How To Pray With Intention

In everything that we do, there is always an intention behind it, whether good or bad. A person who robbed a store did so out of a desire for someone else’s goods. On the other hand, a person who enlisted in the armed services did so with many possible intentions. It could be that they wanted to serve their country and protect their nation with their life, grow in leadership and character, or be a part of something bigger than themselves. However, even if a certain endeavor or action looks good on the surface, it does not necessarily mean the intention behind it is good. Nonetheless, the point is that in everything that we do, there is always intention behind it.

Father in heaven, give me grace so that the meditation of my heart is always acceptable and pleasing to You and so that from it, every intention I have in everything I do may honor You. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

What Should Our Intentions Be When We Pray?

As mentioned above, there is always intention in everything we do, and just because an action looks good does not necessarily mean that the intention behind it is honorable. Take, for example, what Jesus said in Matthew 6:5-6. Jesus taught His disciples how to pray and warned them not to pray like hypocrites. Why is that so? Because hypocrites loved to pray in public, but the intention behind their prayer was not to commune with God but to make themselves look good. Hence, a good action like praying does not necessarily mean there is a good intention behind it.

And so, what should our intentions be when we pray? Our primary intention, not just when we pray but in everything we do, is to glorify God. In 1 Corinthians 10:31, it is written that whether we eat or drink, in everything that we do, we should be glorifying God. We glorify God by desiring to honor Him with the prayers we are about to pray. We do it for Him and Him alone, out of reverence and love for Him (Psalm 33:8). Whether we pray for our nation, our fellow believers, our family, our concerns and matters at work, or strangers whom we are trying to minister to, we are doing it for God’s glory.

Our primary and ultimate intention when we pray is to glorify God. From there, other intentions will follow. One of which is out of love for other people. If we honor and revere God, that would also mean that we would obey Him and love Him, which are two interconnected things. Out of our love for God flows another intention of the heart: to love others. That’s why Jesus said that the two greatest commandments are to love God and others (Matthew 22:34-40). Our love for others, which we put into action by praying for others, flows from our love for God.

We rejoice with those who rejoice in prayer and weep with those who weep in prayer (Romans 12:15). If someone is going through difficulties, we also comfort them through the prayers that we pray for that person (2 Corinthians 1:3-5). We also say encouraging prayers for others as they walk in their faith journey (1 Thessalonians 5:11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.).

Those are the many different intentions a believer may have when praying for someone. All those different intentions come from loving others (1 Corinthians 16:14), which in turn comes from loving God and glorifying Him. Our intentions as Christians when praying should be to glorify God. When we have that as our primary intention, the rest will naturally follow.

Heavenly Father, I pray that every time I come before You in prayer or pray over someone, the intention of my heart is always to glorify and honor You. May my love for You always be my intention, and from that will flow my love for others, which I put into action by praying for them. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

How To Pray With Godly Intentions?

Our intentions always come from the heart. With that, we can pray with godly intentions by examining our hearts (2 Corinthians 13:5; Psalm 139:23-24). Pondering and examining our hearts is a good practice from time to time. If we see things wrong in our hearts, we can respond in repentance and ask God for the grace to grow more in holiness and Christlikeness. We can pray to God to continue molding and transforming the orientation of our hearts to one that is more acceptable and pleasing to Him (Psalm 19:14). It is God who works in us, both to will and to work for His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13  for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.).

 

Prayer itself shapes our intention. However, being renewed by God’s Word and transformed by it is also essential. In other words, we pray with Godly intentions by evaluating our hearts according to God’s Word and letting God’s Word renew and transform us.

Father in heaven, show me the hidden motives of my heart when praying. Search my heart, Lord. I repent of those motives where I pray not out of love for You and others but out of self-conceit and selfish gain. Thank You because Your grace is always at work in me to will and work for Your good pleasure. Your Spirit and Word transform my heart and intentions so that I may pray with godly intentions. May I apply myself to prayer, scriptures, and fellowship with believers where transformation happens? In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

The good thing is that God’s grace is always here and present in Christ to shape our hearts in a way that our desires, motives, and intentions are those that glorify and honor God. In John 1:16, it is written that we have all received grace from Christ’s fullness. While we sometimes struggle with always having the right intentions—not just in praying, but in everything that we do—in Christ, we have the grace and empowerment from the Holy Spirit to have good and acceptable intentions.