On a Limb

            In the "Categories" section, you'll find a link to my posts labeled "Interpreting Scripture". In these posts I wrote about how one should read the Bible. I enjoyed writing on the subject, but at the end of one of the posts I mentioned prayer. More specifically, I mentioned how I was such a novice I couldn’t write about it quite yet.

            This morning I thought about that statement. Why couldn’t I write about prayer? If I was to be brutally honest, it was because I’m not getting results. Why am I not getting results? It’s mainly three reasons: 1) I don’t do it enough, 2) I don’t have enough faith that anything will actually happen, 3) my prayers aren’t specific enough. The focus of this post will be on the last two.

            For instance, I’ll pray for my grandparents and their salvation. But I’ve been praying for years and nothing’s happened. My faith in that area has waned… no wonder my prayers aren’t impactful.

            Also, I make the mistake of not stepping out on faith by being specific. My prayers are often “Lord, I pray for a productive day and for me to glorify you*.” That’s great, but… I leave no room for God to fail. I leave no room for me to fail, because those two petitions are subjective. Luke 11:9-10 states:

            “So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you.

            “For everyone who asks received, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened**.” (NRSV)

            So, starting today, I’m trying an experiment. I’m going to be SPECIFIC in my prayers, and I’m going to have FAITH that God will come through. For instance, I work later today. This morning I prayed that I’ll get into a conversation on faith with one of my coworkers. Before, it stopped at “let me be a light at my work”. That’s great, but too general. Now I'm asking for a conversation on the most important topic ever.

            If you read this, help me out by praying for me!

*Nothing is wrong with that prayer. It just takes little faith.

**One of my Bible pet peeves concerns these verses. Ladies and gentleman, Jesus is NOT talking about evangelism and the unsaved, but about those who are already saved. These verses are often twisted.