Not just Him, but His Words. What if God limited Himself to answering our prayers only as far as we were willing to obey Him? We know His blessings are directly connected to our obedience. When we obey, He blesses. When we disobey, He confronts and corrects. As His children, we have the responsibility to know what He wants and to give Him what He wants... which, in case we've forgotten, can be summed up in one simple request: "Just love me." That's literally all He wants from us. The rest will naturally follow as we grow in our love for the One who first loved us. This flows even into our prayer-life. It's more than just praying Bible verses back to God. If we want God to hear and answer us, we must first learn to consistently hear and answer His desires. He says, "Come to me." So come. He says, "Repent." So repent. He says, "First, let my words live in you; follow my instructions; yield to my will; then ask me anything. I'll give it to you." So believe His promise and do it! He's a good God: a loving and merciful Father who deeply desires to hear from you. If you can believe in who He is, the secrets of the prayer world have been unlocked. Approach Him with gratitude. Approach Him boldly... with all your requests.

"Prayer is not monologue but dialogue... Listening to God's voice [not just hearing but also obeying His Word] is the secret of the assurance that He will listen to mine... May my speaking [in prayer] be the echo of Thy speaking to me." - Andrew Murray