How to Seek God in Prayer

Believers know it is important to seek God in prayer, but because so many don’t pray regularly, this subject often produces guilt. In addition, prayer is too often approached as a Christian “to-do” list, added to everything else required to be a “good” Christian. No wonder prayer is so often avoided!

However, prayer is meant to be a “get to,” a time set aside to seek the Lord and talk with Him intimately. Indeed, consider it a privilege to connect and share your burdens with the God of the universe, who sees, hears, and answers your prayers. Notably, when human effort is removed, the Holy Spirit is unleashed by faith, and prayer will no longer feel like an obligation.

That sounds fantastic, right? But it takes practice to rely on the Holy Spirit and not yourself. Hence, prayer may initially feel awkward, especially if you have approached prayer as a human performance or a spiritual accomplishment. To illustrate, It is time to pray, but without formulas, you do not know what to say. The silence feels awkward, and your impulse is to fill the void.

Instead, resist that feeling because blessings abound for those who wait on the Lord! To change the focus off of yourself, ask the Holy Spirit to pray through you and allow Him to direct your prayer. Then, wait for Him. This takes practice, so start by waiting a minute or two. During this time, ask God to strengthen your faith. He may even prompt you to read your Bible before you pray.

Seek God in Prayer Through The Holy Spirit

Jesus said we must worship God in Spirit and truth, and this includes prayer. Essentially, this means we are to worship by the Spirit of God and put no confidence in the flesh. So, instead of going through the motions the next time you pray, ask the Holy Spirit to lead you and allow Him to direct your prayer. With this revelation, God used the following verse to transform my prayer life.

The Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will. Romans 8:26-27

Only when you rely on the Holy Spirit can you know for sure that you are praying according to God’s will. Because then, there is no pleading with God or wondering if your prayer is effective. For these reasons, get in the habit of asking the Holy Spirit to lead you in prayer, and it will keep you from making prayer a formality.

Prayer often includes the following: Praise, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication (requests). However, when you rely on the Holy Spirit to direct your prayer, He may change the order or even omit one of these.

For example, while praising God, He may highlight the burden you are carrying, so you begin to pray about that. At other times, you become aware that your attitudes and words do not reflect Christ, so you confess your sins. Then, you begin to thank Him for His forgiveness and praise Jesus for His work on the cross.

Seek a Relationship with God Through Prayer

Come near to God, and He will come near to you. James 4:8

Remembering this promise of God’s presence as you begin to pray is helpful. In light of this verse, consider your connection to God to be similar to your human relationships. Friendships must be cultivated, so understanding prayer in this light is helpful. Imagine how long you would remain friends if you stopped talking to someone or rarely wanted to be with them. Similarly, consider prayer essential in staying connected to your heavenly Father.

“I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.”  Jeremiah 31:3

Remember when you spent time getting to know someone, and then you fell in love? Was your relationship drudgery or exciting and joyful? Did you have to be coaxed to spend time with the one you love?

Reread the verse above and reflect on all the ways God shows his love for you. Thank God often for the unfathomable love of Jesus Christ, who willingly died on the cross for your sins to defeat the works of the devil and connect you to God. Recall that He loved and saved you while you were still rebellious and an enemy of God. Therefore, God will never love you less now that you are his child.

God’s Love and Grace Powers Your Prayer Life

How you perceive God is vital because believing in God’s love, forgiveness, and grace is essential to your prayer life. Because then, you will never again feel the need to be perfect or clean yourself up before you pray. You only have to believe and be grateful for all that Jesus accomplished when he died on the cross for your sins and rose again from the grave.

When you believe Jesus’ arms are always open wide to receive you into His presence, you will come to Him more often. Love for God is the foundation of your relationship, so never forget your first love.

Seek God in Prayer with Confidence

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: 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 what we asked of Him. 1 John 5:14-15

When you pray, are you filled with confidence like this verse describes? Again, this is the reason I ask the Holy Spirit to lead me in prayer because He always knows God’s will. Again, your perception of God is paramount, so make it a priority to get to know Him through the pages of the Bible, God’s Word to you.

Indeed, when you become familiar with God and His ways, you will pray more often because you will come to someone you know and trust. Also, the more frequently you pray, the more you are convinced that God hears and answers your prayer. Thus, keeping a journal of answered prayer will deepen your connection with God. And your faith in the power of prayer will be strengthened.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. Ephesians 6:18

Pray often for the spiritual well-being of fellow believers. And instead of telling others what bothers you, bring all your concerns to God first and, by faith, expect him to respond. Remember to tell God precisely what you need, so you will know when He answers you.

Expect Obstacles When You Seek God in Prayer

The Bible teaches that the flesh is by nature opposed to the Spirit and the things of God. Therefore, expect spiritual opposition when setting aside time to open your Bible or pray. Satan is the enemy of God, and He will do everything he can to keep you too busy for spiritual things. He knows that prayer and believing God’s Word unleashes the power of Almighty God.

We, too, can get in the way when we approach God in prayer with a total focus on ourselves. Jesus then becomes an afterthought as we rush into His throne room of grace with our hearts far removed and a shopping list of demands, not requests. Many have wandered from the faith because they felt God let them down somehow. Sadly, these did not know God.

