“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

Sinners? Yup.
Repeat sinners? Yup.

It’s a given. We are sinners. There is not one single human being who prays to God who is innocent. We are all guilty. We are all undeserving of God’s mercy and grace. We are all deserving of God’s wrath and judgment.

Yet, God still calls us to pray.
Yet, God still answers prayers.
Yet, God still loves us.

The devil uses what everyone already knows and wants to use that against us. He makes us feel guilty for praying to God. “What right do you have? You are a sinner…a repeat sinner at that! How many times are you going to ask God to forgive you for that? You actually think God is going to answer YOUR prayers?!?!”

The thing the devil doesn’t want you to know is this simple truth. We do not pray because of who we are. We pray because of who God is.

• Of course we are undeserving. That’s why God is merciful.
• Of course we are sinful. That’s why God calls us to repentance.
• God WANTS to forgive us.

So, pray. Pray. Let God know what’s in your heart. Let God get close. Pray.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).

You can worry. You can. No one is stopping you.

The only thing is that worrying changes nothing. Worrying about something will never make it better.

Or, you can pray. Give it God. God can change everything. God can change even you.

You can worry or you can pray. Totally up to you.

You know which one I advocate for. And, if you are going to pray, listen to what the Apostle Paul tells us about how to pray.

Do not be anxious about anything and in every situation, pray. How do we do that?

First, he says, “Give thanks as we present our requests to God.” Isn’t that interesting? He wants us to give thanks before and as we pray. He wants us to give thanks long before God starts answering our prayers. You know why? That God answers prayers is a given. God will answer every prayer. So give thanks in every situation and don’t worry because once we give it to God, it’s God’s problem.

Second, when we pray like that, we will have a peace that transcends human understanding. I love that. God will give us a peace that this world cannot give, and a peace that we do not deserve.

There you go.

You can worry or you can pray.

Totally up to you.

“When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures” (James 4:3).

So, what happens when you pray and God doesn’t seem to answer? What happens when you pray for healing for a loved one and the healing never comes? What happens when you are praying your children to come to saving faith and they are still far from God?

I wish I had a good answer.

But I do know this. God always answers prayers. Always. It’s just that sometimes the way God answers our prayers might not be the way we want them answered.

God answers our prayers in the following way:

• No – God can say no. Particularly if the request is wrong. God is not going to give us anything that will harm us or harm others.
• Grow up – When we are not right, when we are selfish, rebellious, and straying God answers our prayers by telling us to grow up. Grow up and mature in the faith.
• Wait – When the request is right but the timing is not, God tells us to wait.
• Yes – When the request is God-honoring, when we are walking with the Lord, and when the timing is right, God tells us, “Go!” Go for it! You have my blessing!

I am not sure where you find yourself with your prayer life. But I do know this – God always answers our prayers.