The power of prayer is unquestioned by those who call themselves Christians.  After all, it can change the mind of God (2 Kings 20:1-6).  For us to tap into the full potential of prayer, however, we must pray with faith.  If we do not pray with full assurance of faith, the only thing we can expect is for our prayers to not be answered in the way that we would like.

James 1:6-7 (ESV)
⁶  But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. ⁷  For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;

When we pray, we must believe.  We must believe, not only in the existence of a good and all-powerful God, but that He will hear our requests and answer our petitions.  Every time we pray, we must remove all doubt from our minds.  Observe what Jesus said about prayer.

Mark 11:24 (ESV)
²⁴  Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

Certainly, this statement from Jesus must be modified by other passages of scripture.  Jesus is not saying that if you desire a million dollars, all you have to do is ask God, and He will send it to you.  It should be observed that God answers our prayers in different ways.  For example, sometimes He gives us exactly what we ask (James 5:17), sometimes He gives us more than we ask (1 Kings 3:5-13; Acts 12:5-16), and sometimes He says no to what we ask (2 Corinthians 12:7-9).

Why would God say no to our prayers?  There are a few different reasons that He might.  If we pray for something wrong, He is not going to grant our request.  James said, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly…” (James 4:3). 

Another reason God might say no to our prayers is that what we ask for is not according to His will.

1 John 5:14 (ESV)
¹⁴  And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.

This is where we must simply trust God.  Unless it is written in God’s Word, we do not know what God’s will is.  Something may not be in our best interest, and we do not realize it, but God does.  He usually will not say yes to His children’s petitions if He knows it will bring them harm.  Sometimes God has to save us from ourselves.

If we understand these principles, and avoid the things mentioned above, we can pray with confidence and faith and trust that God will respond accordingly.

1 John 5:15 (ESV)
¹⁵  And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.              

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.