“Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that you may consume it upon your lusts.” James 4:2

I can not stress enough the issue of being specific in prayer.  It’s easy to think that because you have spent a lot of time talking, you have been specific in your requests.  Sometimes talking a lot only leads to an abundance of vague prayers.

Vague prayers usually contain references to things that are going to happen whether we pray for them or not. Things like: the sun coming up or the changing of the seasons. They can also be erratic and lack focus. These two elements should be addressed as you move toward a more fulfilling prayer life. Getting answers requires you to move from the general to the specific always valuing focus over volume.

In order to move out of the arena of vague prayer you must have a true goal in mind. You must also be willing to reveal that to God. A specific goal requires a specific request. Are you really willing to open your heart to Him and reveal your desires? It‘s like the wife who will never tell her husband what she would like to have for Christmas but always feels a little disappointed when she doesn’t get it. She had a specific expectation but would not convey it. She ends up sad. Likewise in prayer, if we have an expectation and will not release it to God, we will never learn to trust God with our thoughts. Worse yet, we will never experience the ministry of the Holy Spirit that teaches us to pray appropriately. Prayer requires trust. If our thoughts or desires are contrary to His will what better time to be corrected and put on the proper path than in the prayer closet.

Finally, it is important to realize that learning to be specific helps you identify answered prayer.  When you make a specific request you can easily identify His yes or no.  When you fail to be specific life continues to be chaotic because you don’t know what you are expecting. 

Here again, a topic that I could write on forever, but I’m really interested in hearing from you.  What are your thoughts on getting answers? 

Blessings to you,

MC

“Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that you may consume it upon your lusts.” James 4:2

In my last post, I mentioned that unanswered prayer indicates a problem that must be solved.  The problem can range from the very simple issue of learning to be more specific in prayer to the more complex issue of prayer and spiritual warfare. Today, let’s start on the lower end of the spectrum. If you have not gotten answers to your prayers it may be because your prayers are too vague. You must learn to be specific.

Vague prayers are those that they are either unclear or do not reveal a need.  An example of a vague request would be one of my children were to asking, “Can we have something good for dinner?” I would probably say, “Okay,” and continue what I was doing. Now at dinner time, I might serve risotto with white asparagus which happens to be really good. My child, however, is disappointed because she wanted pizza. The problem is that she was not specific in her request.  Her lack of specificity didn’t give me an opportunity to honor her request. Her failure to reveal her true desire stifled my ability to redirect her thinking about good.  Do you see how praying this way along can hinder answers? 

When you ask God for something He desires to give it to you, but unless the two of you are on one accord you might be disappointed with the outcome. Your ability to be specific in prayer gives God an opportunity to honor your request or change your desire.

Are you ready to get specific? Today, write down two or three things that you have been praying for that you have failed to be specific about. Take the time to get specific and then pray again. Remember if you want a specific answer make a specific request. 

Blessings to you,

MC

P.S. tomorrow I’ll continue with part II.

“And I say unto you, Ask and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” Luke 11: 9

Picking up on yesterday’s thread, I want to remind you that you should actually receive answers to your prayers. When you don’t, you should consider it a problem that needs to be fixed.

It seems fundamental but many people never consider the issue of unanswered prayers. They typically assume God just doesn’t want to answer them. Prayers without answers are pointless. This is not God’s highest aim for your life. He wants to answer you. He encourages you to ask, seek, and knock. He promises that you will receive, you will find, and doors will be opened unto you.  Sounds like answered prayer to me.

If you want to ensure your prayers are answered the following pattern may help:

Ask.  Sounds simple, but sometimes people never make the request. They assume God knows which is true, but He has made asking a requirement to receiving.
Be agenda free.  Seek to fulfill God’s plan not to advance your own.
Believe. God can answer your request. He wants to answer.  He does answer.
Always persevere in prayer.  Persistence pays big dividends.   
Answered prayer is important to your faith life. Answered prayer will not only give you greater confidence, it will motivate you to walk by faith.

