Thoughts On Prayer (part 2)
Posted By Aaron Marcelli on October 5, 2009
Here’s the rest of my list of thoughts on prayer:
Pray according to God’s will. Instead of praying aimless laser tag prayers where I am randomly trying to hit and miss with my request, let my prayer be asking God what His will is in this situation. Ask Him to bring to mind truth or principles of His Word that would apply to this situation and then I can pray for what He has revealed to come to pass. That way I am really praying for God’s will. I am praying for what He has shown me to come to pass. My prayer is then more effective, fruitful, and accurate. This is asking God what to pray about.
Ask God about decisions I make. Do not treat Him as the distant God that others claim He is by not involving Him in the everyday choices of my story. When mulling over something, ask Him, “Should I do this” and wait for an answer or prodding.
I have found great satisfaction in asking Him to be my fulfillment in whatever temptation or weakness is ailing me at the moment. In times of fasting I may ask Him to fulfill me until I no longer feel as though I need food. When I am struggling with my singleness I have prayed for Him to love and comfort me as no one else could and to where my hurt for someone else at that moment no longer seems like a need. This tends to put earthly things in their place – as a blessed compliment to the life God is leading me through, not the grand prize or purpose of it.
When I find myself in a stressful or frustrating situation or I am just feeling a lot of heaviness as though He is trying to get my attention, just pray “What do you have to say to me in this situation or about this situation”. Then listen.
Don’t ask God to bless my choice. Rather, find out what He is blessing and do that.
A big part of prayer is yielding to what God tells you. But yielding is not just about a surrender and abandonment that says, “Ok God, whatever. Jest tell me and I’ll do it”. No, it’s a present and engaged stance to follow God, saying, “Here I am Father, show me what you have for me”.
Allow God time to bring things up in our lives that He wants to speak to us or deal with us about. This may be our habits, a sin, a relationship, or even our past that He has yet to redeem in us.
Don’t claim promises God has not made or involve others before you are sure God has lead you in that way. Don’t pursue a hope claiming it as a promise God has not made. Only pray to claim what God has promised. If God has not been clear about something yet, then pray for clarity, not fruition.
Check in with God. Ask Him how I’m doing? Ask Him to reveal how it is that I think I’m doing. Is there a difference between the two and if so is that causing a problem? Then ask if there is anything He wants to say to me about this.
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