The Power of Praying Specific Prayers

Praying With Your Understanding

What a privilege it is to pray! Did you know that you were the only created being who was ever asked to pray? Angels aren’t, animals don’t, and no other created being prays - only humans. Truly, what a privilege it is to pray.

Several years ago, while in a season of protracted prayer, the Lord spoke something into my spirit that forever changed my thinking about the power of prayer. I was minding my own business when the Lord said;” My people are not praying specific enough prayers.”

Stunned by what I had just heard, I set out on a quest to investigate the idea of praying specific prayers. Much to my surprise, I found that the Word of God is filled with examples of people praying specific prayers. Here are a few observations and practices that have worked for me as I have endeavored to be more specific in prayer:

1. Start by Journaling Your Prayer Requests

Using a prayer journal forces you to crystallize your thoughts and become more specific in your requests. No, you don’t have to write down every word of your prayer, simply jot down the gist or idea. If you write too much, it becomes legalistic, too little and your request is vague and ambiguous.

Journaling will also help you stay on target. You can pray over the need until it is met or you are released from the burden of it.

2. Pray over Your Prayer Journal Consistently

In Luke 11:5-8, Jesus describes a kind of praying that gets results. He uses the word “importunity” to describe it. The Word “importunity” means to pray without shame or backwardness; to have audacity, to be unrelenting and earnest.

Praying your journal helps you pray this way. The idea is that of petition - thought out requests. Pray over your prayer journal consistently.

3. Be Open To Adjustments In Your Praying

Praying specifically does not always translate into praying accurately, after all, we’re only human. Therefore, after praying over a specific request for a season with no results or assurance, we need to be willing to adjust our prayers.

Adjustment in prayer requires several things: 1) Listening to what the Holy Spirit is saying. 2) Closely monitoring the situation we are praying about. 3) Hearing God’s voice in His Word. 4) Hearing from those involved or close to the situation.

Only then can we adjust our praying.

Conclusion:

Many of us are not praying specific enough prayers. Would you know if God answered your prayer? Or is your prayer life vague and ambiguous? Why not pray like you mean it? I still say... oh, what a privilege it is to pray!

Coach John

Comments

[Eva Majors]

What a great concept of actually having a "prayer journal" I journal most everything else, but had not applied that to praying!

Thanks!