You may not be aware of it, but most of your prayers have a spirit behind them. I don’t necessarily mean a spiritual being; I mean a flavor, a mood, an attitude that shapes your faith or lack of it. You'll notice this phenomenon if you look carefully.
There are probably times when you pray in an attitude of fear, despair, bitterness, or judgment. You want God to answer, but you’re afraid he won’t, you don’t expect him to, or you’re even already anticipating the disappointment. Don’t beat yourself up about that; it’s human nature. But it’s fallen human nature, and there’s a better way.
Notice the spirit behind each prayer and resolve to pray from a place of boldness, expectation, gratitude, and grace. Those attitudes create a platform for faith, which is a key to answered prayer. It isn’t that God won’t ever answer a desperate, fearful prayer; in his mercy, he does. But he much more often answers those that come to him in full faith, with boldness, expectation, gratitude, and grace behind them.
The bottom line: pray positively. And positive answers are much more likely to come.
“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” (Mark 11:24 niv)
