.
John 15:7, 8 (NASB)
7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.
There is tremendous safety when you abide in Jesus. You are kept secure by His word abiding in you. Abiding or dwelling in Jesus and in His word is one of the ways Holy Spirit keeps us from making requests that are not in keeping with what God has provided by grace. If you are truly dwelling in and with Jesus, saturated in His word, you simply will not ask for the wrong things. You will know His heart and ask for the things that He Himself desires. However, once again we see that all-inclusive word “whatever” in the phrase “ask whatever you wish.” We are again invited to bring our needs to Him, whether great or small.
John 15: 16 (NASB)
You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.
The context of this verse is bearing fruit. Whether this is referencing the fruit of the Spirit (see Gal. 5:22) or the fruit of the harvest of souls, we have an assurance that we have all of heaven’s resources available to us. As in John 14:13, when we pray in the name of Jesus, we have an assurance of receiving our requests.
John 16:23-27 (NASB 1995)
23 In that day you will not question Me about anything. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you. 24 Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full. 25 “These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; an hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but will tell you plainly of the Father. 26 In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I will request of the Father on your behalf; 27 for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me and have believed that I came forth from the Father.
Jesus was adamant that God will grant the requests that we make of Him. At the time these words were spoken, Jesus was just hours away from the whipping post, the cross, and death. He was giving His disciples information they needed to launch the church. He also seems to be transitioning them from depending solely on Him, to building their own prayer lives with the Father. It bears repeating that, while these statements are very inclusive – “ask anything and it will be granted” – you cannot obtain, in prayer, something that is not sanctioned by God. The Apostle James gives the following warning.
James 4: 1-3 (NIV)
1 What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? 2 You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. 3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
James explains that when we ask and do not receive, it is because we have asked with wrong motives. The remedy for this was given by Jesus in John 15:7 – “abide in Me.” When you abide in Jesus and His words abide in you, your prayers will just agree with the will of God.
More insight on the prayer of supplication is found in the Bool of Hebrews. These words are profoundly comforting.
Hebrews 4:16 (ERV)
With Jesus as our high priest, we can feel free to come before God’s throne where there is grace. There we receive mercy and kindness to help us when we need it.
The Amplified Classic version states this invitation in more detail.
Hebrews 4:16 (AMPC)
Let us then fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the throne of grace (the throne of God’s unmerited favor to us sinners), that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find grace to help in good time for every need [appropriate help and well-timed help, coming just when we need it].
This is an unconditional invitation to seek God in His holy throne room regardless of our condition or situation. Holy Spirit requests that we come “fearlessly and confidently and boldly” to God in prayer. We are to march right into the throne room with our heads lifted high and our hearts filled with faith. We should not approach God timidly and with cowardice. He is waiting to grant “mercy for our failures” and “grace to help in good time for every need.” Remember who you are!
You are a new creation, recreated in Christ Jesus and all these new things are of God.
2 Corinthians 5:17-21 (HCSB)
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things have come. 18 Everything is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 That is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed the message of reconciliation to us. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, certain that God is appealing through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God.” 21 He made the One who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
You are an heir of God and a joint heir with Jesus.
Rom. 8:14-17 (NKJV)
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out “Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.
Yes, you need mercy for your failures. Yes, you need grace to help. And you will get them. God longs to pour upon us, lavishly, mercy and grace. But follow the instructions in Hebrews 4:16. Ignore feelings of unworthiness – they are a lie of the devil or of your own unrenewed mind. You are not unworthy of approaching your own Heavenly Father. If you need to confess a sin, do it.
1 John 1:7-9 (NASB 1995)
7 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
God knew all about our flaws and faults when He issued an invitation to approach Him, in His throne room, with boldness and confidence. We are not bold or confident in ourselves, we are bold and confident in Jesus, as we abide in Him. If we allow a false sense of unworthiness to keep us from God, then we are cutting ourselves off from the remedy for the sense of unworthiness. God has more than enough mercy and grace for us and is longing to pour it out on us. Don’t deny yourself that mercy and grace you need because of cowardice or lack of confidence.
Confidence before God comes by faith in the shed blood of Jesus. If we have faith in His saving work in us, then we will have confidence in prayer.
Confidence in prayer also comes because we make requests that we know agree with God’s will. The Apostle John said this:
1 John 5:14, 15 (NIV)
14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 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 (AMP)
14 This is the [remarkable degree of] confidence which we [as believers are entitled to] have before Him: that if we ask anything according to His will, [that is, consistent with His plan and purpose] He hears us. 15 And if we know [for a fact, as indeed we do] that He hears and listens to us in whatever we ask, we [also] know [with settled and absolute knowledge] that we have [granted to us] the requests which we have asked from Him.
