A man of God asked his congregation a tempting question one day. He asked; “How many of you believe that God can give you a car tonight?” Nobody raised a hand except one young man. To the surprise of everyone, the young man was handed a car key by the pastor; God had instructed him to give someone a car. It was this young man who aligned his thoughts with his prayer.
Friend, God is committed to both your asking and your thinking. In fact, what you ask and what you think are both prayer forces that God reckons with (Ephesians 3:20). Since God is a Spirit, it stands to reason that He relates more in the realm of the intangibles than the tangibles; your thinking is intangible, your asking or praying is tangible (John 4:23-24). God will hear your heart or thoughts faster than He would hear your words (1 Samuel 1:12-17).
God weighs what you think the same way that He weighs what you ask (1 Samuel 2:3, Ephesians 3:20). This means that your thoughts are prayer forces that God works with. This is why He says before you ask, He would answer; as you are thinking it, God is doing it (Isaiah 65:24). Always remember that your thoughts are prayer forces in the spirit realm.
Did you notice that the famous Philippians 4:6-7 was immediately followed by your thought pattern (Philippians 4:8)? The principle is this; as you make your requests known unto God in prayers or asking, your thoughts must align with the request, or your prayer is going nowhere. Perhaps the reason some of your prayers are not answered is because your thoughts contradict your prayers.
You cannot separate an effective prayer life from an effective word life (Acts 6:4). Prayer and the word of God are inseparable; it is not prayer or the word but prayer and the word. You can only pray effectively when you have successfully renewed your mind with the word of God (Romans 12:1-2).
Like the disciples in Acts 12, it is possible to think the exact opposite of what you are asking in prayers. You can be praying for healing or deliverance while you are thinking of the burial of the loved one you are praying for (Acts 12:13-15). At this point, prayer is just a religious exercise. You can have prayer in your mouth but unbelief in your heart (Mark 11:23, Acts 12:16, Hebrews 3:12). Align your thoughts with your prayers!
‘Demola Awoyele
Lead Pastor,
Destiny Impact Church
Akure, Nigeria