Getting Answers to Prayer to Save Your Marriage

How can we move God to answer our prayers?

I want to be careful never to encourage a mercenary attitude when I talk about getting answers to prayer. We cannot cut deals with God. He is the one who knows what will bring the greatest good while our view is limited. But, there is a way we can still get answers to prayer, and that's a good thing!

The Bible tells us if I regard iniquity in my heart, God will not hear my prayers.

We need to surrender fully to God and let Jesus be our Lord and Savior. As long as sin is our lord and king, we are not part of God's kingdom, and it would be unloving or unwise in most situations for God to answer our prayers.

But, when we surrender to God and give up our sin, we give God an opportunity to save us and bless us without causing greater harm. But, there is a catch.

Sincerity Required

We can never surrender to God for the purpose of getting something in return. We cannot surrender to God with an ulterior motive. It has to be real. And that means we have to be willing to continue trusting and surrendering to God even if God chooses not to answer our prayers. We have to trust that He has a better plan somehow.

That will be a hard for you or me to accept if our hearts carry a mercenary attitude. We must be willing to love and worship Him even if our prayers go unanswered.

But, that is also a key to getting answers to prayer!

This is particularly tough when it comes to saving your marriage or praying for healing or for help in a crisis situation. We don't want to accept the fact that we may have to go through the crisis and the loss. It may seem that if God is loving, if He is real, if He is powerful, and if He is knowledgeable, and if He is just a nice God who cares, then He must heal and fix the terrible situation we are in. It may be unimaginable that He would make us ride out the crisis. But often that is exactly what He does.

Cutting Deals with God to Save Marriage

When we try to cut deals with God and make Him come around, we may actually get in the way and prevent Him from answering prayer. Furthermore, when we lack faith, love, and hope, when we're full of anger and cynicism, frankly, we're uglier than a rotting dead frog. God cannot be bullied. We cannot get Him to come around to our way through bad behavior. Extortion doesn't work. Manipulation doesn't work. Accusing doesn't work. Calling God evil and abandoning Him doesn't work. How do I know? I am sorry to confess this, but I tried many times because I am naturally a very stubborn person and when something seems right to me, it is hard for me to let go of it.

But, fortunately for me, God was patient and did not strike me down in wrath even when I deserved it. He knows when we're going through great pain. That does not mean it's OK to lash out at God the way I did. But, God will take the most loving and benevolent action He can wisely and honestly take in all situations. He never makes a second best decision. And if that means bearing down and taking abuse from us, He is prepared to do so.

Getting the Best Answers to Prayer for Your Marriage

But, the best way to get the best things to happen is to surrender it all to God. And prayer will more likely be answered. For those times when prayer cannot be answered, God will make the crisis work together for the greatest good so that what the devil intended for evil will work out for good.