The Courage to Pray - Part 2

Last week I posted The Courage to Pray - Part 1 where I discussed the main reason that I have the courage to pray. I wrote this in response to a post by Mark Altrogge on the blog that he and his brother, Stephen, write, The Blazing Center. Take a moment and review their post here.

In his post, Mark addresses several promises of god and the impact that the belief in these promises has on his prayer life. He refers to a huge truth about prayer that I think many people tend not to think about.

How often do you pray for your aunt's health or for the neighbor kid's broken leg or for your Grandmother's cancer? Have you ever wondered how God would answer? It's hard because the Bible doesn't speak to cancer or broken legs. So you bring your requests to God knowing that He will hear you but not how He will answer. May I venture to suggest something better?

Search the Bible for promises and commands of God and then pray that these would come about in your life and in the lives of your friends and family and in the lives of unbelievers. When you are doing this, you are asking for something that is within the will of God; you are asking for something that God has already willed to happen. God commands that believers love one another. So pray that God would cause love for others to grow in your heart. He has commanded you to love so you can have absolute confidence that when you ask for love He will give it to you, because it is His will that you love!

God promises that He will provide for all of our needs, so never be afraid to ask Him to. Quote Him His word as you do so. "Father, you say in Philippians 4:13 that you will provide for all of my needs. So I am asking that you would and trusting that you will. You are a faithful God and I have never been without something that I need and I thank You for this and ask that you will continue to honor your promise and provide for me, for I know that all I have is from You." This is a powerful prayer.

How about this one: you want to be able to stand before God one day and hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant." You want to be found faithful. You have read Philippians 1 and so you pray to God, "Father, I want to stand before you "sincere and blameless" one day. I know that it is not in my power to do so. So I am asking you that you would cause my love to grow. And that it would grow, not just in a vague way, but in a very purposeful one. I ask that my love would grow in the knowledge of the Scriptures. I ask that my love would grow in the knowledge of You. I ask that my love would grow in the knowledge of the gospel. Father, more than this, I ask that You give me discernment in that knowledge. Give me the power to use this knowledge skillfully, in such a way that it glorifies you. Teach me to approve of what is excellent rather than what is sinful. Teach me to approve of and love that which is from you and not to waste my time in the trivialities of this world." Again, you can know with absolute confidence that God will hear this prayer and give you what you are asking.

So the next time you go to prayer for Grandma's cancer or for the neighbor kid's broken leg, lift up their physical needs. But don't stop there: lift up their soul's needs. And know, that while Grandma's cancer may never go away, ever prayer asked in accordance with the will of God will be answered the way that you wanted it to.

Jesus' sacrifice gives us the ability to go before God as a child. Sisters, we do not take advantage of this awesome privilege as we ought. Come to God mindful of the blood of Christ that you are covered in and delight the Father by asking for the things that He desires us to have. Your prayers will have found new power.