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Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you (Matthew 7:7, ESV).
The key to answered prayer is asking specifically.
We pray, “God bless us today.” I do not disagree with asking God for a blessing, but how will we know if God answers this prayer? If we pray, “Help me find a job ” (a specific request), we will know when the request is answered.
From receiving specific answers, we praise God and feel confident in His loving care. Our prayers and relationship with God should be filled with prayers that are both asked and answered.
I love The Message version of Matthew 7:7-11 …
Be direct. Ask for what you need … If your child asks for bread, do you trick him with sawdust? If he asks for fish, do you scare him with a live snake on his plate? As bad as you are, you wouldn’t think of such a thing … So don’t you think the God who conceived you in love will be even better?
There are three types of specific prayers that bring a “Father God” response to His children — providing bread and fish.
Calling Specific Prayers
When God calls, He provides. We all have a calling unique to God’s design for us. God calls us to this path, and most of our answers will be “calling specific.” I experienced hundreds of specific answers while I was a pastor — for exact sums of money, for healing, for individuals to become Christians, for certain leaders to develop, and for provision for mission trips!
The first question that must be answered for effective praying should be, “What is my calling?”
Conversation Specific Prayers
Conversations undergird our relationship with God. Relationships are as good as the conversations; this is true for marriage, friendships, and our walk with Jesus. When Paul said, “Keep in step with the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25, ESV), he implied day-to-day interaction.
Many of the answers in my journal came from first hearing the voice of God, then an opportunity presenting itself that I may not have noticed or taken advantage of without God’s previous voice — all of which stimulated specific asks and answers.
The spontaneity of conversation-specific praying increases adventure on our narrow path. One Sunday morning, while praying for my sermon, God said, “Make sure that you ask those who haven’t received Jesus as Lord and Savior to come forward today.”
I didn’t always give an invitation at the end of a sermon, but I did that day, and 12 people responded!
Wow! Speak God.
Church Specific Prayers
Acts 12 contains one of the most insightful descriptions of a church praying together. James, the brother of John, had been killed by Herod, and then Herod imprisoned Peter. The church was praying and received an answer that exceeded their expectations.
I’m sure they were praying for Peter to have strength in prison, and for a release through judicial means, but they were shocked when he knocked on the door. Sometimes God does exceedingly beyond what we ask (Ephesians 3:20). But let’s not miss the last part of Acts 12 — Peter was delivered from prison, and Herod (who killed James, imprisoned Peter, and persecuted the church) was struck down by an angel.
Two very specific, if not unusual, answers. Let’s be encouraged in the power of asked and answered prayers through the church.
A quick summation of our praying should be: Asked and Answered! That’s what God intends, and the key is asking specifically.