Prayer Focused (part 2)

Introduction.  Previously in part 1, we noted the New Testament’s emphasis on Christians needing to pray to God.  To be effective, we need to be obedient to God (1 John 3:22) and pray consistently with God’s revealed will (John 14:13-14; 1 John 5:14).  Although we are warned to avoid vain or pointless repetitions, there are many things we should pray about (Matt. 6:7-8; Phil. 4:6-7).  To pray frequently as we should and avoid fall into a rut of repeating many of the same things, we need to keep our prayers focused and fresh.

But how?

In part 1, we suggested one possible approach is to consider the different categories or topics our prayers should address, try to be as specific as possible in each category, and even make a written list to remind us.  We illustrated that with many of the ways we can praise God by focusing on His power and glory revealed thru His natural creation (Rom. 1:20-21) as well as thru His inspired Word (Ex. 34:4-7).

In this article, we continue this approach by examining aspects of prayer related to giving thanks and making requests for ourselves.

Give Thanks. Based on who God is and what He has done, faithful Christians should naturally have an abundance of gratitude toward God that should easily be reflected in their prayers:
  • “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” Ps 103:1-5
  • “giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,” Eph 5:20
  • “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” James 1:17
Give Thanks for Physical Blessings. For those of us living in cultures with physical and financial blessings, consider these warnings:
  • “Beware that you do not forget the Lord your God by not keeping His commandments, His judgments, and His statutes which I command you today, lest — when you have eaten and are full, and have built beautiful houses and dwell in them; and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and your gold are multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied; when your heart is lifted up, and you forget the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage; … then you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.’ And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth…” Deut 8:11-19
  • “For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God, or give thanks; but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.” Rom 1:21
Because we have abundant physical blessings from God, we can easily take them (and Him) for granted.  So what kinds of specific physical blessings can you add to your list of prayer topics?  What about specifics related to food, clothing, shelter, and your sources of income? How about simple modern conveniences based on God’s created physics & chemistry like electricity, indoor plumbing, phones, and automobiles?  Since God created us, what about gratitude for our health, senses, and abilities?  Or for the wisdom given man that has resulted in modern medicines, diagnostic tests, and the doctors & nurses that take care of us? Or for the relative stability afforded us thru civil government, law enforcement, and fire protection?

Give Thanks for Spiritual Blessings. As grateful as we should be for physical blessings from God, we should be even more thankful for spiritual blessings.
  • “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,” Eph 1:3
  • “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!” Phil. 4:4
What about specific prayer topics thanking God for salvation thru Jesus’ sacrifice, providing and providentially preserving the Bible for our instruction, or the abundance of Bible study aids for our benefit?  What about freedom of assembly and freedom of religion you enjoy?  Or blessings from being in a faithful congregation with faithful Christians to provide instruction and encouragement?

More challenging, what about spiritual blessings in disguise? How about seeing the hidden blessings when we experience hard economic times, sickness, loss of a loved one, and/or persecution?
  • “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.” James 1:2-3
Make Requests for Ourselves. If we recognize God as the Creator and source of all good blessings, then our prayers should reflect our humility and dependency on Him.
  • “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? … But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” Matt. 6:25-34
  • “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” Matt. 7:11
  • “Be anxious for nothing … let your requests be made known to God” Phil. 4:6
Normally we don’t have a problem thinking of physical things in this area (especially if we’ve previously focused our list on all the physical blessings we are given).  Of course, we need to avoid being selfish and having a “gimme, gimme, gimme” attitude toward God (James 4:1-3).

But what about specific spiritual things?  How about peace when anxious, concerned, or worried (1 Pet. 5:6-7; Phil. 4:4-6)? Or deliverance from evil with strength to resist specific personal temptations and endure trials (Matt 6:13; Matt. 26:41; Luke 11:4)?  Or wisdom and boldness for influencing others for Christ (James 1:5; Acts 4:29)? How about specifics related to requesting forgiveness for specific sins, a tendency to sin, and our general unworthiness for being saved (Ps. 51: 1-3; Matt. 6:12; Luke 18:13; 1 John 1:9)?
  • “And the tax collector… ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’” Luke 18:13
Conclusion. In our next article in this short series we will focus on specifics related to  interceding and making requests for others. But for the time being, feel free to explore our related material under Topics > P” for “Prayer”.