10 Fool-Proof Steps to Ask God for Something and Get It
There is no doubt that God hears our every prayer. But even though that is true, you may have noticed that He does not always give us what we ask for. Why do you suppose that is? There are certainly things He won’t give us because it’s quite simply not His will for us (and His will is always better than our own!). But other times, He will not give us what we want because … well, quite frankly, we don’t deserve it. If we have been living contrary to God’s Word for example, we cannot expect Him to bless what He has condoned or bless us in ongoing sin.
When we read through the Book of Psalms, we find that the psalmists gave praise to God and sought His forgiveness constantly. They alwayspraised and worshiped Him before they asked Him for what they wanted as well. And we should do the same. In addition to praise and worship though, we must also pray for the grace to know how to properly do this — how to love, worship and serve Him in the way He deserves.
After we have done all that we should, then it is time to get specific and honest about what it is we are asking for. From there we get to exercise our faith, believing with every ounce of our body that God is good and that He can deliver whatever it is we ask for so long as it is in accordance with His will. Quick Tip: The virtue of patience is key while waiting for a breakthrough.
To that end, here are 10 Fool-Proof Steps to Ask God for Something and Get It. Read through each step carefully. After doing so, bring any step that is challenging for you to the foot of the Cross for deeper contemplation.
Maintain a close relationship with God
God will hear your prayers whether you are following Him or not, but He is much more likely to answer the prayers of those close to Him. This is in part because those who know and follow Him are more than likely going to ask Him for those things in accordance with His will.
If you have never read God’s Word or set your mind on following Jesus, this is your first step before asking Him for His blessings or things that you want. Once you start following Him (if you’re not already), learn through His Word how to listen to and obey what He asks of you. Obedience is of utmost importance for answered prayer.
As stated, God will grant the request of an unbeliever. But one is better able to communicate with the Lord if they have a close relationship with Him. Think about your own life for a moment. If both a friend and a stranger asked to borrow money, you would probably be more inclined to grant your friend’s request first, right? While it isn’t a perfect comparison, it makes the point. Make God your friend. He loves you and He wants above all a close relationship with you.
Praise God and give Him thanks first
When you come to God in prayer, don’t go straight to asking for something. It is far better to exercise an ‘attitude of gratitude’ for the God who has given you life and everything good. Praise Him for all that He has done for you. Praise Him for who He is, for being loving and mighty, for guiding you and blessing you. When we begin our prayers this way, it shows to God that your heart motives are in the right place.
We should always praise and thank God before we ask Him for anything because the truth is, He has already done enough. Think about all He has done for the human race! If He never gave us one more thing this side of Heaven, it would be enough. But because He is a good and loving Father, He continues to give us graces, gifts and blessings — even when we don’t deserve them!
One thing about praise and giving thanks is that it must be genuine. Our heart must genuinely feel that way about God for any type of praise to be effective. If it doesn’t feel this way for you, if you are struggling in the department of praise, worship or thanking Him (even in hard times), work first on building your relationship with Him. This is priority number one. As your relationship with Him grows, so too will be your place of humility and gratitude which will put you in a rightful place of asking Him for exactly what you want.
Confess and repent of your sins
After you have strengthened your relationship with God, it is also important to be on good terms with Him. What does this mean? Simply put, when we are living in ongoing sin we are separated from God. In order to get in right standing with Him again, we must confess those things that have hindered our walk with Him and turn away from them. Through the sacrament of confession, this broken connection with God through sin is restored.
Asking for forgiveness of sin is incredibly important. Not only biblically and sacramentally, but because sin at its core means to go against God and what He wants for us. As stated, when we sin we separate ourselves from God. To confess then means simply to admit that you have sinned before God and to say that you are sorry. It shows Him that you are humble and that you have a desire to change. A great prayer to pray is the Act of Contrition. Otherwise you can pray something short, sweet and honest such as, “Lord God, I am sorry that I [fill in blank of what you did]. I know You expect better of me and I vow to do better next time. Thank You for forgiving me, Lord. It is in Your good and holy Name I pray, Amen.”
Ask God for forgiveness
Along with confessing our sins, we must ask God for forgiveness. Genuinely seeking forgiveness is a step that must follow confession. Once God has forgiven you, the lines of communication will be much more open between you and the holy gates of Heaven. Again, praying an Act of Contrition is a powerful prayer of forgiveness.
Make Amends with other people
This one is often very hard for people to do but it is important when seeking God for the things we want. Before we ask God for something, we must come to Him with a clean heart ourselves. If you are seeking God for something for example but refuse to forgive your brethren, how can you expect God to forgive and answer you? Moreover, if you are angry with or have hurt someone else, it will be difficult to pray an honest prayer because the conscience will not be clear.
