Day 2: Praying Specifically

Week 1, Tuesday, January 5

Text: Ephesians 6:19
“Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel.”

Thought for the day:
When I first started praying in public, I felt the need to pray for everything. At meal times, I would ask God to forgive my sins, thank Him for the food, ask Him to heal those who were sick, praise Him for the gift of salvation, ask Him to bless missionaries, and express appreciation for the blessing of living in free country. All of these prayer items were worthwhile, but I tried to cram too much into one prayer. If we are going to develop lives of prayer, we might have to learn how to pray shorter, more specific prayers. When we pray in big, general terms, we often miss the working of God’s hand. Instead of praying for “those who are sick,” if we pray for one person who is sick, we are more likely to see God’s answer. In the text for today, Paul was asking for a very specific request. He knew that there were other items to bring before God in prayer, but since God’s people were called to pray continually, those other items could be addressed in another prayer.

Journal/Exercise:
In your journal, write no more than 3 specific prayer requests that you will bring before God for the rest of this week. Please be very specific. Then, remember to pray for them. During the rest of this month, please write down in this journal any ways that you have seen God responding to that prayer.