Recall John 15:7 – Jesus said “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” Abiding in Jesus and in His word allows you to know Him and His will and guides your prayer requests. If we make a request that agrees with His will, He hears us. If He hears us, we will have the requests we ask of Him.
In his letter to the church in Rome, the Apostle Paul gave these instructions:
Romans 12: 2 (NIV)
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Letting God’s word dwell in you renews your mind. The will of God is in the word of God. His word is His will. There is no substitute in prayer for knowing and using of the word of God. Every Christian should pursue a renewed mind. When you know the word and have its wisdom operating in you, you can test and approve God’s will. The scriptures address many, many of the issues we pray about. Health and healing, financial needs, restoration of relationships, favor with people, protection and provision, and many other things are clearly addressed in scripture. It is vital to search out the scriptures and build a prayer around what God has said about your need. As mentioned earlier from Philippian 4:6, we are to make “definite requests” of God and these requests should be based on passages of scripture that clearly state God’s will about your need in prayer. If you need healing, Isaiah 53:4,5 is a passage upon which you can build a prayer. There are many verses in scripture detailing God’s desire to heal. If you need protection, Psalm 91 describes God’s will and plan for you to be kept safe. If you have a financial need, Philippians 4:19 is a great place to start building your prayer of supplication based on the stated will of God. There are more than 7000 promises in the word of God. Each one describes God’s willingness to assist us in some way.
However, there are many situations and circumstances in life that are not explicitly described in scripture. Things like what person you should marry, what house you should buy, if you should accept a certain job or ministry position are not clearly stated in scripture. But we do have God’s word concerning His desire to give us wisdom and instruction. We have Holy Spirit to counsel us. We are told that we can be led by Holy Spirit. You can pray in the Holy Spirit (tongues). Consider the following three passages from the Apostle Paul.
Romans 8:26-27 (ERV)
26 Also, the Spirit helps us. We are very weak, but the Spirit helps us with our weakness. We don’t know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit himself speaks to God for us. He begs God for us, speaking to him with feelings too deep for words. 27 God already knows our deepest thoughts. And he understands what the Spirit is saying, because the Spirit speaks for his people in the way that agrees with what God wants.
1 Corinthians 2:13 (AMPC)
And we are setting these truths forth in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the [Holy] Spirit, combining and interpreting spiritual truths with spiritual language [to those who possess the Holy Spirit].
1 Corinthians 14:2 (AMPC)
For one who speaks in an [unknown] tongue speaks not to men but to God, for no one understands or catches his meaning, because in the [Holy] Spirit he utters secret truths and hidden things [not obvious to the understanding].
We have a tremendous resource in our personal prayer language that Holy Spirit gives when we are baptized into Him. When we pray and worship with our own prayer language or our own tongue, Holy Spirit literally searches out the will of God and prays God’s wisdom and will for us. We do not have to know how to pray about a situation because we have this “language of the Spirit” that allows us to pray out things that are not obvious to us. In his first letter to the Corinthians, the Apostle Paul states the following.
1 Corinthians 2:10 (AMPC)
Yet to us God has unveiled and revealed them by and through His Spirit, for the [Holy] Spirit searches diligently, exploring and examining everything, even sounding the profound and bottomless things of God [the divine counsels and things hidden and beyond man’s scrutiny].
1 Corinthians 2:13 (AMPC)
And we are setting these truths forth in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the [Holy] Spirit, combining and interpreting spiritual truths with spiritual language [to those who possess the Holy Spirit].
You should read and pray over the entire passage chapter of 1 Corinthians 2. The entire chapter is very helpful to understand Holy Spirit’s role in our prayers. We have no greater help in prayer than Holy Spirit. Invite Him to every prayer session and use your “baptized in fire” spirit to pray over your requests.
Are our prayers effective? Yes! James claims that the prayer of a righteous person is effective and powerful.
James 5:13-18 (NIV)
13 Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. 17 Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. 18 Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.
The second part of verse 16 and verse 17 from the Amplified Class version gives some important details.
James 5:16b, 17 (AMPC)
The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working]. 17 Elijah was a human being with a nature such as we have [with feelings, affections, and a constitution like ours]; and he prayed earnestly for it not to rain, and no rain fell on the earth for three years and six months.
