Have you ever wondered what kinds of prayers are heard in heaven? Not even close to being that challenging. The top five types of prayers that God always wants to hear are listed as follows:
1. Prayers of thanksgiving and worship
Matthew 6:11 records that Jesus began His instruction on how to pray by thanking His Father and saying, “which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name” (Hallelujah). God enjoys hearing our praises very much.
The New International Version translation of Psalm 113:3 states that “the name of the LORD is to be praised from the place where the sun rises to the place where it sets.” More than anything else that I am aware of, giving thanks to God is the best way to feel better.
2. Prayers of gratitude and thankfulness
The apostle Paul commands his people in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 to “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” What a lovely thing it is, God, to give thanks and to sing a hymn to you, the lofty God!, as psalmist David put it. According to Psalm 91:1-2, we are to “sing your faithful presence all through the night” and “announce your love each daybreak.”
Only one of the 10 lepers returned to thank Jesus after He had healed them. Inquiring as to their whereabouts and asking why they hadn’t come back, Jesus questioned their absence (Luke 17:16–18). Jesus expressed appreciation to His heavenly Father.
3. Intercessions for the Salvation of Souls
“Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13, New King James Version) is the prayer that God is eager to hear and enjoys responding. Jesus entered the world with this purpose in mind: “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save those who are lost” (Luke 19:10, New Living Translation). God always answers prayers, whether they are for our own eternal salvation or the salvation of others. He doesn’t want to see anyone destroyed!
4. Promises to Ask for Wisdom in Prayer
James 1:5 (New Living Translation), which states, “If you need wisdom, ask our gracious God, and he will give it to you,” gives us the assurance that God wants us to ask for wisdom. This scripture reassures us that God wants us to ask questions while also encouraging us to have faith that He will provide the answers. Who wouldn’t want to learn something new?
5. Prayer-Based Confession and Atonement
This may be the same as your own personal prayer for salvation. But the kind of prayer that God wants to hear is one in which we confess our sins, declare our desire to change, and concur with God over the situation in which we find ourselves. The text from Luke 5:32 (NLT) that Jesus used as an example tells us something about the nature of God.
