How To Pray According To The Bible: 12 Best Ways

If you want to pray effectively, there is no better way than to pray according to the Bible. You can’t pray amiss when you pray according to Scripture.

You also pray according to God’s will, in humility and knowledge. The result is always dumbfounding answers, as God can never ignore His own words.

If you have been praying without receiving answers and you are asking: what is the proper way to pray? What is the key to effective prayer? Or how can I be sure I am praying according to the will of God?

Not to worry, I will guide you on how to pray to God effectively with the steps I will provide you with on how to pray according to the Bible.

6 Scriptures On How to Pray And 5 Elements Required To Pray According To The Bible.

1. Matthew 6:6-7 (NIV) – But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7: And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.
2. James 5:16 (NIV) – Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
3. Philippians 4:6 (NIV) – Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
4. Mark 11:24 (NIV) – Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
5. Praying in the Spirit. Romans 8:26 (NIV) – In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.

Ephesians 6:18 (NIV) – And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

How To Pray According To The Bible

1. Examine Yourself and Repent from Any Known Sin.

1 John 1:8,9 (NIV) says, If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Also, Acts 3:19 (NIV) says, – Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.

Unconfessed sins can drag you away from God. So, begin with self-examination and repenting from the sins the Holy Spirit brings to your memory.

Also, go ahead and ask for forgiveness for those you might have committed unconsciously. This opens the heaven over your prayer and sets the tone for an effective conversation with God.

2. Come Before God with Praise.

Psalm 100:4 (NIV) says, Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.

This emphasizes the importance of praise when we come to God in prayer. Some of us dash right into the actual prayer without acknowledging God, who loads us daily with benefits – giving us more than we deserve.

The Bible commands us to come before God with praises. So, to pray in line with Bible command, don’t fail to incorporate heartfelt praises into your prayer. This opens the heaven over your prayer even more.

3. Make Your requests Known to God.

Philippians 4:6 (NIV) says – Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

So, do not be afraid to ask, telling God your request. Whatever it is that burdens your heart or the level of the overwhelming need surrounding you; you can tell them all to God.

He is more than able to lift any burden off your shoulder regardless of its weight. More so, He can take care of that need far beyond what your heart yearns for.

Ephesians 3:20 says, Our God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we ask or think. So, ask with liberty. I can assure you that God has more than you need.

The resources in His storehouse far exceed what the 8 million of us in this world will need in a million years. Don’t forget that the earth is His and its fullness. Ask away and don’t allow any inhibitions because He is your father, and He wants to meet your needs.

4. Ask According to God’s Will.

1 John 5:14-15 (NIV) – This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15: And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.

Asking according to God’s will are biblical, and they always receive answers from God. Good knowledge of Scripture and praying in tongues help us ask according to God’s will.

So, equip yourself with God’s Word, and quote them when you pray. Also, incorporate tongues into your prayers. These are ways to pray, according to the Bible.

5. Ask With the Right Motives.

Scripture says, 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 (NIV).

So, if you want to pray according to the Bible, pray with the right motives. Having a wrong intent behind your request will amount to praying amiss. And when you pray amiss, God will not answer them.

Also See: How to Pray Effectively: 12 Proven Steps.

6. Be Willing to Wait When You Pray.

God works according to His time. He is never in a hurry, yet He never comes or gives us the answer we seek late.

2 Peter 3:8, 9a (NIV) says – But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord, a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9: The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness.

This means that God will not answer every prayer you make immediately. However, don’t immediately assume that the delay means no. To pray according to the Bible, you must be patient to wait on God until He answers.

It is never easy to wait, but at the end of the day, here’s what I have observed: the waiting is always worth it.

7. Incorporate Fasting As Often As You Can.

Fasting means intentionally abstaining from food, water, or anything else you want to deprive yourself of to focus on prayer. Fasting is a spiritual discipline designed to help us focus better and add intensity to our prayers.

The Bible encourages us to fast and pray because they make our supplications very effective, especially when dealing with a serious spiritual matter.

Mark 9:29 (KJV) – And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting. This was Jesus speaking to His disciples. I have often experienced serious spiritual deliverance and miraculous breakthroughs due to fasting.

So, I encourage you to fast as often as you can if you want to pray according to what the Bible prescribes. The results are always profound when it is done with sincerity and seriousness.

8. Pray Without Ceasing.

Scripture in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 commands us to pray without ceasing; that is, to persist in prayer at all times. If I may rephrase this, make prayer a lifestyle. God does not want us to only call upon Him when we have problems.

He longs to hear from us many times daily. Daniel was a man who prayed three times daily. This was his lifestyle. The result was evident; Daniel stood out among his contemporaries.

He was the most preferred among all the Princes and governors in Babylon. Bible also records that in all matters of wisdom and understanding, Daniel was ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers in the land in his time (Daniel 1 and 2).

Praying without ceasing means talking to God as many times as possible. Regardless of where and when. When you pray, it does not necessarily have to be in a kneeling position or in a closet.

You can talk to God while taking a walk, cooking, or laundry. These quick prayers may not be more than a few words, but they keep your connection with God open and keep you in a state of unceasing prayer.

9. Exercise Faith.

Scripture tells us that without faith, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). Therefore, you must pray with faith, believing God completely for answers if you want to pray the way Bible prescribes.

James 1:6-7 says – But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7: That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.

Therefore, when you pray, you need to believe that God hears you and that He will answer your prayers according to His will. If you can exercise faith when you pray like the Bible commands, you will receive whatever you ask in prayer (Matthew 21:22).

10. Involve Prayer Partners Sometimes.

Proverbs 27:17 (NIV) – As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.

Ecclesiastes 4:12 (NIV) – Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

Matthew 18:18-20 (NIV) – Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

19: Again, truly, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20: For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.

These three Scriptures evidence the necessity to join your faith with someone sometimes when you pray. God did not create us to do life or walk in our faith alone.

In Matthew 18, we see Jesus send out His disciples in pairs. He did this so one disciple could lean on the grace of the other when necessary. They were to walk, work, and pray together.

Likewise, when you join your hands and faith with others in prayer, you obey God’s command, and He has promised to be in your midst. That said, get a Christian whom you know loves to pray. And as often as you can, join your faith with theirs in prayer.

11. Be Obedient to God’s Word and Live a Righteous Life.

Sin and disobedience to God’s commands are perhaps the first two things that make our prayers ineffective.

Bible in Isaiah 59:1-2 (NIV) says – Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. 2: But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you so that he will not hear.

So, live a righteous life – in ways that are pleasing to God.This is God’s command to us. The result of this is effective prayers that accomplish a lot (James 5:16). Also, as John 15:7 says – If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

Endless blessings and answers to prayers are ours when we obey God’s commands and live righteously. Therefore, I urge you to live in obedience and in ways that please God, and you will reap the fruit therein.

12. Be Thankful When Answers Come.

God expects us to return to Him with thanksgiving when He answers our prayers. But I also think we should thank Him in advance for what He will do after we have prayed.

It’s like when a father whose child is often overwhelmed with joyful thanks when he buys him or her something nice. That father will undoubtedly always shower that child with lots of gifts.

Likewise, God loves it when we appreciate what He does for us. Bible encourages us to practice gratitude and thanksgiving. And you should practice them as you will truly be praying according to the Bible.

Conclusion

It is ideal for Christians to learn how to pray according to the Bible because it is the most effective way to pray.

Now that you have this insightful information, you can begin praying according to the Bible. And trust me, the results are bound to blow your mind.