Why it’s really important to pray with detailed requests.

I Chronicles 28:19

New International Version
“All this,” David said, “I have in writing as a result of the LORD’s hand on me, and he enabled me to understand all the details of the plan.”(referring to the plans for the temple that his son Solomon would build.)

Why don’t we, like David, ask for detailed guidance about what concerns us? Is it because we think that if we do we’ll know whether our prayers have been answered or not?  In other words, we can’t really be disappointed if we keep everything pretty general, right? 

It’ safer.

Shoot at a flock of birds all the time and you’re bound to hit one.

I sometimes think we Christians pray in generalities. You know, like bless this, bless that. Bless this person and bless that person. We ask for guidance. But how many of us ask for specific things?

“Lord, I need your help in picking out paint colors today. I don’t want to make a mistake and spend more money correcting that mistake. I want to be w2ise with your money”

“Lord, I’m looking for a dress for my nephew’s wedding and I don’t want to spend a lot”. Yet there are countless examples throughout scripture where God gives detailed answers and explanations. God is interested in the specifics that concern us as well.   

Here’s a little excerpt from a post I wrote when I first started this blog: 

“The details of this blog get prayed about every day because this is such a steep learning curve for me. Just today I asked for detailed guidance about a specific issue. It has already been provided.”

Don’t be afraid to be specific.

Yes, when we pray specifically, it is easier to get disappointed. It’s easier to know whether our prayer has been answered or not, in the way we want. And when that happens, we just go back to the drawing board. We think through what we prayed.

Maybe we change our request, maybe we don’t.

Maybe there’s something in our lives getting in the way. If we’re engaged in continuous known sin, God will not answer our prayers. Remember, the whole taking the plank out of our own eyes first?

I’ve learned over the years to trust God with anything and everything in my life.

Be brave today. Ask for what you want to matter how detailed. (By the way, I’m not referring to “things” nearly as much as people and circumstances.) We won’always get the answer we want, but that’s not the point. The point is the asking.

I mean that. The point really is in the asking. Why do you suppose that is?

People have addressed this issue of why we pray in many different ways. For me I pray for one reason:

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Because Jesus said to pray.

That’s it. It’s that simple.

We pray because we are told to pray.

We pray because Jesus did.

We learn so much about ourselves when we pray. I pray out loud as you know if you’ve read my past posts. When I hear my words spoken in my voice, it reveals a lot to me about me.  I can hear the selfishness in my voice. I can hear the whining. I can hear the frustration.

Don’t be afraid to trust God with the details about what concerns you.

God bless and have a good day.

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