14 Conditions of Answered Prayer

Not all prayers are equal, and not all prayers are answered by God. There are conditions and requirements for answered prayer given in the word of God.

Prayer is simply communication with God. In the Bible, prayer encompasses adoration, confession, thanksgiving, intercession, petition, and surrender. All these are forms of prayer.

In an earlier article we looked at 12 lessons from Jesus’ teaching on prayer, famously called the Lord’s Prayer. In this article we will look at the conditions for answered prayer to ensure we are not praying amiss and receive what we request of God.

The Conditions for Answered Prayer

1. Actually pray: Ask

The first key to answered prayer is to actually pray and ask. God has designed that he responds to us through prayer. If we don’t pray or ask, we should not expect to receive. God respects our free will. If we do not ask him for help, he will not assume that we need it. Asking is an act of faith and also humility.

God cares about us. In Matthew 6:8, Jesus says God knows what we need even before we ask. “For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.” But he desires us to ask him since he is our Father. Let us therefore ask with confidence.

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” Matthew 7:7-11

“Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16

2. Pray in the name of Jesus.

Jesus taught us to pray in his name. To pray in Jesus’ name is not a formula or just saying, “In Jesus’ name I pray” rotely. It means praying in his authority and in his nature. When you do anything in someone’s name, you are representing that person. The prayer, therefore, should not be against the Lord’s commandments or his divine nature. Additionally, we can only pray in his name if we are in a relationship with him. And so to have answered prayer, we need to be born again and be in relationship with God the Father through Jesus. It is only in this way that we have authority to pray in his name. Jesus’ name cannot be used by sinners.

“And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.” John 14:13-14

“You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.” John 15:16

“In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you; for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from God.” John 16:26-27

“And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” Colossians 3:17

3. Repent of sin.

God hates sin. The Bible says that our sins separate us from God so that he cannot hear us. God does not hear the prayers of sinners except prayers of repentance. The wicked are detestable to God. And so if we live in sin and refuse to repent, God cannot and will not hear us since he is a holy God and those who are not clean cannot approach him. It is therefore important to always search our hearts and repent of known and unknown sin, asking the blood of Jesus to wash us. It’s also why salvation is key to answered prayer. If one is not saved, they are in sin, and God cannot hear them.

“Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.” Isaiah 59:2 (also see Micah 3:4)

“If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.” Psalm 66:18

“The LORD is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous.” Proverbs 15:29

“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.” 1 John 1:8-10

“And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” Matthew 6:12

4. Pray in faith.

God honors faith. Faith implies confidence and trust in God. We are to present all our requests to God with a sincere heart, expectation, and confidence that he is a good father and will answer us.

If we pray but do not believe that God can or will answer, he will not answer since we don’t trust him. The Bible says that it is impossible to please God without faith. It dishonors God when we don’t believe what he has spoken, because then we liken him to idols, which cannot hear or speak. Our confidence and faith in God receive; faith pleases him.

Faith comes from hearing the word of God. The more of God’s word we know, the more our faith grows because we know what God has promised. We can then pray in confidence and be assured of answered prayer.

“And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.” Matthew 21:22 (see also Mark 11:24)

“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6

“Now if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask from God, the One giving generously to all and not finding fault, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, doubting nothing, for the one doubting is like a wave of the sea, being blown and being tossed by the wind. For let that man not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord. He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” James 1:5-8

Sometimes fasting is needed.

Although fasting is not necessarily a condition for answered prayer in every situation, Jesus connects it to faith. He explained to the disciples that sometimes prayer and fasting was needed to increase faith for certain situations, such as casting out strong demons.

“Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.” Matthew 17:19-21

5. Pray according to God’s will.

Answered prayer also depends on our prayers being according to God’s will. Our prayers must not contradict God’s nature or what he has already spoken in his word. It is therefore important to study God’s word to get to know him, his nature, his mind, and his will so that we do not pray amiss. It is dangerous to be ignorant of God’s word as believers.

Jesus taught us to pray for God’s kingdom to come and his will to be done, and it is how he himself prayed. The night he was arrested to be killed, in his darkest moment, Jesus prayed not for his deliverance or comfort, but for God’s will to be done.

“Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Matthew 6:10

“And this is the confidence that we have before Him: if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we already possess what we have asked of Him.” 1 John 5:14-15

“And He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.” Luke 22:41-42

“Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God.” 1 John 3:21

“Because of this, do not be foolish, but understand what is the Lord’s will.” Ephesians 5:17

“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.” Matthew 6:33

6. Seek God’s glory.

A few days before Jesus’ death, troubled by his upcoming betrayal and crucifixion, Jesus did not pray for his salvation but for God to glorify his name. We should be like-minded. Our prayers should be for God’s glory. In the teaching on the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus begins by asking us to pray, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name” (Matthew 6:9). Praying this way glorifies God, reminding us that God’s glory comes first. Do our prayer requests result in God’s glory? Everything we do, including prayer, should be done to the glory of God.

