Praying Beyond Our Motives

Praying Beyond Our Motives

For the overwhelming majority of people, the first word they think of during prayer is the word, “please.” That’s because most people only pray when they need something.

There is nothing wrong with asking God for something. In fact, He tells us to ask Him for whatever we need. God wants to pour out His blessings on us. Look at these verses:

Philippians 4:6

“By prayer and supplication ...

let your requests be made known to God.”

Jeremiah 29:12

“... come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.”

Jeremiah 33:3

“Call to Me and I will answer you.”

God wants us to ask Him for what we need and He promises to be there for us. But, before we ask something of God, we need to ask something of ourselves. Be honest and ask yourself this question: “Am I only praying to God when I want something?”

Do you have a friend or a family member who only calls you when they need something? You know who I mean, don’t you? You know that as soon as you answer the phone they are going to ask you to do something for them. They have never called just to chat or say “Hi” or to say something nice to you. You only hear from them when they need something.

Are you treating God that way? How often do you kneel in prayer for the sole purpose of “checking in” with God to tell Him how much you love Him and appreciate Him?

Can’t remember the last time you did that? It might be a good idea to close your eyes and get that done right now.

Bringing our needs before God is a great approach to life. But if you spend some time using prayer to build your relationship with God, you will discover that He already knows what you need. He’s waiting for YOU, not your checklist.