"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God... And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus." (Phil. 4:6, 19)
Prayer is Continuous
Doesn't it just drive you crazy when small children ask over and over again for the same things? It may bother us, but most of the time we honor the pleas of our babies. Your heavenly Father never tires of hearing your ongoing prayers, and He loves to bless His children. Real prayer is continuous, not a hit-or-miss proposition.
Frequency reveals priority. The fact that we eat three times a day proves that eating is very important to us. Prayer was a high priority to Jesus. How do we know? Because He prayed frequently. It is said, "But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed" (Luke 5:16, emphasis added).
As gasoline fuels our automobiles, prayer should fuel our lives. The apostle Paul summarized it in two words: "Pray continually" (1 Thess. 5:17)! The KJV says it this way: "Pray without ceasing." You can and should pray any time, any place. The apostle Paul suggested that we never cease praying. It should be a nonstop, two-way conversation throughout the day.
Prayer is Specific
A friend of ours recently went through a difficult illness, which included an extended hospital stay. Rather than simply praying for her healing, she asked the doctors each day exactly what it was that they needed to see happen next. They would tell her the primary immediate issue, and she and her family and friends spent the day asking God for that one specific thing to happen. She was healed and released more quickly than her doctors ever expected!
Too often our vague generalities in praying hinder our receiving heaven's answers. We seem hesitant to say exactly what we really want. If you desire to see answers to your prayers in a greater measure, learn to pray specifically for what you need. "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God... And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus." Phil. 4:6, 19
In many cases our failure to pray specific prayers prevents us from receiving God's blessings. For example, someone who is about to be evicted from their apartment because they are behind in their rent may ask for God's blessings instead of asking for $967, which is the actual amount of the past due rent! We receive not, because we ask not!
What do you need God to do in your life or in the life of someone close to you? Write down one very specific request for which you need to pray, and then pray it now.
Section One: The Characteristics of Prayer, Lesson Four: Prayer is Continuous and Specific
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