Time reading your Bible and a prayer life are truly some of the most needed things in the Christian life. One of the amazing things about prayer is that it is a sacrificial gift that anybody can give at any time of the day. If we are going to be able to give this gift, we need to understand a few things about prayer first.
Many people struggle with getting their prayers answered, not just you. Some lack the patience of waiting on the Lord, some get tired of praying, and some feel like God is not listening. So, how do we know God hears us? God tells us in Psalm 139:4, “For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether.” In I John 5:14-15, “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.” As Christians, we have the promises of God’s Word that He hears us.
Have you ever noticed that sometimes we get so consumed with our own wants and needs? This leads to praying endlessly all day because we want an answer immediately, and then we start to get upset, mad, and bitter when we don’t get a response. It feels like our prayers are hitting the ceiling and bouncing back to us. What happens next is that you’ve become so frustrated about what you are praying for that you begin arguing with the Lord. You want to wrestle with Him so that you can win. Is it wrong to be passionate about your prayer life? No, but there are often times when you try to force your way and even manipulate your answer, and then you live in misery and regret because you had to have what you wanted.
In reality, we need to realize that what we are seeking and begging from the Lord may not be His timing or what is best for us.
How do we take a step back and allow God to work in His perfect time or how He sees fit?
1. Take it to the Lord and leave it there.
2. Become passionate about someone else’s needs.
3. Understand that God’s timetable doesn’t work the same as yours.
You may not get an answer immediately; it may be one that takes years to see, or you may never see. Don’t ever give up on praying. It can be easy to wallow in self-pity because God hasn’t answered your prayers, but that usually leads to bitterness.
My answer to those seeking answers to prayers, become the gift of prayer to someone else. You may not see your prayers answered today, but there are many people around you that need prayer. There are those who are going through the most challenging battles, and you would never know because they choose not to share. That’s why it’s so important that we pray for one another. There are times when God lays someone on my heart, and they could be someone that I feel has the best life ever, but I guarantee you, we all have our burdens and trials we carry.

 Praying for others knits our hearts together. Don’t just pray for them as you have your devotions, but pray with them personally. When someone shares a problem or need, I try to pray with them at that very moment. It shows your interest in their need, and you are giving of your time to invest in that need. When you do this, you are giving them the gift of prayer. Sometimes, that is all the encouragement they need to continue to push forward.
Never take for granted the gift of prayer. It can be so easily given and mean more than you realize to the person who needs it.