How to Get Immediate Answers to Your Prayers

How is it that some people can pray and get answers immediately? A few years ago, a woman in my former church asked for urgent prayer for a situation she was going through in her life. The pastor asked the woman to come up to the altar for prayer.

As she walked towards the front of the church, the pastor asked her if she believed that God would answer her prayers. She answered, “Yes, I believe”. After he prayed for her, he asked her to praise the Lord as if it was done. As she lifted her hands in the air, to give the Lord thanks, the church audience went up into an explosive praise. People weren’t only praising God for the woman’s answered prayer. They knew that if God answered her prayers, they would answer their prayers as well.

The good thing about getting your prayers answered is that you don’t have to be in the midst of a powerful praise and worship service to receive answers from God. You can pray and receive answers while riding in your car to work or trying on clothes in the dressing room of your favorite clothing store. Prayers are being answered 24/7. Are your prayers next in line to be answered?

Here are steps to getting immediate answers to your prayers:

Repentance.

This is one step that people often skip when asking the Lord to answer prayers. If you have any outstanding sins that you haven’t repented for, this will block prayers from getting answered. When your prayers are blocked it’s like a clogged drain in a kitchen sink. You need liquid Drano to unclog your sink. Repentance unclogs the drain that holds back blessings and answered prayers.

To repent for sins, all you have to do ask God to forgive you for any sins you have committed. It helps to name the sin that you have committed (lying, stealing, backbiting, gossiping, etc). If you can’t think of any sins you have committed, ask God to forgive you for any sins that you are unaware of in your life. Here is a good prayer to pray:

Heavenly Father,

Please forgive me for any sins that I may have committed. I am sorry if I have offended you in any way. I don’t want sin to block the blessings that you have for me. I believe that my sins are forgiven. Amen.

Be Specific.

When asking God to answer your prayers, be specific. Don’t beat around the bush. If you need God to bless your finances, be specific with your financial need. If you need healing, be specific. When a child is hungry and they want something to eat, the child is specific with what they want. The same thing applies when praying to the Heavenly Father.

Faith.

Immediately after you pray, have faith that you’re going to get an answer from God. When you pray and have doubts in your heart, this can block your prayers from being answered. It’s like telling God that you don’t really believe that he will answer your prayers. Another important step is to leave the situation in his hands and allow his will to be done. So, take your faith to a new level and pray:

Lord, I have faith that you will answer my prayers whether you bless me in this situation or not. Even if the answer is ‘no’, I know that you have something better for me. Let your will be done in my life.

Praise.

Right after praying to God, the next step is to give him praise. Praise unleashes blessings in one’s life. There are some people who will pray for what seems like for ever and not get answers. My pastor used to say, “When praises go up, blessings come down.” This is so true. When you praise God, he will supply your every need.

Have Patience.

Sometimes God answers prayers immediately and sometimes you have to wait. While waiting, ask God to give you peace and strength. This is the perfect time to pray for someone else in need. Sometimes God will answer your prayers at the moment you pray for someone else. According to the Bible, when you give, you receive. Giving doesn’t always apply to monetary giving. Giving up your time to pray for someone else is a form of giving.

Find Faith Scriptures.

There are many scriptures in the Bible about faith. Read a scripture of faith and believe that God will answer your prayers. My favorite faith passage is Matthew 6:25-34 (KJV). When ever I have a need, this is my antidote. I remember reading this passage daily when I was going through a financial problem and it gave me peace until God answered my prayers.

After praying to God for your situation or problem, give it up. In other words, let it go. Avoid pondering on the problem with doubt. Doubting is a waste of time. Instead of doubting, replace it with faith and praise. When you feel doubt in your heart, think about the scripture Matthew 21:21 (KJV) “Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this [which is done] to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.”

This scripture can be applied to having faith when you pray. If you have “faith and doubt not” he will answer your prayers. I notice that my prayers are usually answered a lot quicker when I replace my doubt with faith.

God will answer your prayers! I’m a living witness!