How To Pray In The Will Of God – Radio Classic – Dr. Charles Stanley – How To Talk To God Vol 2 Pt 2

[Music]

with a message from God’s word here’s

Charles

Stanley 1 John 5: 14 and

15 and John has just talked about our

Assurance in the Lord and he says and

this is the confidence that we have in

him that if we ask anything according to

his will he heareth us and if we know

that he hears

us whatsoever we ask we know that we

have the petitions that we desired of

him so that his indication all through

the scripture is that he desires to meet

our need he desires to meet the desires

of our heart it is his will to do so and

there are stipulations in answer to

those prayers now at first it may seem

to be very simple the Bible says if you

shall ask anything in my name I’ll do it

so we say well I’m just going to say

Lord here’s what I want in Jesus name

amen I expect to get it but that’s not

true because when he puts a condition on

a promise that means there’s something

you and I must match up to and in this

particular case he

says this is the confidence that we have

in him that if we ask anything according

to his will and that is the stipulation

if we ask anything according to his will

he hears us and if we know that he hears

us we know that we have the petition

that we desired of him so often times we

come to prayer and we say well one of

the problems I have is I don’t know that

if what I’m asking is right or wrong is

it of myself is it of God is it

something selfish that I want is this

the will of God how do I know that I

have the right to ask this of God and

how do I know that God’s going to answer

my prayer well I’m not even sure that

what I’m asking for is legitimate as far

as he’s concerned so I think all of us

have come to times in our life and

recognized when we knelt to pray we were

sort of shooting in the dark the that

our first request to God about a given

situation was something that we had no

earthly idea at the moment whether it’s

God’s will or not so we just ought had

to shoot out in the dark and listen to

hope that God heard us and made some

kind of response I don’t believe that’s

the way God wants his people praying now

when you think about it here is an

omnipotent that is an unlimited powerful

God who is loving in his Spirit who is

forgiving toward his children who

desires to meet our need who loves to

fill our life with the good things of

life here he is Desiring to meet our

needs and we have the privilege of

talking to him personally and expecting

him to be personally involved in our

life he’s made a promise and I want us

to see three things in this message and

first of all is the promise he makes

here the problem you and I have to deal

with and thirdly the proper approach to

praying in the will of God so I want you

to look at these two verses and follow

along with me if you will first of all

here’s the promise he makes makes and

the promise is threefold watch it in

this verse this is the confidence that

we have in him that if we ask anything

according to his will he hears us so the

first promise he gives us is he’s going

to listen to us if we pray according to

his will second promise and if we know

that he hears us whatsoever we ask we

know that we have the petition so first

of all he says he’s hearing us secondly

we are having or possessing what we’ve

asked for and the third thing he says

here is this we know that we have the

that we desired of him so when we come

to him asking according to his will he

says there’s a three-fold promise first

of all he hears us secondly we have what

we ask for and thirdly we know that we

have it and it is present tense not we

shall know not we’re going to know not

we hope we know he says but what we pray

and what we know that he hears us

secondly we have what we ask for and

thirdly we know that we have it so here

is a promise a three-fold promise in

these two verses now there’s something I

want you to notice here look if you will

in verse 14 this is the confidence

because his promise affects our praying

this is the confidence the word

confidence is boldness or assurance and

here’s what the word means you trace it

all the way back and it was used among

the Greeks for a as a political term and

what it means why is

this the freedom to speak publicly and

what he’s saying is this is the this is

the confidence that we have in him that

is and the word in him means toward him

it means as a child of God this is the

open confident bold Freedom that you and

I have that we can come into the

presence of God and make a personal

request listen when he says uses the

term if we ask the mood of that term of

that uh verb there means I am asking

something for myself now you and I must

get off the idea that we cannot ask

anything for ourselves it must always be

for someone else that is not what the

Bible teaches these two verses are

dealing with your capacity in mind to

approach God openly and freely and

confidently and boldly with Assurance

what that he’s going to hear we he’s

