Asking Right in Prayer

And in the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words (Rom. 8:26 NAS)

Asking God to meet our needs is a major part of what prayer entails. This has traditionally been called the prayer of petition, to emphasize the fact that prayer is not limited to asking God to meet our needs.

The scripture above teaches that the Spirit helps us pray. But why would the Spirit come to assist us in prayer? The answer is quite straightforward; because we all need help in prayer! If we are left by ourselves, we will spend all of our hours in prayer asking God for what we value as important, usually our immediate physical needs. Prayer is important, but knowing what to pray and ask for is also very important. If a blind man is asking God only for food to eat every morning, then he is truly blind to what he really needs! We often miss the most important things we need to ask in prayer. Learn to allow the Spirit lead you in prayer, both in the timing and the content of your prayers.

MEDITATE

Please look at the verse above and then review the content of your prayers for the past one week. Ask yourself what has been the major content of your prayers.

PRAY

Ask the Spirit of God to help you strengthen your prayer life today as you learn to depend on Him in prayer.

ACT ON THE WORD!

God has sample prayers in the Epistles for us to learn from. Let me put forth a challenge to you today-please review the prayer of the Spirit recorded by Paul in his epistles and see what the God sees as most important in our lives. This is what the Spirit wants you to pray about! You could start with Ephesians 1:15-19, 3:14-20. Compare the content of those prayers to yours and see for yourself where you stand!

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