Prayer is powerful. Don’t stumble over the word “righteous” and claim you are not. Go back to 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 and Romans 8:14-17 and remind yourself who you really are. Elijah was a powerful prophet, but he had issues just like we have issues. Our issues are swallowed up in Jesus’ righteousness imparted to us. James is making the point that Elijah was one of us and he prayed, and it did not rain for 3.5 years! His prayer literally controlled the weather for 3.5 years. Our prayers are dynamic in their working!
What about the prayer that is prayed and is “seemingly” unanswered? What if you pray your most heartfelt prayer and bath is in the word of God and faith and a week goes by with no obvious answer to your prayer? What if a month or a year or 10 years go by with not answer to your prayer. Here is what the Lord Jesus Christ had to say:
Luke 18: 1-8 (NIV)
1 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 2 He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. 3 And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ 4 “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’” 6 And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”
Jesus said to “always pray and not give up”. There is a comparison here between the unjust human judge and our just Judge, the Living God. He will bring justice to us as we pray according to His will. But notice the last thing Jesus says in this passage: “However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” It is not difficult to infer from Jesus’ story here that God requires us to persist in prayer so we can exercise our faith. Jesus tells another story about persisting in prayer in Luke 11.
Luke 11: 5 – 10 (AMPC)
5 And He said to them, Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and will say to him, Friend, lend me three loaves [of bread], 6 For a friend of mine who is on a journey has just come, and I have nothing to put before him; 7 And he from within will answer, Do not disturb me; the door is now closed, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot get up and supply you [with anything]? 8 I tell you, although he will not get up and supply him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his shameless persistence and insistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs. 9 So I say to you, Ask and keep on asking and it shall be given you; seek and keep on seeking and you shall find; knock and keep on knocking and the door shall be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks and keeps on asking receives; and he who seeks and keeps on seeking finds; and to him who knocks and keeps on knocking, the door shall be opened.
God is good and kind and always has our best interests in His heart. He does not delay answers to prayer because He is busy answering someone else’s prayer, cannot hear us, or is just making us wait for some incomprehensible reason. God wants us to grow in faith. We might consider a waiting period a trial. Look at the Apostle James’ explanation for trials.
James 1: 2 – 4 (AMPC)
2 Consider it wholly joyful, my brethren, whenever you are enveloped in or encounter trials of any sort or fall into various temptations. 3 Be assured and understand that the trial and proving of your faith bring out endurance and steadfastness and patience. 4 But let endurance and steadfastness and patience have full play and do a thorough work, so that you may be [people] perfectly and fully developed [with no defects], lacking in nothing.
Bottom line: persisting in prayer, enduring and exercising patience, and refusing to move from our declarations of faith have a very blessed outcome. Patience does a thorough work in us to “perfectly and fully develop” us. Sometimes, this perfecting of our character and soul is more valuable than the answered prayer. It is wonderful to pray a prayer of supplication and see the answer to that prayer in short order. But it is much more beneficial to our long-term growth and development as a mature son or daughter of God to be found persisting in faith and being undaunted and standing fast to our confession of God’s word. In Luke 18, Jesus says “when the Son of Man appears, will He find faith on the earth?” I believe the Godhead is looking for faith and they are delighted when they find it. Consider this passage from 2 Chronicles.
2 Chronicles 16:9a (ERV)
The eyes of the Lord go around looking in all the earth for people who are faithful to him so that he can make them strong.
It would be easy for God to answer every prayer we pray immediately. He is omnipotent (all powerful) and can absolutely grant our every request immediately. But He allows us the privilege of showing Him that we trust Him and believe His word by giving us these waiting periods.
1 Peter 1: 5 – 7 (NLT)
5 And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see. 6 So be truly glad There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. 7 These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.
Beloved, in God’s economy, our “faith is far more precious than mere gold.” The fact that the God of Everything trusts us enough to make us wait a bit before bringing the answer to our prayer absolutely wrecks me. That He would sift, evaluate, analyze, scrutinize my faith to see if I am mature enough to handle “the wait” brings me to my face before Him. He prizes faith above all, and He is studying our faith in every waiting period. I cannot imagine a more blessed situation than to be considered a mature son or daughter of God Most High who has grown into that maturity while waiting for prayer and declarations to me made manifest in this earth.
The Prayer of Supplication should be a way of life for the mature Christian. We should always be following Paul’s advice in Philippians 4:6.
Philippians 4:6 (AMPC)
Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God.
Prayer is our partnership with the God of the universe to see the changes in this earth we desire or know need to take place. Set yourself to pray about everything and worry about nothing.