 Prayer of Petition: (The way most Christians pray)
Prayers of Petition are the staple diet of the average Christian. It was sanctified in the Lord’s Prayer (give us this day our daily bread), and it was one of the most common prayers in the Bible (next to adoration and praise). Prayers of petition acknowledge that we are to come to God, our Father, with childlike expectation and faith, asking him to meet our needs. As Christ said in Matthew 7:
"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 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!
Anyone can pray this prayer. Simply talk to God about what you need, and ask him to look after you. But remember, God may not answer your prayer the way you want him too, as quite often, God works on changing our heart before he changes our lives.
What about unanswered Prayer? Why, if Jesus assures us that our prayers will be answered, are so many of them not? As C. S. Lewis noted, “Every war, every famine or plague, almost every death-bed, is a monument to a petition that was not granted.”
Richard Foster, in his book, Prayer: Finding The Heart’s True Home, gives us several ideas about unanswered prayer.
God withholds gifts for our own Good:
W We ask for things that are not in our best interests.
W Our requests might be detrimental to others.
W We sometimes pray self-contradictory prayers (Grant me patience quickly!)
God knows that we are not ready for what we asked.
God answers our prayers but we don’t see it:
W We may ask for healing, but God grants us longsuffering.
W We may expect an instant change, but God works slowly in our lives.
W We want God to change others, but he wants to change us.
We must remember that because petitionary prayer centres on us and our needs, we are not disinterested parties. It is far easier to pray with clarity regarding matters that have no direct impact upon us than regarding our infected toe. This must never keep us from praying for our own needs, for we are commanded to do so, but it should remind us that we are capable of infinite self-deception. (Richard Foster, Prayer)
Return to Christian Prayer Page
|
