Prayer Is Both Mysterious and Easy to Understand

Before doing this study, please read the 1-minute introduction Does God Answer Stupid Prayers?

Prayer is easy to understand in some ways: God wants us to talk to Him about anything on our heart. He's always available and listening.

But prayer is also mysterious. We don't fully understand exactly how God will answer our prayers. See Prayer Is a Wonderful Mystery.

So let's look at some pertinent Scriptures:   

1. What are the conditions for answered prayer according to these passages?

1 John 3:21-22: “Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God 22 and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him.”

1 John 5:14-15: “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.” 

2. What can we learn about prayer from these warnings?

James 4:2-3: “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.” 

1 Peter 4:7: “The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray.” 

See 5 Requirements of Prayer.

3. Let the passages below encourage you to regularly spend time with God in prayer.

Philippians 4:6-7: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

See Thankfulness: An Important Aspect of Prayer.

Romans 12:12: “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”

Copyright, Gail Burton Purath, 2014, BiteSizeBibleStudy.com, edited and updated in 2023

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