Sometimes we think the answer comes because of the quality or strategic structure of our prayer. We can assume that if we just pray the right way with the right system, we will get what we are asking for. That would mean God did it because of our prayer system rather than because we are His child and He loves us.

It is true we have to ask God for the things we need (James 4:2). But, God doesn’t want us asking Him because we have to; He wants us asking because we love Him and enjoy having conversations with Him.

It is true that bad attitudes, greed, ritualistic repetition, spousal conflict, and other issues can interfere with God’s positive answers to our prayers. However, God will not be responding or refusing to respond to our prayers positively just because we prayed a certain way. He did what He did because He loves us. The credit goes to God and not to our quality or quantity of prayer.

Faith in the technique or process of prayer will hurt our relationship with God. Faith in God will help our relationship with Him. This isn’t being said so as to create a new doctrine or point of argument among Christians. This is only an important issue in the privacy of our prayer time. Prayer doesn’t CAUSE God to respond; His love does. We are getting the answers to our prayers for that reason and that reason only.

As we have already seen, there are things that can hinder it. But, there is only one thing that can CAUSE it. God through His love and grace. This concept helps us to love and appreciate God. Our praise will flow when we see the answers to our prayers as being an expression of God’s love and grace.

Our praise will be blocked off, if we see God’s answers being a response to some mechanics of our prayer style. He already knows what we need before we pray. He is just waiting for us to ask.