Taking Inventory of Our Prayers

It's wise, on a regular basis, to take inventory of our prayers.  I'm thinking specifically of petitions, requests (so we'll bypass other types of prayer such as praise, confession, lament, and thanksgiving for now).  It's good to eavesdrop on yourself periodically and review your requests:  what kinds of things are you asking God to do?

My reflex often reverts to basic, earthly, temporal needs (you too?)—so we pray for good health, safety, and positive results in today’s life challenges (perhaps having to do with work or school or relationships).  And, of course, it’s good to appeal to God for his blessings in such things.

But it’s small.  Now don’t get me wrong—it’s right and good to pray over the smallest of concerns; it’s right and good to pray with your child about that stubbed toe.  By all means, bring to the Father whatever is on your heart, whether it’s big, small, or in between—he cares, and he wants to hear from you.

But remember, God has so much more in mind for our ultimate good than the ordinary creature comforts and hoped-for smooth sailing that tend to fill up our prayers.

Since God is awesome beyond description (e.g., Isaiah 6:1-4), and since he is able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20), and since the Lord promises to work all things for the good of his people (Romans 8:28), and since Jesus commands us to “ask, seek, knock” (Matthew 7:7-11), and since we know that the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea (Habakkuk 2:14), and since Christ declared that the “gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14), and since… (we could go on with a long list of magnificent assurances!)… since all of that is true, pray BIG.  Make “God-sized” petitions.

Years ago the silly movie, “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids,” was popular (the mad scientist dad lost track of his experiments and, well, one thing led to another).  I wonder if we might also have to admit that we’ve “shrunk” prayer.

One good way to make sure we don’t dishonor the Lord with small-faith, self-focused, mild prayers is to go back to the Bible again and again the see how to pray and what to ask God for.  Here are three articles that are full of Scripture to show us what kinds of things God’s people have prayed for and the kinds of requests that should be prominent when we call out to the Father.

• John Piper, “What Should We Pray For?”
• Jonathan Leeman, “18 Things to Pray for Your Church”
• Andrew Hess “9 Ways to Pray Like the Apostle Paul”

Let me feature a few excerpts from Piper’s article, to give a feel for Bible-shaped praying:

• Pray that God would exalt his name in the world
• Pray that God would extend his kingdom in the world
• Pray that God would save unbelievers
• Pray for boldness in proclamation
• Pray for the casting out of demons
• Pray for miraculous deliverances
• Pray for the success of other missionaries
• Pray for unity and harmony in the ranks
• Pray for power to comprehend the love of Christ
• Pray for a deeper sense of assured hope
• Etc.!

Brothers and sisters, pray with faith, pray with hope, pray BIG, pray with patience, and pray for spiritual and eternal needs in conjunction with the completion of Jesus’ Great Commission and the coming end of the age!