what are we praying for?

In my devotionals this morning, I stopped to think about what we pray for.  I reflected on things I pray for family and friends, things that I am asked to pray for as part of my pastoral role, or at the services on weekends.  And I realize that a lot of what I find I am praying for is "to make life easy" for those for which I am praying. 

And then I stopped and asked myself:  are we praying for the best things?  Or should we be praying differently? 

I wrote something in my journal (I journal on my computer and I put this in the footer of my journal so I see it every day) that helps explain what God is stirring in my heart today:

Why do we pray more about getting out of situations than we pray before we ever get into the situation in the first place?

Maybe we would be better off praying for things like this (from Colossians 1:9-14 in THE MESSAGE BIBLE:)

I haven’t stopped praying for you, asking God to give you wise minds and spirits attuned to his will, and so acquire a thorough understanding of the ways in which God works. I pray that you’ll live well for the Master, making him proud of you as you work hard in his (Kingdom). As you learn more and more how God works, you will learn how to do your work. I pray that you’ll have the strength to stick it out over the long haul—not the grim strength of gritting your teeth but the glory-strength God gives. It is strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy, thanking the Father who makes us strong enough to take part in everything bright and beautiful that he has for us.  I pray that you will realize that  God rescued us from dead-end alleys and dark dungeons and that He’s set us up in the kingdom of the Son he loves so much, the Son who got us out of the pit we were in, got rid of the sins we were doomed to keep repeating.

Comments

[Jess]

Thanks, Lindsay, I love that passage and love hearing your thoughts...that is something I needed to hear!