To that end, take a minute to think about any relationships you may have that are out of sync. Once you have identified them, make an effort to fix them if possible. Resolving problems with others will open you up to a more direct pathway to God’s heart, thus a better chance of hearing a direct answer to your prayer.
Pray against evil that may be around you
If you are living for God, do not be surprised by the many trials, tribulations and temptations you will experience. Chances are there are evil forces working against you that may even be holding you back from receiving answered prayer. Pray and fast that God will remove any spirits or roadblocks that seek to keep you distant and distracted from God and His will. There is no question that spiritual warfare can keep us from effectively communicating with God. When we know it is there and how it operates however, we can combat it with spiritual weapons.
It is well worth any Christians time to learn more about spiritual warfare and how it can affect our prayer lives. There are deliverance prayers us layman can pray whenever we feel under spiritual attack. For those times when you need something fast, you can always pray something simplistic like “God, I feel like evil is surrounding me at the moment. In Jesus’ Name, rebuke these spirits. Do not let them come between me and you. I know that so long as I stay rooted in You, Jesus, they have no power of me. They have already been defeated. I place all my trust in You. I pray this in the holy Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.”
Pray for exactly what you want
When we have done all that is in our power to be in right standing with our Lord, we should begin praying for exactly what we want. In order to do this, we must be honest with God about what it is we want, what we are feeling, and why. God knows everything we think and feel anyway, so there is no sense in trying to hide anything from Him. As you ask Him for what you want, be honest about your thoughts and feelings. Honesty (and humility!) will always open God’s ear to your prayer(s).
Be specific for what you want. Tell Him what you need and ask Him to provide it for you. Being specific about your requests will help you to stay focused on what is most important to you. Even though God already knows, He wants to hear it from you — He wants to communicate with you above all else. Being specific with your inner desires creates an even deeper bond between you and your Heavenly Father.
It is important to remember however, that being specific does not guarantee that God will answer your prayer request. God knows what is best for us and we, through faith, must trust that He will do what is best. If God has other plans, who are we to say that we know better? Instead, we can always trust in the God who is all-knowing, all-good, and all-loving. He alone knows what is best — today, yesterday, and for all time.
Invite God to work in ways He wants to
Although you may have many specific things you want from God, it is wise to pray that His will shall be accomplished in your life. Ask Him to move in your life and to use you however He deems fit. To this end, it is mighty powerful to pray for grace to want the things that God wants for you. This takes trust but it is worth it.
The benefits of praying in this way are many — too many to count here. Although you may know exactly what you want, God has even more in store for you than you could imagine or think to ask for. So if you only ask for the things you want, you could be missing out on all that He wants for you — no doubt a much bigger blessing!
The next time you pray, say something to Him like, “Lord, I really want to start a new job this month but I know that You might have something more in store for me during this time. I pray that You would show me Your plans in Your perfect timing, even if it is not exactly what I want. Jesus, I trust in You.” O what a powerful prayer!
Ask God not to delay
When asking God for something time sensitive, we typically wish for a quick answer. Having a close relationship with God means that we can open up with Him and be honest about our wants … even if that means asking Him to answer our prayers faster than normal. While God is on His own divine time-table being that He knows all things, there are times when our prayers to speed things along are answered. But we must be patient no matter how God answers, whether quickly or slowly. If we are in right standing with Him and He isn’t answering, it probably means that it is not the right time and we must accept that. Regardless, it is always okay to ask Him to not delay, He may answer, but necessary to wait patiently no matter the result.
Close every prayer with “In Jesus’ Name”
The Bible teaches that the Name of Jesus Christ is powerful! Every time you pray, but especially when you are asking for something, end by saying, “I pray this in Jesus’ Name.” This acknowledges that God moves through Jesus and that Jesus is powerful. The belief in the power of this Name alone can move mountains.
Do not be confused. Saying Jesus’ Name is not like saying a few magic words; and it should never be used as a way to exploit God in any way. Scripture reports clearly that God will not be mocked (Gal 6:7). Saying the holy Name of Jesus is rather, in addition to being divinely powerful, a most powerful way of demonstrating to God that you believe in and submit to the will of Christ — and that is a way to ask God for something and get it!
In Conclusion
Remember that God works in a different way than you do and on a different timeline as well. Have faith and trust that God knows best. While you wait, praise Him; thank Him for who He is. God is a good God, and if your prayer requests fit in His greater plan for your life, rest assured He will grant you what you wish. But the real moral of this story is, if you want something from God ask Him for it. But above all love Him. He wants a relationship with you above all else; and buried within the heart of every relationship with God is a large gate that opens to the wonder of His love and goodness. Cherish Him.
Lord Jesus Christ, Father and Savior of our Soul, we love You and we trust You above all things. If You were to never give us one more gift, You are enough. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen.
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