going to hear we’re going to have what

we ask for and we going to know that

what we asked for we have so he’s

building up our confidence most

motivating us to pray Desiring that you

and I would come to him there’s one

stipulation and he makes that when he

says that our asking must be according

to the will of God we say oh but that’s

the catch that’s the whole thing that

bothers me that many other things don’t

bother me it’s just simply knowing

whether a thing is the will of God or

not so let’s deal with a problem here in

the second point the problem of knowing

about God’s will now somebody asked the

question can you always know the will of

God in prayer and the answer is no and

yes and I think it has to be in that

order but many times when you and I come

to ask him we’re in the we’re in the

dark we don’t know what to ask for so

sometimes we come to him the answer is

no but I believe that ultimately if you

listen carefully to what I’m going to

say ultimately the answer is yes every

time we can know ultimately what the

will of the Lord is as to how we ought

to pray about given situation now let’s

analyze the problem for just a moment

here you are coming to the Lord and they

may meet one of many things that you’re

asking for you may be asking about your

vocation for example you may be asking

about finances or your schooling or what

your mjor is going to be or if you ought

to marry this girl or this fell not or

whether you going to take this trip or

buy this house or buy this car or do

this or that or whatever it might be or

or build some relationship with a

particular person whatever it is there

are problems that you and I have to deal

with and one of the first ones is this

we ask as the question how can I come to

the Lord in faith making a request when

I don’t even know if what I’m asking is

God’s will or not so that sort of uh

weakens my faith if I don’t know that

what I’m asking for is pleasing to him a

second thing we ask is this we say well

you know if you don’t know the Lord’s

will and um you’re not sure that what

you’re asking of is of him it’s sort of

discouraging because you think well you

know why should I pray when I don’t even

know that what I’m praying for is right

or wrong a third thing that gets baled

up and wound up and all of that is this

we come to him we say Lord here’s my

request and here’s what I’d like you to

do but I’m not even sure that I’m worthy

of that I’m not even sure that I deserve

this so we get our self-esteem all mixed

up and whether it’s God’s will or

whether I deserve it or not and so all

this just like spaghetti so we say well

forget the whole idea what I’m going to

do is I’m just going to make my request

and God if it’s your will fine if it’s

not forget it and I’m just going to

leave it to you the only problem with

that is that’s not scriptural now let me

go to a passage here briefly and go back

to Matthew chap 26 for a moment because

here’s where many people get the idea if

you don’t know the Lord’s will what you

do you make your request you end your

prayer by saying if it be thy will and

leave it at that and then it’s just up

to God now let me ask you a question if

you go to the Lord and you ask him for

something in your life a desire or

whatever it might be and uh you end your

prayer by saying if it be thy will and

not knowing if it’s God’s will if you

ask what do you have when you leave I’ll

tell you what you have you don’t have

anything you don’t have your answer and

you don’t have any Assurance about it

you just sort of leaving it in God’s

hands but I want to show you something

because one of the passages that people

use in order to end their prayer with if

it be thy will is Matthew chapter 26

when Jesus was in The Garden of

Gethsemane they say well Jesus was in

The Garden of Gethsemane he didn’t know

whether the father wanted him to go to

the Cross or not so he said you know if

this cup may pass uh if it be thy will

if it’s not all right and so he just had

left it to the father’s will that is not

what happened in Gethsemane so I want

you to notice something beginning in

verse 39 if you will here’s the Lord

Jesus in Gethsemane the scripture says

that he left his disciples went a little

further and fell on his face and prayed

saying oh my father if it be possible

let this cup pass from me nevertheless

not is I will but it’s thy will move on

down to verse 42 he went away again the

second time and prayed saying oh my

father if this cup may not pass away

from me except I drink it thy will be

done he came and found them asleep and

again for their eyes were heavy he left

them went away again prayed the same

thing then cometh he to his disciples

and said to them sleep on now take your

rest behold the hour is at hand the son

of man is betrayed in the hands of

sinners now here’s the thing we must

understand what did Jesus mean when he

said praying the father that this Cup

May pass from me the cup was not the

cross there was no question in jesus’

