Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Gratitude – Present Your Requests To God – Philippians 4:6 – Growing As Disciples
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Philippians 4:6 (NIV)
Specific Prayers
Do you have really vague worries? I’m not sure what you mean. Do you feel worry but don’t know what you are worrying about? No, I can’t say that I do. That’s what I thought. My worries are usually very specific. I may have no real cause to worry but at least I know what I’m worrying about.
So then, if your worries are well defined and quite specific why do you offer vague prayers about them? I’m not sure. If you offer a very vague prayer how will you ever know if I answered it? I might have a vague feeling that my prayer was answered. That’s my point. You would never know for sure if your prayer was or wasn’t answered. I get it.
When you pray do you really expect that I will hear and answer your prayers? I hope that you will. That doesn’t sound like a real answer to me. When I pray I wonder if I’m asking for something that is worthy of being asked and answered. Let me tell you something. What’s that? If something causes you to worry then its worthy of turning it into a prayer to me. Do you know why that is? You don’t want me to worry. That’s right. What do I want you to do instead of worrying? You want me to have faith in you. Yes, but be more specific. You want me to have faith that you will hear and answer my prayers. Why would I do that for you? You love me and I am your child. Yes, you are. Do you delight in hearing and answering requests from your children? Yes, I really do. You can be just as sure that I do as well, even more so.
If you have faith that I will hear and answer your prayers, with what attitude will you make them? I will make my prayers to you with joy and thanksgiving because I know that you are listening to me. Yes, I am. What then will happen to the worry and anxiety that you have been carrying? When I pray to you my worries and anxieties will be replaced with joy and thanksgiving. Yes they will. Now start praying specific prayers that I can hear and answer for you. Yes Lord, I will.
Lord, I will no longer hold on to my worries and struggle through them on my own. I am so thankful that I can turn all my worries into very specific prayers and petitions to you. Thank you for hearing and answering me in my need. Amen
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