Life is full of problems. They push us to our knees, but what we say in prayer makes all the difference. Do we pray the problem—or the promise of God? The answer to that question can be the difference between answered and unanswered prayers.
Why Praying the Problem Keeps You Stuck
You’ve heard the saying, “you can’t see the forest for the trees”? The same is true in prayer—if all we see is the problem, we’ll miss the promise that leads to the answer.
Allowing negative thoughts to consume you makes it harder to see the answer. One minute you think all is well, and the next minute you’ve convinced yourself of the worst possible outcome.
Focusing on what the problem looks like in the natural plays right into the enemy’s hands. He wants you to feel defeated. He wants you to give up. He certainly doesn’t want you to look beyond the natural to the supernatural. He doesn’t want you thinking like God.
God’s Thoughts Are Higher Than Our Thoughts
God tells us that His thoughts and His ways are not like ours; they are much higher (Isaiah 55:8-9).
God’s thoughts and ways come from Heaven to earth through His Word. Just as the moisture from the rain enables crops to grow on earth, God’s Word causes His thoughts and ways to flourish in our lives.
His Word begins to transform us into the image of Jesus. The more we look like Jesus, the easier it is to focus on the promise, not the problem. We can focus on what God thinks about the situation and see more clearly His will for our lives.
How to Pray the Promise of God’s Word
To know the will of God in our lives, we must know the Word of God. We often blame God for unanswered prayer. The truth? Many times, we don’t know His Word well enough to pray His promises. Instead, we repeat the problem and wonder why nothing changes.
Know God’s Word. Know His promises contained in His Word. When you pray His promises, you are praying the answer, not the problem. All God’s promises are YES in Christ (2 Corinthians 1:20). His promises have already been fulfilled. His work is complete.
Salvation as the Model for all God’s Promises
When you believed in Christ, you didn’t make Him save you—He had already finished the work 2,000 years ago. Salvation was already provided. By faith, you received what was true in Heaven and brought it into your life here on earth. It was already there, you simply professed it and received it.
The same principle applies to every promise of God. If He said it, believe it. Then receive it. Fix the answer deep in your heart by praying His Word back to Him and thanking Him for what He has already done. As you do, your faith will rise, and your prayers will become effective.
Scripture Prayers to Pray the Promise Not the Problem
Pray this way:
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“God, thank you for fighting for me. I only need to be still.” (Exodus 14:14)
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“God, thank you for renewing my strength.” (Isaiah 40:31)
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“God, thank you for giving me wisdom.” (James 1:5)
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“God, thank you that you are with me. I will not be afraid.” (Isaiah 41:10)
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“God, thank you for meeting all my needs.” (Philippians 4:19)
Pray the Answer, Not the Problem
When you pray the problem, the problem is all that you will see.
When you pray the problem, the problem grows bigger in your mind. But when you pray the promise, your faith grows stronger. So today, take your eyes off the problem and fix them on the God who has already given the answer.
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Making Him Known August 13, 2025 4:20 pm