mind as to whether he was going to the

Cross or not you remember when John the

Baptist identified him with the Jordan

what did he say behold the what the Lamb

of God which taketh away the sin of the

world in cesaria Philippi the 16th

chapter of Matthew he began to tell them

that he must die and suffer death at the

hands of those who were his persecutors

rise again the third day Jesus knew

about the cross and I believe that Jesus

unquestionably knew that was the way he

was going to die so you say Well when he

said uh

father if it be possible let this cup

pass for me what was he speaking of he

was not speaking of escaping the cross

remember this that from eternity past

which knew no beginning unto eternity

future which knows no beginning go back

in the life of Jesus Christ when was

there a time in the Life of Christ when

he was not there never has been God the

Father God the son son God the Holy

Spirit have always

been our finite Minds cannot comprehend

the fact that there was never a time

that Jesus was not alive when he came to

Earth he was God he was God before he

came to Earth he was God the whole time

he came to Earth he was God when he died

he was God when he when he left this

Earth he took upon himself human flesh

and became a man when he was born in

Bethlehem but he was always God so then

when he comes to the Garden of

Gethsemane he’s praying and sweating as

it were drops of blood here is the human

part of Jesus very human just like man

today wrestling in the Garden of

Gethsemane he was not trying to escape

the cross you know what Jesus was

praying about he was praying about

something that had never happened to him

something that had never he had never

experienced you say well he never

experienced the cross but that’s not

what he was that was not what he was

wrestling with what Jesus was wrestling

with was this

he knew that as the sin bearer of

mankind the Lamb of God which taketh

away the sin of the world he was going

to Bear the next day all the sin of all

mankind what he was struggling with was

he knew that for the first time in his

eternal existence for a period of time

which I believe at the moment he did not

know how long he was going to be totally

separated from God the father and that

had never happened in all of the

immeasurable existence distance of time

and Beyond the comprehension of time and

he was wrestling with that and if you’ll

notice it wasn’t a question of whether

he was going to obey God or not that

wasn’t even the issue the issue was he

was asking is there any other way except

through separation and you see it didn’t

take him long because it was a matter of

his Humanity reaching out his his Divine

Humanity reaching out looking at the

cross thinking about separation from God

the Father which he had never

experienced and in those moments he was

asking father is there any other way the

humanity of Jesus Christ rising up in

that God man saying is there any other

way for me to accomplish this that I can

do it in such a way that I will not have

to be separated from you you and I can

never conceive of the intimacy and the

Oneness that Jesus Christ had with the

father and so it’s it’s beyond our

comprehension to be able to understand

and feel what he felt in those moments

when he knew that he was going to be for

all practical purposes banished from the

presence of God the father he must

suffer separation and death For All

Mankind so when he’s praying here he’s

not praying over a little prayer well

you know if it’s your well okay if it’s

not all right that wasn’t the issue in

those struggling moments he was

committed to obedience he knew he had to

die it was a question of separation or

not so you can’t take that passage of

scripture and say well I’m just going to

ask the Lord’s will and if it’s his will

okay a second problem we have here is

this people say well if you don’t know

the Lord’s will you just throw out a

fleece and I wonder how many people

would ever have thought about throwing

out a fleece if it were not in the Book

of Judges about

Gideon if he’d not thrown out that

fleece I wonder how many people would be

doing that well let me say something to

you about it throwing out a fleece is a

sign of immaturity there may be very

very rare occasions in your life when

you say Lord I don’t know what to do so

here’s what I’m going to do if this

happens I’ll do this if that happens

I’ll do the other but that should not be

the normal natural run-of-the-mill way

to find out the Lord’s will in a given

situation so with that in mind what is

the proper approach to being able to

come to God when you don’t know his will

and find out how to pray and believe God

for a given situation so let’s look at

it for a moment two or three things I

want you to notice first of all the

areas in which you and I may pray about

can be anything the second thing is the

assurance that that he’s given us and I

want you to flip to these passages uh

very quickly if you will in Colossians

