How to Pray with Expectation

Praying to God and expecting Him to answer your prayers is an act of faith. Such prayers move heaven, because God cannot be pleased without faith (see Hebrews 11:6). In this world, it can be difficult to expect from people because you are guaranteed to be disappointed and discouraged when you trust in men, but that is not the case with God. You can definitely expect from Him, as He alone is faithful to His Word and promises. God is not a man that He should lie (Numbers 23:19).

So, how do you pray to God with expectation? You must first understand that expectation is a state of your heart and mind. God alone can see that. James 1:6-8 says, But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways. Thus, when you pray, simply ask the Father in faith without any doubt in your heart. For instance, if you are praying for the restoration of your family’s relationships, you can pray in this manner:

Heavenly Father, thank You, for I know that I can always count on You. As I surrender to You my family, may Your will be done. I know that You know best and that You are working things out for the better. I may not understand everything that is happening, but I trust in Your power to restore the broken things and parts in our lives in Your perfect time. Thank You, God, as I am excited for all the things yet to come, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Moreover, praying the Scriptures also helps to build your faith and pray with expectation. Romans 10:17 says, So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. As you ask God and pray for a particular request, you can look to a specific Scripture promise and declare it in your prayer. For instance, you may be about to transition to a new home or job, or perhaps you are adding a new family member. However, anticipation of a new journey in life can sometimes make you anxious and fearful for many reasons. As you pray for a smooth transition to God, you can declare Joshua 1:9, Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. Here is a prayer you can offer:

Heavenly Father, thank You for having already gone ahead of my future. I know that my family and I are safe in Your hands. I don’t need to worry about anything or be anxious about anything because You have us firmly in Your hands. I know that everything will go well as we move to a new home because You are with me and my family, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

As you pray with expectations before God, you must always be led by the Holy Spirit, who helps us to pray. We know that prayer is one of our weaknesses, as we don’t know what to pray for at times, but praise be to God who has given us the Helper whom we can always count on. As Romans 8:26 says, Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

Should we pray with expectation?

As discussed earlier, prayer with expectation shows our faith in God. When you pray with the full expectation that God is going to answer you, it is an act of faith that pleases Him. We must pray with expectation because this is what Jesus instructed us. He said in Mark 11:24, Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. When you believe that you have already received what you have been praying for, it will surely come to pass. How do you say that in prayer? For instance, if you are praying for a financial breakthrough, you can pray in this manner:

Thank You God for giving me a job that will bless my family. This job is going to provide for our needs and help us get through our current situation of debt. You are blessing me with divine connections; may You use me as a channel of blessing as you increase my finances, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Thank God in advance for the things to come. He loves it when we are grateful even for the things that are yet to come. In the Bible, Jesus raised Lazarus back to life by thanking the Father. This is what He prayed to the Father in John 11:41-42:

Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.

After Jesus prayed this, in confidence that the Father always hears His prayers, Lazarus was raised back to life. Yes, being grateful can bring forth life to the dead things in our lives.

What is the power of expectation?

As we see in Jesus’ prayer over Lazarus, the power of expectation in your prayers to God can bring forth life to what is dead, manifest what is unseen, and make possible even impossible things because that’s who God is when we pray in full faith. God is so powerful that He can fulfill all our expectations, given that the things we are asking for and praying for are aligned with His will and purpose. We can learn a lot from the story of Jesus, how He prayed with so much confidence in the Father, who always heard Him pray. Jesus walked a powerful life when He was here on earth and fulfilled His God-given mission to save mankind.

When we are expectant with God in our prayers, confident in who He is, rather than in our own abilities, such faith can move mountains. Power does not come from our own expectation, but in the One whom we trust. When we fully trust God with all our heart, mind and soul, nothing is impossible. Imagine opening a water faucet. You can expect water to come out when you open it, but the Source—where the water comes from—is faithful in its duty to release water from the faucet when you expect it to function. That’s how prayer works. It’s a mutual relationship. 

As you pray from now on with expectation to our Amazing Heavenly Father, may He grant you the desires of your heart and show You just how much He loves You. As He answers your deepest desires, may Your heart be drawn closer and closer to the One who made it, in Christ Jesus.