Laws of Acceptable Prayer

David Eldridge

Prayer is one of the greatest privileges for a child of God. Not only is it commanded, but in prayer the Christian can find great blessing and a “peace that passes understanding” (Phil. 4:6,7). However, for our prayers to be heard by God there are certain criterion that must be followed. Let us consider some laws of acceptable prayer.

We must ask. Jesus said in Matthew 7:7, “Ask, and it will be given to you…” We ask God for the things we have need of in this life because we realize that He is the source of all things good (James 1:17). Perhaps the reason we don’t have our righteous desires granted is because we do not ask in the first place. James says, “Yet you do not have because you do not ask” (James 4:2). We must ask God for help with our needs and desires.

We must be righteous. Another reason why prayer will go unanswered is because the one praying is not righteous. I Peter 3:12 states, “For the eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their prayers; But the face of the LORD is against those who do evil.” According to Peter, God’s ears are open to whose prayers? The righteous! If we are not Christians, or as a Christian have allowed sin to rule in our lives, God does not hear our prayers, therefore He will not answer them. We must be seeking to please God for Him to hear the prayers we offer.

We must ask according to God’s will. John writes, “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him” (I John 5:14-15). When we ask for things outside of God’s will our prayers will not be answered in the positive. When we pray and make our requests known unto God, let us have the attitude of Jesus that “not my will, but Yours, be done.” God does not answer every prayer in the positive – only those according to His will.

We must ask in faith. Faith is essential to pleasing God (Hebrews 11:6). Faith is also necessary to have our prayers heard and answered by God. James touches on this in James 1:6,7. He says of the one who prays, “But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord.” We should not suppose that God will grant us any request if we do not have faith. The faith that is needed in prayer is the faith that God is able to answer our request. One must also believe that God will answer the request. If you do not believe that God can and will answer your prayer, it is unacceptable in His sight.

Ask with a forgiving heart. One prayer that the Christian will offer to God is for the forgiveness of their sins (cf. Acts 8:22). It is important that we note Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:14,15. He said, “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” One must be willing to forgive others if they hope to be forgiven themselves. If you have a lack of forgiveness in your heart towards any and pray to God to forgive you, your prayer will go unheeded and you will still be in your sins. Forgive others that you may be forgiven as you go to God in prayer.

Ask with a thankful heart. Paul teaches a valuable lesson about thankfulness. In I Thessalonians 5:17,18 he says, “Pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” As we go to God in prayer we should do so with thanksgiving on our tongues for all his wonderful blessings and providence. If we are not careful, our prayers become filled only with requests and not enough thanks for the requests He has already granted. Before you ask, give thanks to the One from whom every good thing you have in this life has come.

Ask in the name of Jesus. Our prayers are directed to God the Father in Heaven. However our mediator is Jesus the Christ (cf. I Timothy 2:5). It is by Him and through Him that we make our request known unto God. This is why Jesus said, “And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it” (John 14:13,14). To do something in “the name of Jesus” is to do it by the authority of Jesus. We as Christians approach the throne of God’s grace in prayer by the authority of Jesus Christ. Furthermore Paul said, “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him” (Colossians 3:17).

Pray in these ways that your prayers might be answered!