what we should pray for

Today in the One Year Bible, we learn something profound from Romans 8:26-39. Paul is telling us about how the Holy Spirit prays on our behalf. And he tells us that the Spirit prays things for us that we don't know to pray, and all of it is in agreement with God's will. Now, that seems like a "duh" statement. How could it be otherwise, right? I mean it's not like the Spirit of God is going to pray something for us that ISN'T in agreement with God's will.

But when we take a step back, that teaches us something profound about prayer. The Spirit of God prays for us, and basically it prays that what God wants for our lives will happen. That's what WE should pray for us, too! When you wonder what you should pray for in a given situation, it's best to pray for His will to be done.

Now many of us, when we pray that, are really just saying, "I don't know what should happen, so 'Thy will be done.'" But it can go much deeper than that. We can learn to agree with God in prayer. We can learn to see what He wants to happen in our lives, and then ASK for those things. When we pray for the things He wants, in agreement with the Spirit of God who is praying on our behalf... you better believe those prayers will get answered.

What are some examples of this? Well, the Bible flat out tells us that if we lack wisdom, we should ask for it, and God WILL give it to us. So I ask for wisdom all the time, because I know I lack it. When we ask for others to come to know God in their lives, we know this is His will, and that the Spirit of God is praying in agreement with this... so we know it'll get answered.

What about other stuff? For health? Wealth? Happiness? Well... it depends. I mean, we WILL eventually die. And most of us are going to die from being sick, rather than from an accident or homicide. So yes, God will often answer prayers for healing. But then again, it might be time that the person you're praying will get well isn't meant to. It might be time for them to go home. So those prayers don't always get a yes answer. Wealth? That's often bad for us, actually. So praying for lots of money will probably not get a resounding yes, either. Happiness? Well, seeking His will most often DOES bring joy to our lives. But suffering is part of life, too. So it's important to remember that following Him doesn't always mean you'll be super happy and care-free all the time.

But the things that last. The things that are eternal. The things that actually make a difference in the world - He will answer those with a yes. Because we're asking for the things He wants to begin with.

God, thanks for teaching us how to pray.