You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. James 4:2-3

Another frequent obstacle is not understanding God’s forgiveness in Christ, so prayer is avoided because you have a guilty conscience. Never forget that God is loving and merciful and has provided a way back.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

The Lord’s Prayer Shows us How to Seek God

Prayer demonstrated Jesus’ humble reliance on His Father. Very early in His ministry, Jesus’ disciples recognized that prayer was the source of Jesus’ spiritual power, so they asked Him to teach them to pray. The disciples admitted something few recognize: We are prone to independence, so prayer does not come naturally. Thus, ask God to help you pray to the Father in Jesus’ name.

Jesus said to them, “When you pray, say: “Out Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”  Matthew 6:10

Heavenly Father, hallowed be your name.

To those born again by the Holy Spirit, God is known intimately as “Abba Father,” so Father is how we approach Him. God’s name is hallowed and uniquely holy, so it speaks to His character and actions. Therefore, whatever concerns you today, remember that God is good and has the power to accomplish good things in your life when you submit to Him.

Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

God is the Sovereign ruler over heaven and earth. Thus, desire to fulfill God’s will by doing your part to further His Kingdom on earth. Your life is being moved by God Himself toward the Day when Jesus will return to earth to establish His Kingdom. But the last part of the prayer is where we struggle: “Your will be done.” Therefore, ask God to help you surrender your will to do His.

Seek God’s Provision in Prayer Daily

The Lord’s prayer continues to teach that God promises to provide for our needs.

“Give us each day our daily bread.”  Luke 11:3

Jesus is the source of our spiritual life, and God’s Word is our bread. Thus, prayer shows your dependence on God to provide for your daily needs. Hence, when you bow to give thanks, you acknowledge that God sustains both your physical and spiritual life.

“Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.” Luke 11:4

God’s forgiveness of all our sins is the cornerstone of our salvation in Christ, so how can we refuse to forgive the sins of others? Forgiveness comes from God, so ask Him to enable you to pardon others.

“And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”  Matthew 6:13

Temptation leads to sin when we act on it. Only God can deliver us from sin and the evil one.

For thine is the kingdom,

The power, and the glory,

Forever and ever. Amen.

The Power of  Seeking God in Prayer

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. Again, he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. James 5:17-18

When prayer is neglected, your life will have no spiritual power. In contrast, you can accomplish more than you could ask or think when you rely on the Holy Spirit and commit to prayer.

Jesus said: I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in Me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in My name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. John 14:12-14

Sometimes, people get discouraged in prayer because they don’t get the answers they want. Instead, have the same attitude Jesus had when He prayed to the Father: “Not My will, but your will be done.” By faith, trust God’s plans when they are not yours.

Jesus said:  Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Luke 11:9-10

Notice all the responses from God when you ask, seek, and knock. Prayer is a gift God has given you, so pray with expectant faith!  When you keep a journal of your prayer requests and see how He answers, your faith will be strengthened to pray more consistently. Are you in God’s waiting room? Ask Him to strengthen your faith.

Seek God, Who Hears and Answers Prayer

Let us approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:16

Father God, thank you that I can come to you with confident faith because of your grace, Christ’s death on the cross, and His resurrection power.

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for the Holy Spirit, who strengthens my faith and enables me to pray according to your will. By your supernatural power, overcome the weakness of my flesh and make prayer the desire of my heart. Help me commit to a time and place to pray daily so I can know you better.

Heavenly Father, in your Holy Presence, I know I need you to forgive all my sins. I confess them now and thank you for your forgiveness in Christ Jesus. Empower me to live what I know and to walk by the Spirit daily so my life is pleasing to you. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen. 

Know that the Lord has set apart His faithful servant for Himself; the Lord hears when I call to Him. Psalm 4:3

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Bible study for “Seek God in Prayer”

Week 1:  2 Kings 6:15-17; Psalms 4:1-3, 6-8; 5:1-3; 6:4, 9; 9:1-2; 18:1-2, 6, 16-19; 34:4-9, 17-19; 36:5-9; 42:1-11; 62:5-8, 63:1-8; 86:6-7; 142:1-2; Isaiah 29:13; Jeremiah 31:3

Week 2:  Daniel 2:17-23; 6:3-28; 9:20-23; 10:12-14; Zephaniah 3:17; Matthew 4:4, 10; 5:43-48; 6:5-15; 9:37-38; 15:8-9; 18:20; 21:18-22; 22:37-38; 26:36-46; Mark 1:35; Luke 11:1-13; 18:1-8; John 4:23-26; 14:12-14; 17; Acts 2:42; 4:23-31

Week 3:  Romans 8:5, 9, 14-16, 26-27; 12:1-2, 11-12; 1 Corinthians 10:13; Ephesians 3:14-21; 6:10-12, 18; Philippians 3:3; 4:6-7; Colossians 4:2-4; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Week 4:  2 Thessalonians 1:11-12; Hebrews 4:14-16; 7:23–26; 11:1, 6; 13:15-16, 20-21; James 4:2-3, 8; 5:13-18; 1 Peter 3:12; 5:7; Jude 20-21; 1 John 1:3-10; 5:14-15; Revelation 4:8-11; 5:8