This week I will be talking about Elijah and prayer. I will only be posting Mon-Wed this week due to the Thanksgiving Holiday.
The post today regarding Elijah I want to talk about Elijah and specific requests in his prayers. Elijah was one who prayed specifically let us look at an example. 1 Kings 17:21 – 21 Then he stretched himself upon the child three times, and called to the LORD and said, “O LORD my God, I pray You, let this child’s life return to him.”
Here are just one example of Elijah praying specifically for what He wanted to see the Lord do. The Lord did it and raise the child to life. Another example for Elijah and his prayers we see that he declared or prayed very specifically for there not be rain, not even dew. Later then after the drought he also prayed specifically for rain and again the Lord answered.
Let me tell you that I believe that the most ineffective prayers are mostly the ones that are nonspecific. You know the type I am talking about the: …bless my family, or the …be with me today or the bless all the missionaries. I began to think about why we do not pray specifically. Maybe we have a tendency to not pray specifically because we do not want to look foolish if is not answered. Maybe we have a tendency to not pray specifically because we are lazy and it would take too long.
When we pray vague and unspecific prayers we never really know if or how God answered them. We never give God a chance to tell us yes,no, or not now. We need to tell God what it is that we really want from him, exactly what we want to see Him do. The Psalmist tells us, “Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge” in Psalm 62:8. When we simply pray, “Okay, God, your will be done” we really are not pouring out our hearts to Him. I think we need to be pouring out our hearts to Him and then also being able to say at the same time, “Your will be done.” Do you truly pour out your heart to God?
So let me encourage you to be praying specific prayers to God. Lay out before God what you want to see happen in the circumstance or in the situation or in the life that you are praying for. When you do this, you will be able to tell if God is giving you what it is your are praying for specifically or if God is giving you are partial answer or if God is simply just telling you no. The thing is that even when you get the no answer you can have a sense of confidence knowing that you have poured out your heart to God and that His will is being done!
Let us pray specifically for what we want to see God do as we pour out our heart before Him and watch what God will do and grow in confidence in prayer and its power as God tells us yes, no, and no now.
Do you pray specific prayers? Do you pour your heart out before God?
I knew we were twins separated at birth! My post is about prayer also, although just a tad bit different. Not much but a tad.
I too feel that general prayers of the “Bless all” variety are ineffective. Not that God doesn’t hear them but they do nothing for the one praying and I gotta wonder if God is sitting there saying, “ask me for crying out loud!” (Of course he isn’t but I can imagine can’t I?) Good post today Jim. Praying you, wendy, Luke and McKayla have a blessed week and a fantastic Thx day.,
Thanks for the prayers and for the challenge and post you have up today. Praying for a great Holiday for you!
I really have become passionate about praying specific prayers – the more I study the word of God and the powerful prayers – the more I see that those who prayed – prayed specifically.
This is SO good Jim. I’m learning this concept and I’m still working on it. I’ve had a tendency to pray those safe, all-encompassing prayers. I’ve been challenged recently to really be intentional about for whom and for what I pray.
Thanks for the encouragement!
Thanks Tony. I am glad you are praying the specific Big prayers! You will see amazing things!
I like to be specific… but often I am unsure how to be specific in my prayers for someone. My wife says I do not ask enough questions… I am really just trying not to come across as nosy…
Definitely need to work on this.
I usually ask – how can I specifically pray for you – seems to work and not too nosy.
Thanks Dusty for commenting.
Great thoughts! Pray specific, pray bold!
Thanks Mo – you got the idea!
Yes! Thank you!
For me I always ask the Holy Spirit to guide me because I don’t know all about everyone and after finishing I have experienced that people are amazed that I knew what they needed.
I have always asked the Lord everything in prayer. It’s simple. You don’t have to go into details. The most beautiful thing is that what He gave was far more beautiful and better than I could ever imagine. I needed a mother and there she was already, I needed a father and He gave me the best. He is her husband. So God gave me new parents. I needed a house. I asked the Lord for a house and asked them where the sparrows were? They are my favourite birds. God led me to this house I live in now. And guess what… sparrows all around. And so on and so on. We can also proclaim. Guess I like your posts lately. Prayer is my thing. I could go on and on.
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