Good Gifts and Prayer Requests

 

                                  Good Gifts



I have been thinking about making a request to God, and believe me, it is not the first time I am making this request, nor the second, nor the third, nor any number that can be counted on one or two hands. But I want to try it differently this time—or maybe not, since I have tried this before. Anyway, here is how I am planning to make this request.

I saw somewhere that you should write your request to God and put it in the Bible. Well, you are also asked to read a specific chapter in the Bible, Psalm 102, and then exercise patience once you have made your request to God. This has sat with me for two days, just thinking because I want to write the right words.

You see, Christians often say that we need to be very specific in our prayers. Be detailed in your requests to God so that they are granted as you have described. If you are praying for a job, say what kind of job you want. Is it remote, office, or hybrid? Which company or organization would you like to work for? What is your expected salary?

If you are praying for a spouse, what characteristics should they have—physical, spiritual, or emotional? If it is a house, where should it be? How big should it be? What should the surrounding area be like? This kind of detail is suggested for every prayer request.

However, this has never really sat well with me and here is why.

1.   At a young age, I was taught that God knows what we need even before we ask. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.” (NIV)

2.If our own parents, who are not always good, can give us good gifts, then what about God, who is always good? Won’t He give us more good gifts than our parents? “If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him!” (NIV)

3.                I believe that God will give us more than we ask for, beyond anything we can imagine. Ephesians 3:20.“Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us.” (NIV)

4.                God will give us exactly what we need. He will not give us something that we do not ask for or something that falls short of our needs.  Matthew 7:9–10 (NIV):9 “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?”

 

And because of this, I choose to come to God as I am, with no perfect vocabulary, no limitations regarding my expectation of God’s ability, or any other way that is not natural to me. I will go to God with my request guided by the above and Hebrews 4:16. “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (NIV)

 

Here is a short prayer for any request that you have for God, be it a job, a spouse, a child, a house, or health. No matter how small or big you may think your request is, just bring it to God. Say this prayer and believe that God will do just what He says He will do.

Prayer

Dear God,

Thank You that You know what I need even before I ask. Thank You that You are good, and You give good gifts—far better than even the best a parent can give.

Help me to trust You to give me exactly what I need, not less, not something that will harm me. I believe You can do far more than I could ever ask or imagine.

Please guide me, provide for me, and help me to rest in Your care. Thank You for always being faithful.

Amen.

 Broken Prayers by Riley Clemmons

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