One word of encouragement: Nothing motivates you to continue to build your prayer life than the reality of answered prayer. 

One caveat: God didn’t say you would like the answer. He said you would receive one. Be open to His plan. He knows what is best and will always give it to you.

This week, take note of the answers that you receive. I’d love to hear your thoughts or testimonies on your answered prayer.

Blessings to you,

MC

“And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray and not to faint;” Luke 18:1

Prayer is our duty and we cannot tire of it.  It must be recognized as the staple of your life and not a luxury.  I am confident that God answers prayer.  Sometimes it may take a while but He answers.  Fervent prayer will bring results. Christ teaches us that persistence is also an important part of answered prayer. He uses the parable of the unjust judge and widow to further illustrate this point.

The widow had an issue and went to the judge for mediation. The judge did not want to help the woman. He was not concerned about righting any wrong committed against her. Yet, she continued to request his help. She was persistent.  After awhile he decided that in order to avoid being worried to death; he would settle her case. If an unjust judge will help someone in order to avoid being bothered, what will your heavenly Father do for you?

The answer is clear. God will answer your prayers.  He will protect you.  He will provide for you.  He will guide you. He will give you what you need. You must be persistent in prayer.

So, keep praying and don’t faint!

Blessings to you,
MC

“And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have aught against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.”  Mark 11:25-26

As promised….

We know from yesterday’s post that forgiving others is required in order to experience God’s forgiveness, but don’t miss the forgiveness-intercession connection.

Believers are called to pray for others.  The call is to pray for everyone, even your enemies. Praying for another person really means approaching and communicating with God on their behalf. It’s called intercession, and it is a powerful aspect of prayer ministry.

When we intercede, we pray that God’s will is done in the lives of another. True intercession is not made from a selfish perspective.  Intercession is not made because we want someone to change in order to meet our needs, live up to our expectations, or obtain an apology. We intercede because we desire the will of God for their lives. We love them and want God’s best for their lives. True intercession is motivated by love.  Are you beginning to see why forgiveness is so important?

Withholding forgiveness blocks the spiritual movement that happens as a result of prayer.  Furthermore, it reveals a greater concern for yourself than the other person. In order to ask seek God’s best for another person you must have compassion toward them. Forgiveness is a great demonstration of compassion. When there is more concern about what is owed to you than someone’s soul, it is impossible to ask God to bless them.  True intercession erupts out of deep compassion or concern for another person. You truly desire God’s best for them.  Your act of forgiveness is simply releasing them from a debt. A debt they can not pay.  Forgiveness does not mean an offense didn’t occur.  It powerfully acknowledges there is no capacity to pay what is owed.  Your act of forgiveness opens the door for God’s power and influence to enter the situation.

 I could go on and on because forgiveness is such a rich topic, but I’d rather hear from you. Please share your comments, thoughts, or even your questions.

Blessings to you,

MC

And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have aught against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses. Mark 11:25-26

Be diligent to forgive others their trespasses so that God will forgive you.  If you will not forgive, it reveals a lack of understanding of what God has done for you. When forgiveness has been so beautifully bestowed upon you, withholding it from others makes a mockery of God’s gift to you. Your ability to forgive others is really a testament to your appreciation of God’s forgiveness of you. It is also powerfully related to intercession. (God willing, I will talk more about that tomorrow.)  Today, be sure to take some time to forgive others their trespasses. It releases power in your life and theirs. Forgiveness is the beginning of receiving God’s best for your life.
Blessings to you!
MC

“I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.”  Proverbs 8:17

I am an early riser.  Most of the time, I am up so early that when I hear the rooster crow in back of our house, I wonder what takes him so long to wake up.  The stillness found in early morning hours are priceless to me; yet when God speaks of early there is more to it than the time of day.

