As we bring our prayer requests to God there are many
things that go through our minds. We may have a desperate
need and we know exactly what it is. But many times our
prayers aren't quite this serious. Not that they aren't
important to us, but we're somewhat unclear about what it is
that we want.
Our prayers need to clearly express to God the things that
we want. When we doubt we are torn between different things.
We may say we want one outcome, but in our minds we're not
really sure. For example, one might want to be healed from
the flu, but at the same time would rather not have to go to
work in the morning, and having the flu is a good excuse.
Have you ever had times when you wanted two different
things? Or when you weren't completely sure what it was that
you wanted?
One of the most important "secrets" to getting our prayers
answered is to bring requests to God that are clear and
definite. And the first part of that is being clear about
what it is that we want and being sure that we really want
it.
Take a look at your prayers. Are you praying for specific
outcomes? Are the answers you are looking for the things
that you really want?
Something that has helped me get some clarity about what I
want is to take the time to put my prayers on paper. And
then I ask myself a few questions about why I want what I'm
asking for. Knowing what I want, and why I want it, helps me
be committed and single-minded about my prayers.
Being clear about our desires, and how important they are to
us, is the first step toward effective faith and answered
prayer.
