6 Ways to Pray With Confidence and Grace

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If you lack confidence, it may be a result of anxiety in your heart. Worrying can be harmful not only to our emotional health, but also to our physical health. Excessive worrying can lead to depression and can even cause us to become physically ill. When we worry, we get so lost in what “might” happen that we lose sight of our peace and happiness, and can no longer find our inner calm. If worry is currently on your heart or you’ve simply lost your way, there is hope, and that hope can be channeled through prayer. The Bible tells us to cast our anxieties on the Lord and do not be anxious about anything for God is with us. Not only do you have the ear of our great Heavenly Father, but you also have been giving the privilege of being used of God to help change the lives of those around you, even those people you don’t even know. God has made available to you His reservoir of power, wisdom, love and grace, if only you are willing to believe, trust and obey Him. When you say these silently or out loud, change will happen. Here are six ways to pray with confidence and grace.

Turn Bible Verses Into Prayers

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You can take verses from the Bible and turn them into powerful prayers. Using God’s Word as a guide can give you a new sense of confidence and direction when you don’t know what to say. When you read 1 John 5:14, notice it says we can pray with certainty when we ask God for what is already part of His will: “This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” Turning Bible verses into prayers increases your confidence over time, knowing that you are praying God’s will when you pray God’s Word. Wanting your prayers to be filled with power and your heart to be infused with faith, look for Scripture’s about God’s will and God’s ways. One example is Hebrews 4:12 where God teaches us His Word is “alive and active.” Praying that truth, we can asked to make His Word come alive in a situation and become active in the person’s life you’re praying for.

Be Confident In Your Prayers

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What do your prayers look like, sound like and feel like? Are you confident in your prayers, that they are being heard and making a difference? We usually don’t have trouble coming up with the asking part, but we struggle on the receiving end with God’s answers to the point where we either doubt, “I wonder if God listens?” or despair, “Why bother?” We’ve all been there. The truth is, the main way that God deepens, strengthens and awakens confidence in prayer is not through answered prayer. It’s by the word of the living God! When God says, “I hear you,” we should believe Him. So when your confidence in prayer languishes and you feel like falling back, remember that prayer has power. Keep believing in that power.

Trust in the Power of the Holy Spirit

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You can pray with confidence and grace by trusting in the power of the Holy Spirit. The Bible says, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). God wants you to trust His guidance, so He sent you a Guide. When you became a believer, God placed the Holy Spirit within you, and He’s been teaching you ever since to listen and respond to the Holy Spirit’s counsel. The Holy Spirit is your guide, one who walks with you along the way. He knows every step of the journey and understands the blessings and dangers ahead. He knows where you’ve been and when you’re going, and he knows the best path to take. God never intended for you to figure out the steps of your journey without Him. Pray for guidance from God and the wisdom of the Holy Spirit to direct your paths and keep them straight.

Don’t Feel Pressured

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Don’t feel pressured when you pray. God is open to any and all forms of communication with you for He cherishes His relationship with you. God isn’t looking for the perfect combination of words, and there’s no formula to get it right. When you let go of the pressure to say the right things, prayer can become one of your favorite things to do. Sit still and let God whisper His promises into your thoughts and then ask for their fulfillments in your prayers. You can start with this prayer: Lord, I’m so glad I don’t have to say that right thing to get Your attention. Thank You for Your Spirit that lives in me and leads me – in my daily activities and even in my prayers. Please show me verses You want me to pray so I can see Your Word come alive in my circumstances and become active in my life. Amen.

Remember That He Listens

Prayer is a great blessing, and we’re promised that our Heavenly Father is always listening, but often it takes some work to recognize His answers. Think about this: either God hears you or He doesn’t. If He doesn’t, then of course there’s no point in praying, but if He does (and He does), we have to figure out how to really commune with Him in prayer, recognize answers and faithfully move forward. When we pray, God isn’t concerned with the eloquence of our words but with the attitude of our hearts. If you have sincerely invited Jesus Christ to come into your life, you can sure God has heard your prayer. If you’re lacking confidence and feel He’s not listening, maybe it’s time to experience some personal growth. Remember, sometimes answers come in subtle and unexpected ways.

Make Sure Your Prayers Are Aligned With His Will

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Prayer is not a means by which we can impose our will on the One who runs the world. If we want confidence that God will answer all our prayers, then all our prayers need to be in line with His will, which means we need to determine what His will is. To discover God’s will, the best place to turn is Scripture. God reveals His will for us in His Holy Word. Unfortunately, the Bible doesn’t include a codebook that reveals how to make all the right turns in the game of life. But the Bible can serve as a guide of His will for us. God wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4), and Jesus said, “My Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life” (John 6:40).