God listens to people from all nations. (Psalm 145:18, 19) His Word, the Bible, encourages us to speak to him about any matter that concerns us. (Philippians 4:6, 7) Yet, some prayers displease God. For example, repeating memorized prayers does not please him.—Read Matthew 6:7.

Also, Jehovah dislikes the prayers of people who willfully disregard his law. (Proverbs 28:9) For example, in Bible times, God refused to listen to Israelites who were guilty of murder. Clearly, we must meet certain requirements to be heard by God.—Read Isaiah 1:15.

We cannot approach God in prayer without faith. (James 1:5, 6) We must be convinced that he exists and cares about us. We can strengthen our faith by studying the Bible because true faith is based on the evidence and assurances found in God’s Word.—Read Hebrews 11:1, 6.

We should pray sincerely and humbly. Even God’s Son, Jesus, was humble when he prayed. (Luke 22:41, 42) So, rather than tell God what to do, we should try to understand his requirements by reading the Bible. Then we can pray in harmony with God’s will.—Read 1 John 5:14.