1:9 Paul prayed a prayer for the

Christian Believers there in

colassi and he prayed his prayer and he

said in verse 9 that you may be filled

now watch this that you may be filled

with the knowledge of his will in all

wisdom and spiritual understanding so

Paul prayed for those colossian

Christians that they would know the mind

of God listen to know the will of God is

to know the mind of God about a given

situation in James chapter 1 if you’ll

recall when he is uh beginning this book

and the fifth verse he says if any man

lack wisdom what is wisdom wisdom is

seeing things from God’s perspective

when you don’t know what God thinks

about a given thing that you’re praying

for he says if any man lack wisdom let

him ask of God who gives wisdom his

perspective to all men liberally and it

should be given to him so he says we

have the right to ask God for knowledge

of his will and spiritual understanding

he promises to give us wisdom God’s

perspective about things then Romans

chapter 8 for a moment in verse 26 look

there if you will and here in this 8th

chapter verse

26 when he begins the passage by

saying likewise the spirit also helpeth

our infirmities he’s not talking about

sicknesses he’s talking about a weakness

here he’s talking about our inability to

understand or to know how to pray in a

given situation so he says likewise the

spirit also helpeth assist us when we

don’t know what to pray for for we know

not what we should pray for as we ought

but the Holy Spirit himself makes

intercession for us with groanings which

cannot be uted and there have been times

when you and I have faced situations and

we’ve said Lord I don’t even know how to

pray I I don’t even know what to say and

so he says the spirit of God who

indwells us who is our helper intercedes

before our loving God and what does he

do the holy spirit intercedes before the

Lord Jesus Christ and God the Father to

interpret to him listen to interpret to

him the pleadings of our heart when we

don’t even know what they are with

groanings and utterings which you and I

cannot utter there have been times when

I fac situations and I just had to say

Lord I don’t have any earthly idea how

to pray I’m just going to have to trust

the Holy Spirit to intercede in my

behalf

and to bring to you the petitions of my

heart that I right now don’t even have

any earthly idea how I even feel about

this that’s why the God gave the Holy

Spirit to us to help us in areas we

cannot help ourselves he came to empower

us to teach us to guide us to lead us

and to stand before the father through

the Lord Jesus Christ and to plead our

cause when we don’t even know how to

plead it ourselves so we have the

Assurance of that so what is the proper

approach when you and I come to him now

let me give you uh several things and

you want to jot these down then I may

come back and and um interpret them

according to different perspectives

because what I want to give you are the

steps now it depends upon what you’re

asking for let me give you a few

varieties let’s say for example that you

have a financial need this morning and

you know that it’s a need so there’s no

question in your mind that you need a

sum of money no doubt in your mind about

that you know that God knows you have a

need okay that’s one situation let’s say

for example that um uh a job opportunity

comes up and I don’t like to use the

word job because Christians don’t have

jobs Christians have vocations whereby

they can make enough money to serve the

Lord there’s a whole lot of difference

in that just having myself a job make

enough money to get by of here

Christians have vocation you say my my

job is paint not your job’s not painting

your vocation may be painting Plumbing

or preaching they’re all equal as far as

God is concerned if you’re in obedience

to God so so suppose for example that

you have a vocation you have a

particular area of work and another

opportunity arises you don’t have a

desire about it and you don’t have a

need for it it’s just an opportunity so

that’s another situation what do I do

what shall I do when an opportunity

Rises when I don’t particular need it

and I don’t particular want it but there

it is and I have to deal with it or it

may be here’s a college student and

you’ve got one of three Mages and you’re

trying to find out Lord what do you want

me to do I’ve got to make a decision I’m

a junior and so so there are many

different aspects that you and I may

have to look at it all right what is the

first step step number one is this

distinguish between these three is what

I’m going let me back up for a second

now watch this for a moment let’s start

with the basis that your life is right

with God and we don’t want to have to

get off on whether you living in sin or

not so we we are working on the basis

that your life is clean you really want

to know what God wants and here you are

coming to him and you don’t know what

the answer is or you don’t know how to

get a solution to what you’re praying

