What Happens When We Pray: 8 Benefits of Heartfelt Prayer
Twilight finds me in a stand of hardwoods, and I watch the canopy flourish in the evening’s marigold glow. I’ve come to the woods to talk to God. As I sit beneath a towering oak, I remind myself of what happens when we pray.
What Happens When We Pray
I spent the first part of my life believing that prayer was a way of getting God to do things for me. As I grew in my spiritual life, I learned that prayer is about cultivating a relationship more than making requests.
Perhaps you need this reminder today as well.
Let’s take a closer look at what actually happens when we pray.
What Happens When We Pray to God
1. We grow closer to God.
God is a loving Father. He invites us to pray because he longs for a closer relationship with each of his children.
God wants us to share our hearts with him and talk to him. He also wants us to create space to listen to his gentle voice and sense the impressions he puts on our hearts.
Prayer is the act of creating this space to draw near to God and connect with him.
2. We learn more about God’s character.
True prayer also teaches us more about God’s character. We come to understand who God is and discern his will.
The more time we spend in his presence, the more we come to know his character.
One of the best ways to grow in understanding God’s character is to pray through the Bible. By praying Scripture, we align our hearts with God’s heart and see the ways his character is revealed through his Word.
God knows us fully. We come to know him more intimately through his written Word. Through his Word, we can test whether our everyday experiences with him align with what we know about him in the Bible. In this way, the Word is living and active, guiding our lives and leading us to God in our everyday moments as well as our quiet moments.
3. Prayer shapes us to become more like Jesus.
What happens when we pray according to God’s will—in alignment with his character? We become more like Jesus.
Through prayer, God shows us his will for our lives and his heart for the people around us. He fills us with love and compassion for others. He gives us a desire to do his will.
Jesus is full of compassion and wants us to follow him in loving others.
Prayer helps us align with God’s vision for serving those he places in front of us.
Have you ever noticed that when you pray for someone over an extended period of time, God fills your heart with love for that person? This is because our hearts come into alignment with God through prayer. The best way to love difficult people is to start praying for them daily.
4. We exchange worry for peace.
A friend recently reminded me that worry is the appearance of doing something to change a difficult situation; prayer actually does it.
One of the surest ways to exchange worry for peace is through prayer.
Instead of ruminating over your worries, talk to God. Tell him what’s on your mind. Spend time in his Word as you soak in his promises. In doing so, he will cover you with the peace that surpasses understanding.
5. Forces move in heavenly realms.
In his letter to the Ephesian church, the Apostle Paul wrote that the battles we face are more than just physical battles. We are all living on a spiritual battlefield, surrounded by forces of good and evil in the heavenly realms (see Ephesians 6).
Prayer prompts forces in these spiritual realms to move. It breaks down walls and ignites good to overcome evil.
For 15 spiritual warfare verses, join me here.
6. We find greater strength in God.
What happens when we pray during moments of weakness, doubt, fear, and temptation?
God gives us his supernatural strength.
God promises to reveal his power perfectly in our weak moments. We tap into that power by turning to him in prayer.
Are you feeling weak today?
Turn to God. Ask him to give you strength. He is able to help you overcome every temptation, fear, doubt, and weakness you experience. He is waiting to give you strength.
7. God offers direction for our lives.
God also gives us direction when we pray.
Do you feel uncertain about a decision you need to make or doubtful as you seek clarity for the future?
Ask God to direct you. He wants to guide you and lead you on the right path.
8. Prayer changes our circumstances.
When God’s people pray, circumstances change.
God’s ways are higher than our ways. His timing and his ways don’t always align with our expectations. Yet we should not let doubt stop us from seeking him in prayer.
He wants to heal our loved ones, cure our diseases, provide financial miracles, restore marriages, and more. Do you need to turn to God and ask for his help today? What’s stopping you?
When God’s people pray, circumstances change. #prayer Share on X
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