Vital Signs: Wednesday, April 2, 2025

Praying in Alignment with God's Will

O Lord, hear my plea for justice. Listen to my cry for help. Pay attention to my prayer, for it comes from honest lips. - Psalm 17:1 (NLT)

Today, I’m going to ask the Father what He wants me to pray for. By asking God what He wants me to pray for, I am essentially asking Him, “What is Your will for my life today?” When Jesus gave us the Lord’s Prayer as an example of how to pray, He included the phrase, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done.” God’s will is perfect. When we pray, we must be focused on His will, not our own.

Often, we find our prayer life stuck because we pray from our own will, reasoning, understanding, and emotions. But if we allow God to direct our prayers, we will begin to see the power, presence, and provision of God released in unimaginable ways.

Jesus said, “I can of Myself do nothing... I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me” (John 5:30, NKJV). Jesus was entirely devoted to His Father’s will, even when it was challenging. In Gethsemane, as He faced the cross, Jesus prayed, “Not my will, but Yours be done” (Luke 22:42, NIV).

Like Jesus, we need to seek God’s will in our prayers. When we don’t know His will, it’s best to ask Him. And when we know His will but find it hard to accept, we must submit and say, “Your will be done.” Praying His will always leads to a better outcome than praying our own.

We can take comfort in knowing God makes all things work together for our good (Romans 8:28).

Prayer is exhaling the spirit of man and inhaling the spirit of God. ~ Edwin Keith

Prayer:

Lord, what do You want me to pray for today? I want to be about Your will, not my own. Even when Your will doesn’t make sense to me, I know that in the end, You make all things work for my good. I trust You completely. Your kingdom come, Your will be done. In Jesus’ name, Amen.