for so with a clean life in mind here

you come number one you want to

distinguish between one of three things

is this request I’m bringing to God is

it a

need is it a desire or is it an

opportunity and I think it’s very

important that we understand that is it

a need is it a desire or is it an

opportunity somebody say well now wait a

minute now the bible promises to meet my

need but not my desires then you need to

read the 37th Psalm Delight thyself in

the Lord and He Shall give thee what the

desires of thine heart God loves us and

wants to bless his children so I need to

distinguish Lord here is a need here is

a desire here is an opportunity the

Second Step once you’ve decided that is

to get in the word of God and say all

right Lord I want you to give me some

past of scripture that deals or relates

to that in some way something that I can

meditate on something that you can speak

to my heart through now this is why it’s

so important for us to walk in the

spirit and to live in this book you see

every single Sunday I talk to you about

being in the book living in the word of

God reading the scriptures if if you

like um many people maybe you memorize a

verse a month a verse a week a verse a

day or you’ve got a particular uh book

that you like to dwell in whatever it

might be just get in the book because

the more familiar you are with the word

of God the more easily you’re going to

find a passage that may deal and and

Surround and give you the spiritual

environment in which you can talk to God

about the given need that you have you

say well I always turn to Philippians

4:19 my God shall supply all of your

needs suppose it’s not a need then you

got to find yourself another verse if

it’s a desire you can’t go to

Philippians 4:19 you say well can’t you

just sort of mix up dis uh uh desires

and uh needs no you need to find the

passage that deals with that so you say

well suppose it’s an opportunity all

right then you need to find the passage

of scripture where God promises you

Direction he says trust in the Lord with

all thine heart lean not to thine own

understanding and all thy ways

acknowledge Him He will direct your path

but listen you must not take a passage

that I give you you must find a passage

that when you reading God says and

somehow that passage grabs your heart

and you have to Feast on that there’s

something about hanging in there with

the same passage and letting God begin

to work that into your life and Osmos

that into your thinking and you begin to

meditate and chew it up till it becomes

an anchor and I mean something that you

deal with every day that is you’re

thinking about it and pray over when

you’re praying about your prayer request

you’re saying Lord in the light of this

what are you trying to say to me

something that holds you to your

attention to what you’re talking about

now notice we haven’t even begun to pray

yet we’ve asked the Lord to show us what

kind of desire it is and then to come to

him and ask for a particular scripture

now once you have uh that particular

scripture the next question you have to

ask is this uh do I have a promise that

God would show me his will we’ve already

given that in James Jes 1: 15 If any man

lack wisdom so we said now Lord I don’t

I really don’t know you will in this

situation but you said if I lack your

perspective wisdom that if I ask you you

will give it so I want to thank you

right now in advance that you will show

me your will that I’ll know how to pray

even before I ask you about this thing

you say well now how do I know that’s

God’s will real simple read james5

there’s some things you and I do not

have to ask if it’s the Lord’s will is

it the Lord’s will for me to ask for

wisdom when I don’t have it absolutely

unquestionably because he’s promised it

so I want to claim james: 15 the next

step is to claim Romans 8:26 and 827

Lord I don’t know how to go about this

but you said the holy spirit is going to

assist me to show me what to say and how

to come to you so I want to thank you

that I have the promise that you’re

going to show me you will I have the

promise of the holy spirit’s assistance

in doing so now Lord on the basis of

that

I’m coming to you and let’s say for

example that you have a financial need

Lord I’m coming to you with this

specific need you know my need and I’m

asking you to meet my need on the basis

of this particular promise of that

promise of This Promise in the word of

God now listen listen very carefully

once God gives you a passage of

scripture and you feel the freedom you

say how will I know I have the freedom

number one now watch this if you have a

particular passage that definitely says

that God promises to do so and so

there’s no question about it secondly if

you’ve committed yourself to him he’s

given you a passage you know whether

it’s a need or desire or an

opportunity you’ve claimed this promise

and you and you are committed to being

obedient and you see commitment is a

part of it you committed Lord you know

