“If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” 
1 John 5:14b

What is God’s ultimate purpose for you and me? Paul answers that in Romans 8:29. God’s goal for all Christians is that we might be “conformed to the image of His Son.” Prayer plays a vital part in making this goal a reality. 

What is God’s ultimate purpose for you and me?

God is so passionate about this goal that He foreknew, predestined, called and justified us so we would become like Christ. And as we have seen in the past few devotionals, God is working according to His will to accomplish His goal, which includes answering our prayers according to His will. 

This should be a real encouragement to us to pray. Many times we don’t pray because we don’t think anything is happening. But with God, something is always happening. We ask, “When is God going to work?” But we don’t understand that God is always working. 

This should be a real encouragement to us to pray.

When it comes to prayer, God is either answering your prayer the way you prayed it, or He is changing your heart through the Spirit’s intercession to get your prayer in line with His will. 

You say, “But I don’t see anything.” Well, when you plant a seed in the ground, you don’t come out the next day complaining because you don’t see the plant. Does the lack of a stem and leaves mean nothing is happening? 

No, a lot of necessary things are happening so that you can see the plant when you are supposed to see it. Don’t think nothing is happening because you haven’t seen anything yet. It’s just not time. 

Don’t think nothing is happening because you haven’t seen anything yet.

But this doesn’t mean God is in the business of being our Cosmic Gift Giver. He is not up in heaven saying, “Oh, you want that? Let Me run and get it. You want Me to do this? Let Me hurry and do it.” He only does His kingdom will to advance His kingdom agenda on earth. When you pray according to His will, He supports you fully. 

One way God is making us more like Christ is by helping us to pray the way Christ prayed: “Not My will, but Yours be done.” That means if what you are praying for is in God’s will, He’s doing it even though you haven’t seen it yet. But if it isn’t, He will work to change your request by changing your heart and mind to align with His.

Check out more from Dr. Tony Evans @tonyevans.org