Sharing my Secrets...

Can I be honest and let you in on a personal secret?  Promise not to judge?  OK, here it is, prayer lists are challenging for me.  I know, how unspiritual is that?  Line after line of the teen who is going to be taking his driving test next Tuesday, the parent who wants her precious, sensitive daughter to land the lead role in the school play or the hip surgery for Grandma Jane.  (Grandma, Grammy, Grandmother or whatever you call her is probably ready to come and kick my shins for vocalizing it… and she probably will once she gets full use of her legs again.)  There are also those prayer requests with a more “spiritual” side like praying for the missionaries who are living in pray-for-them-again-astan.  Am I the only one that struggles with prayer lists?  

Can I be honest and let you in on a personal secret?  Promise not to judge?  (yes, I started two paragraphs in a row with the same two sentences)  OK, here it is, I also struggle to know what to say when I’m praying for people that are on a prayer list.  Many times my prayers end up going like this:

“Jayme’s Aunt Fran is going to have surgery on her big toe this week… Lord Bless her.”

“Lord, Jimmy Freeman, Bill’s kid, is going to take his driving test this week… again.   Lord, make sure the test giver isn’t the one with a weak heart… oh, and Bless Jimmy”

At times I even struggle to pray for those that I know have spiritual repercussions and eternal significance.  

 “Lord, that missionary is going to be presenting the Gospel today to a new group of  seekers, give him the words to say.  And give them ears to hear.”  

“Heavenly Father, Bill and Beth are having difficulty in their marriage, help them to  communicate well.”  

Now before you take offense, I’m not proud that I struggle with prayer lists.  I’m really not trying to make light of Grammy's hip replacement or the momma's heart that wants her daughter to make the volleyball team or play Little Orphan Annie in the school play.  If those prayer requests were vocalized, they were expressed because it was what was on that person's heart.  I just struggle to know what to pray when looking at a list of names with various medical conditions, financial challenges or other situational concerns, even if I know the person or situation deeply.  Consequently, I seem to end up saying the same things about the same things.  

When I pray I can put a check by their name and tell them next week that I prayed for them, although I find myself wondering if there isn’t a better way than saying the same thing day after day after day after day.  Is there a better way then saying “Bless them”?  Is there a better way than saying, “…give them ears to hear.”  It’s not that I don’t care, it’s either I don’t know what to say or I’m tired of saying the same thing.  Is there a better way? 

I recently finished a book that has made a big difference in how I pray and I wanted to share so it might help any others out there that can identify with what I have written above.  The name of the book is Praying the Bible by Donald S. Whitney.  You can find it on Amazon by clicking HERE.  In this book Whitney shares how praying Scripture can revolutionize your prayer life.  

Whitney not only shares why praying Scripture is important, but he walks you through exactly how to do it.  He mainly uses the book of Psalms but at times brings in other books from the Bible.  So, if you are tired about saying the same old things about the same old things, do yourself a favor and pick up this book.  

To be fully transparent, I don’t make a single cent if you buy this book.  I’m also not going to give you a single cent if you buy it and feel like it was a complete waste.  So, I have no vested interest in your buying the book, unless you are praying for me.  But, what I’m going to do is give a copy of this book away to a person who comments in the comment section below.  You don’t have to write anything profound, just something as simple as “I want that book!” will suffice.  (Although feel free to write something profound if you have something profound to say!)  After 24 hours we will pick a winner at random from those who left comments.  If you don’t win the book, still go ahead and pick a copy of it up for yourself.  You will be glad you did!    

-dp