I’ll take it either way you want I just

want to know how to pray then you said

Lord I need you to show me how to ask

you about this thing all right one of

two things are going to happen you’re

going to start praying for God to supply

this particular

need if what you’re praying for is the

Lord’s

will and let’s say for example that you

have a need and if you have a need it is

the Lord’s will to provide your need

there’s no question about that what you

have to distinguish is is this a need or

is this a desire all right here’s

what’ll happen now watch me carefully as

you begin to meditate on the passage of

scripture and I cannot tell you how

important that is because meditating on

that passage is a cleansing sifting proc

says sifts my mind cleanses my heart

focuses me upon him and if there are

things that I think are important in

reading that passage and talking to him

about that passage and about my life and

getting me ready to talk to him about it

he’s going to sift those things

out so what we’re doing we’re asking him

to show us how to pray Lord here is a

definite need that I have I’m submitting

myself to you that I’m asking Lord

here’s my need and I’m willing for you

to answer that need me through me or any

way you want want to and the only way I

know how to pray at this time is Lord

would you meet my need and I’m trusting

you to do

that then if it is something definite

that you know a need that God’s promised

to answer listen you ask him once claim

his promise and then you begin to thank

him don’t keep asking him to do what

you’ve already asked him to do once you

begin to thinking about you say oh I

can’t do that yes you can listen if he

says if any man lack wisdom let him ask

of God who gives to all men Liber let me

tell you what hangs us up what hangs us

up on asking for a need is not if it’s

God’s will or not what hangs us up is

the details we want to get all mixed up

in the details so listen once you know

there’s a need once you have a Biblical

promise what you do is you ask him to

meet that need you begin to thank him

and praise him and then this is what you

ask then you begin to petition him now

Lord you show me how to respond Lord you

you give me a Discerning spirit so I’ll

know what’s going on you show me what

I’m to do next you show me if I’m to sit

and wait or if I’m to act so that then

you’re making very specific requests on

how you to respond in a given situation

when you know that God is going to

answer your prayer so the thing you have

to do is wait and pray for direction for

detail God’s going to answer it you

don’t have to keep coming saying oh God

please do it please do it please do it

please do it if it’s your will if it’s

your will if it’s your will forget it if

when you T If It Be Your Will Lord on

the end of it you just negate your faith

all right let’s take another kind of

situation let’s say for example that uh

you’re in the process of making a

decision you’ve got three choices you

say Lord I’m at a total blank as to what

to do here’s what you do you decide

first of all are these needs are these

desires are or is this a situation of an

opportunity let’s say for example it’s

an opportunity but you have to make a

decision about one of those three all

right so you’ve got three situations

that come up you get in the word of God

in a passage that you can hang on to

Lord here’s what you promis and I’ve got

a couple of favorites one of my

favorites is Proverbs 35 and 6 you can’t

ever go wrong with that because he says

absolutely he will give you direction

for your life so you bring in that

passage you claim James you claim uh

Romans 5

and you say all right now Lord I don’t

know I don’t even know how to ask you

for this so I’m trusting in the Holy

Spirit to show me how to pray then

here’s what I would do listen when I get

on my knees instead of asking God Lord

please do thus and so I just have to ask

now Lord show me how to pray through the

Holy Spirit would you show me how to

pray about this did you know that

sometime you don’t even pray about the

things you think you would pray about

but that God will begin to show you a

whole different facet of the picture

that you’ve never even thought about and

it may be something that God wants to

get you ready for over here let’s say

that you’re ready and you’re coming to

him and you’re saying Lord here are

three opportunities I’ve got to make a

decision I’ve got seven days to make a

in Lord I’m at a total loss what shall I

do all right your life is clean you’ve

got a passage of scripture you’re

waiting upon him to show you here’s how

you must pray

Lord I’m going to obey you I’m trusting

you to show me how to pray about this

whole situation and so since I don’t

know what your will is in the situation

I do know this is your will Lord I will

obey you when you show me the decision

that I’m to make and so as I bring it to

you day by day I’m going to be waiting

for you for direction waiting for you

for guidance you know what you’ve done