The first part of this proverb reveals that God loves them who love him. This wasn’t an arbitrary statement.  It was made to bring you comfort and increase your trust in God.  Because of God’s love for you, you can trust that He always has a plan of success for you. His plan is to bless, protect, and prosper you.  Ultimately, you must have more confidence in God’s plan for you than your own. You must really believe that, in order to embrace the next part of the proverb, “and those that seek God early shall find me.”

Seeking Him early refers to a point in time, not just the time of day. It comes before the initiation of a process, devising a plan, or establishing a strategy. It is God’s invitation to find and know His will before you make a move. Have you ever decided on something and then thought, “Now I am going to see what the Lord wants me to do.” Or have you ever tried to find the Lord’s will with an idea already in your heart? I am sure it was difficult to be certain of God’s will.  Approaching God with your own agenda makes it difficult to hear Him. When your mind is full of your own thoughts, reasoning’s, and justifications, being clear about the will of God is will elude you.  Learning to seek him early alleviates doubt and increases faith.

In order to seek Him early, pray without an agenda. Trust that He knows what is right for you. Be prepared to obey. God does not rubber stamp all our thoughts, ideas, and plans.  Be open to allowing him to lead you to a decision, thought or even give you an idea.  I believe that powerful prayer isn’t found so much in what you send up to heaven but what comes down to you.  God desires to reveal His will to you.  If your desire is to do His will remember that it is easier to do when you seek him early.

As you continue your walk, learn to seek Him early. It will bless you.

Blessings to you,

MC

Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my meditation. Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray. My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up. Psalm 5:1-3

David, a man after God’s own heart, developed phenomenal intimacy with God. In this particular Psalm, he invites us to share in the process of creating greater intimacy with the Father.  David reveals that one of the elements required to develop greater intimacy with God is transparency.

David’s transparency is revealed by his request that God consider his meditation. He didn’t just want God to hear his prayers. He implored Him to pay attention to his thoughts.  How transparent is that? 

Essentially, David was saying don’t just listen to my prayer, but address the thoughts and intents of my heart. When you communicate with God there should be a desire to have Him evaluate your motives and agendas. You should give Him access to everything. 

God does not look on the outward appearance of man but at the heart.  Your ability to desire what He desires is essential to building a closer relationship. As you continue to practice the discipline of prayer, know that greater intimacy with the Father should also continue to develop.  One of the clearest indicators of that actually transpiring in your life is your heartfelt wish to give Him access to every area of your life. 

Are you creating greater intimacy?

Blessings to you,

MC

“But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou has shut the door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.” Matthew 6:6

Jesus found refuge and time for personal prayer on a mountain.

Peter found peace and privacy to pray on a roof top.

Where do you retreat for your time with God?

There is nothing more personal, private, or full of truth than your special place for prayer and reflection.  It is the place where you are alone with God revealing your desires, your concerns, and your sins.  It is where your confession is made, God’s forgiveness is administered, and His divine strength is imparted to you.  Your private place of prayer is where greater intimacy with God is born, nurtured, and grown.  It gives you peace and freedom to engage in a heavenly dialogue without disturbing others or being disturbed.  Although your secret place of prayer doesn’t have to be an actual closet, make sure that is indeed free from distractions and disturbances. The more freedom you have to safely and privately surrender yourself to the moments of prayer, the more powerful your prayer life will become. 
Blessings to you,
MC

Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore.  Psalm 16:11
Prayer is about seeking God’s face. Prayer is about desiring to know Him.  Prayer is about understanding His will. Prayer is about submitting to His dominion in your life. When these attitudes fill your heart, mind, soul, and strength every prayer encounter will be rich and life transforming. You can also expect your life to be filled with the fruit of being in His presence. Your life should be replete with the fruit of: hope, clear direction, joy, and satisfaction.

Today, ask yourself is my extended prayer time producing more fruit? If it is great! Keep moving forward.  If it’s not, perhaps you can embrace more of these attitudes.  It’s sure to move you in the right direction.

Blessings to you
MC