The Purpose of Asking: An Insight into Powerful Prayer

In our fast-paced world, it's easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of daily life. We rush from one task to the next, barely pausing to catch our breath. Amidst this chaos, we often find ourselves shooting up quick prayers - "Oh Lord, please help!" - without truly taking the time to connect with our Heavenly Father.

But what if we approached prayer differently? What if we learned to ask with persistence, confidence, and anticipation? This is the heart of Jesus' teaching on prayer, as revealed in Luke 11 and Matthew 6.

Asking with Persistence

Jesus illustrates this concept with a parable about a man seeking bread from his neighbor at midnight. The neighbor, already in bed with his children, initially refuses. But the man persists, and eventually, the neighbor relents - not out of friendship, but because of the man's shameless persistence.

This story isn't telling us to annoy God with our prayers. Rather, it's about displaying a genuine heart in our requests. The man in the parable wasn't acting out of selfishness or embarrassment. He had a sincere desire to be hospitable to an unexpected guest, even at the cost of his own comfort and dignity.

When we pray with this kind of persistence, it reveals the true desires of our hearts. It shows God that we're not just throwing up haphazard requests, but that we've truly considered our needs and trust in His love and desire to meet them.

Asking with Confidence

Jesus follows the parable with a powerful promise: "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you." This isn't a blank check for whatever we want, but an assurance that our Heavenly Father hears and responds to our prayers.

Our confidence in prayer doesn't come from our own abilities or worthiness, but from God's character and power. Jesus illustrates this by comparing God to earthly fathers: "If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"

This comparison reminds us that God is the perfect Father, far surpassing even the best earthly parents in His love, wisdom, and desire to provide what's truly best for His children. Sometimes, this means saying "no" or "wait" to our requests, because He sees the bigger picture that we can't.

Seeking with Anticipation

The apostle John echoes this teaching in 1 John 5:14-15: "And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him."

When we align our hearts with God's will, we can pray with a healthy anticipation that He will answer - not always in the way we expect, but always for His glory and our ultimate good. This anticipation should lead to action on our part. As one person wisely said, "If you pray for rain, make sure you carry an umbrella."

Seeking with anticipation means being prepared and willing to participate in God's work. It's not about passively waiting for God to act, but actively looking for ways He might use us to answer our own prayers or the prayers of others.

Practical Steps for Powerful Prayer

1. Make time for intentional prayer: Don't just rely on quick, on-the-go prayers. Set aside dedicated time to connect with God.

2. Praise first: Begin your prayer time by acknowledging God's greatness and goodness.

3. Practice repentance: Regularly examine your life and ask God to align your heart with His.

4. Be specific and persistent: Don't be afraid to bring the same requests to God repeatedly, showing your genuine concern and trust in His timing.

5. Pray with confidence: Remember that your prayers are heard by a loving, all-powerful Father who wants what's best for you.

6. Seek God's will: Always pray with the attitude of "not my will, but Yours be done."

7. Anticipate God's response: Look for ways God might be answering your prayers, even if it's not in the way you expected.

8. Be ready to act: Ask God how He might want to use you in answering your prayers or the prayers of others.

The Power of Praying for God's Glory

There's one prayer that God will always answer affirmatively: "God, glorify yourself through me." When we make God's glory our primary concern, we align ourselves with His perfect will and open ourselves up to be used in powerful ways. This is the key to powerful prayer. It's not that we are powerful in our praying. Rather, when we are praying with a genuineness of heart, placing our confidence in God and His goodness, and actively anticipating the blessing of seeing Him at work, the way God works in our lives through praying is powerful!

This doesn't mean we can't bring our personal needs and desires to God. But it does mean framing those requests within the context of God's greater purposes. Instead of just praying for a better job, we might pray, "God, provide me with work where I can best serve You and others." Rather than simply asking for healing, we could pray, "Lord, use this illness to draw me closer to You and to be a witness of Your grace to others."

As we learn to pray in this way - with persistence, confidence, and anticipation - we'll find our lives transformed. No longer will prayer feel like a duty or a last resort. Instead, it will become a vibrant conversation with our loving Heavenly Father, a source of strength, guidance, and joy in our daily lives.

So let's challenge ourselves to go deeper in prayer. Let's move beyond quick, routine requests and truly seek God's face. As we do, we'll discover the truth of Jeremiah 29:13-14: "You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord." Powerful prayer is seeking the heart of God...Now that's praying powerfully!