when your heart’s clean and you’ve

committed yourself to obey him and you

don’t have any earthly idea what God

wants you to do listen you can mark this

down almighty God and everything thing

in holy Heaven is responsible for

showing you unquestionably without a

doubt which one of those choices is the

will of God and he will do it in one of

several ways number one he will show you

he will show you through the scriptures

or through circumstance that something’s

wrong with that decision so you check

that one out or as you pray and seek his

face asking for his Direction what will

he do you lose interest over here in

this one and so the only one that’s left

is God’s will or what he may do he may

show you quickly this is what God wants

me to do so that what we must do is we

must approach the prayer with absolute

confidence God’s going to show me but

now listen the waiting is the important

thing I must wait for him to show me

what his will is in the given situation

when he chooses to do it I must wait for

him to show me how to pray when he shows

me once he shows me how to pray in a

given situation then I just pray about

the details of how he’s going to work it

out to give me wisdom to know what to do

at this step and that step and the other

but I want to tell you that you don’t

have to ring your hands and wonder well

how in the world am I to pray and to

know the mind of God in a given

situation when I don’t even know it’s

his will I cannot tell you enough he

will show you show you show you clearly

unquestionably and then there’s one

thing I think you’ll know for sure

remember what he says don’t be anxious

about anything the second verse of that

says and the peace that passeth all

understanding and she’ll guard your

heart you know what God does as you have

sought his mind is to even how to pray

about a given situation the Peace of the

holy spirit will come into your life

confirming this is how I’m to pray this

is what I’m to pray for and you see

there are times when we pray for other

people we don’t know how to pray for

them as we say Lord I don’t know how to

pray please show me how to pray we wait

upon him in the verse claiming his

promises and here’s what will happen

very quietly

sometimes quickly sometimes slowly you

will arrive just like God evolves it

spiritually in you and you will know

very clearly exactly how you to pray the

waiting and the trusting God will

clarify the questions you have when you

come to him with your petitions let’s

pray together father you didn’t make it

complicated we’ve made it

complicated you didn’t mean for us to be

confused you meant us to be very clear

about our coming to you for we have no

greater privilege than the privilege of

bowing our heads and our hearts and our

Spirits before omnipotent holy loving

gracious generous kind God you father

and knowing in our heart that you want

to answer our prayer you surely want to

instruct us as to how we are to ask

would you grant each one of

us the desire in our heart

to really want to know your will in

every given

situation where sometimes you do show us

very quickly sometimes you wait we don’t

know how to pray our hearts may be in

turmoil in frustration we may become

anxious about a given

situation but you’ve promised us if

we’ll wait upon you that you will clear

up all the anxiety and you’ll show us

exactly how to pray especially Lord when

we don’t know how to pray for people who

are friends are loved ones who are in

deep trouble and are hurting desperately

we must ask you how to pray and you’ve

promised to show us the kind of prayer

we need to pray for someone

else would you give great

Assurance to your children here and

those who are watching my

television that when we come to you we

should come

expecting

anticipating very clearly exactly how we

to pray once we’ve made that request we

have the privilege of thanking you and

resting not in our continuous

petitioning but resting in your

continuous

faithfulness I pray today for many who

are

struggling who are really anxious who

are troubled who have needs others have

desires others are facing

opportunities heavenly father would you

grant them the courage to take these

simple suggestions from Thy word and

apply them to their prayer

life making whatever changes that best

fit their particular situation but not

to approach their prayer with negative

feelings oh God I know that you want but

rather father to approach you by simply

saying Lord I know you want to show me

your will and so I come waiting for you

to know to show me how so I’ll know how

to I pray in this given

situation thank you heavenly father that

most of the time you make it so clear

that we don’t really have to wonder and

fret and fume and doubt about it it’s

very clear how we ought to pray and

father we must confess that our biggest

problem isn’t knowing what to ask our

biggest problem is we don’t even choose

to

ask would you forgive

us

but failing to ask when you are so

lovingly willing to answer every

time