A Prayer about Prayer
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:6–7)
Heavenly Father, as I read these words from Paul, I’m convicted about my prayer life. In some ways I’m more certain of what I don’t believe about prayer than I’m settled on what I do believe. So I’m praying about prayer today, and I humbly own my need for the Spirit to teach me and free me. Give me a renewed love for spending much time with you in vital, expectant prayer.
I praise you for the promise of peace through prayer. Irrespective of how you might choose to answer my prayers, you promise a transcendent peace to those who bring their petitions, thanksgiving, and requests to you. The promise of your peace “guarding my heart and mind” is so encouraging. That’s where the most critical battles of life are waged— right there in the arena of my thinking, feeling, and choosing.
Father, please teach me more about the relationship between your sovereignty and my praying. I know you to be the God who works all things together after the counsel of your will (hallelujah!), so how does my praying fit into the outworking of your perfect and irrepressible plan for all things? Send me to the Scriptures that will help me understand this mystery. How do persistence and surrender work hand in hand?
Father, help me understand some of the mechanics of prayer. The teaching I had on prayer as a young believer led me to believe that the likelihood of an affirmative answer to prayer was directly related to how many people were praying. But that’s how pagans pray— stirring a begrudging god to action by more commotion. So what is the value of corporate prayer? You commend it, even command it. What re- ally happens when we gather together to cry out to our great and gracious God in Jesus’ name? Teach me.
Forgive me and help me, Father. I know I have over corrected in the direction of being a generalist in prayer. I don’t tend to ask for very much specifically in prayer, and therefore I don’t tend to expect very much specifically from prayer. Teach me to be more bold in my asking and trusting of your answering. I pray in Jesus’ gracious name.
Amen.