“Now My soul has been troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But on account of this I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your name.” Therefore a voice came from heaven: “I have both glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” John 12:27-28

“In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Matthew 6:9-10

“And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.” John 14:13-14

“Therefore, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all things to the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31

“Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4

7. Ask with the right motives.

Another key to answered prayer is to pray with the right motives. Selfish and carnal prayers are not answered by God. This is closely related to praying according to God’s will and for God’s glory.

“You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.” James 4:3

8. Forgive

In the Lord’s teachings on prayer, he mentioned that we must forgive others if we wish to be forgiven. God forgives us only as we forgive others. If we refuse to forgive others, God will not forgive us. If we are not forgiven, we remain under condemnation, and God will not hear our prayers. Every time we pray, we should ask God to forgive us our sins but also make sure we too forgive those who have offended us. This is an important key to answered prayer that many overlook: unforgiveness hinders our prayers.

“And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.” Mark 11:25

“Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny.” Matthew 5:23-26

9. Abide in the Lord and his word.

Jesus says that if we abide or remain in him and his words abide in us, then we will ask what we desire and it will be given to us. Obedience to the Lord Jesus and his word is a key to answered prayer. When we obey him and remain in him, his desires become ours, and we seek to please him, and as a result even our prayers will please him, yielding answers.

“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.” John 15:7

“One who turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination.” Proverbs 28:9

“For the eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers; but the face of the LORD is against those who do evil.” 1 Peter 3:12

10. Pray fervently.

Another key to answered prayer is fervent prayer. The Bible tells us that Elijah prayed fervently for it not to rain, and it did not rain for 3 years. Jesus likewise prayed fervently during his earthly life. Fervent prayer implies energetic and powerful prayer backed by feeling. This is opposed to cold, lifeless prayer. God desires to see that we mean what we are praying with our whole heart. Usually in such prayer the body will respond physically, sometimes with sweats, shouts, tears, shaking, and so forth. Jesus prayed with loud cries and tears to God.

“Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months.” James 5:16-17

“During the days of Jesus’ earthly life, He offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the One who could save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverence.” Hebrews 5:7

11. Persistence/Perseverance

God does not always answer our prayers in our timing. Sometimes it can seem as if he is delaying, and this is when we need persistence in our prayers. We are to keep asking and keep knocking and keep seeking until God hears us, if we know we have met the other conditions for prayer. We mustn’t give up.

In the Book of Daniel, chapter 10, we learn that sometimes demonic forces can hinder and delay answers to prayer, and this is more reason why we should keep praying. God is not tired by our asking; Jesus actually taught about the importance of persistence in prayer in the Parable of the Persistent Widow (Luke 18:1-8) and the Parable of the Persistent Friend (Luke 11:5-10). Persistence pays.

“Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, saying: “There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, ‘Get justice for me from my adversary.’ And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, “Though I do not fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.” Then the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said. And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” Luke 18:1-8 (see also Luke 11:5-10, the Parable of the Persistent Friend)

“Pray in the Spirit at all times, with every kind of prayer and petition. To this end, stay alert with all perseverance in your prayers for all the saints.” Ephesians 6:18

12. Pray with thanksgiving.

Our prayers should be with an attitude of thanksgiving and praise to God. This shows that we trust God and believe he will answer us perfectly in his divine timing and according to his will. A grateful heart is pleasing to God and attracts more of his favor. Gratitude also eases worry and anxiety. It is impossible to worry and be grateful at the same time. Hope in God abounds in thanksgiving. When we present our requests with thanksgiving, God’s peace guards our hearts and minds in our waiting.

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

“In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18

“Giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,” Ephesians 5:20

13. Patient waiting in hope (expectation).

Patient waiting is key to answered prayer. If the farmer digs up his seed before the plant grows, he will get no harvest. Many people give up before God answers and, as a result, receive nothing. Waiting is often hard, but if we trust that God has our best interests at heart, then we will wait patiently for his response to our prayers. Our waiting is not vain, but we wait in hope. The Bible tells us that hope does not disappoint. Waiting also builds our character and teaches us to trust God and build confidence in him. God’s timing is perfect.

“Wait on the LORD; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the LORD!” Psalm 27:14

“Therefore be patient, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. Behold, the farmer awaits the precious fruit of the earth, being patient for it until it receives the early and latter rains.” James 5:7

“But if we hope for what we do not see, we await in patience.” Romans 8:25

“Not only that, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance (patience); perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.” Romans 5:3-5

14. Be led by the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is our helper, comforter, and advocate. We should rely on him in our prayers, listening to his leading, conviction, and guidance, always asking him to help us. He knows our weaknesses and the mind of God. He will always guide our prayers if we rely on him. He also intercedes for us according to the will of God. We cannot make it without the Holy Spirit. He will show us where we fall short of the conditions for answered prayer and help us to please God.

“Pray in the Spirit at all times, with every kind of prayer and petition.” Ephesians 6:18

“Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.” Romans 8:26

“And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.” John 14:16-18 (also John 14:26, John 16:13)

“For the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. For who among men knows the things of the man, except the spirit of the man within him? So also, no one knows the things of God, except the Spirit of God. Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit from God, that we may know the things having been granted to us by God.” 1 Corinthians 2:10-12

Also read: How to Pray: 12 Lessons From the Lord’s Prayer

More Essential Discipleship Teachings:

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