Text: Matthew 26:36-46, Philippians 4:6-7
Practice makes perfect – and that is what we strive for in our lives spiritually (to be like Christ). While we understand that we’ll never achieve perfection here on earth, part of God’s will for us is to strive for a closer relationship with His perfection. It is His ongoing act of sanctification in our lives.
Today sisters, let’s begin to practice how we approach the Lord with our petitions in life. No matter how great or small your desires may seem, they are important to you, and therefore, important to Him. Like the familiar words in Joseph Scriven’s hymn, “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” remind us:
“What a friend we have in Jesus,
all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
all because we do not carry
everything to God in prayer.”
We can come to Him for safety, for wisdom, with our desires, and more. Scripture tells us to be persistent, to approach God boldly, and to rest in knowing that He loves us like children and wants to give us good gifts. And in the gospel, Christ demonstrates the importance of praying that God’s will be done above all.
For today, let’s practice biblical petition together – use a journal if you’d like:
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Thank God for being your Father who you can trust to provide and care for you. Repent if you find that you’ve kept your petitions, needs, desires from Him.
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Call to mind some things you can ask your Father for.
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Be specific when you pray. Don’t be afraid that He can’t handle your needs and desires.
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Be bold in what you ask. We might forget that simply because something seems impossible to us, nothing is impossible for our Lord.
End with the simple words, “Not my will, but yours be done.” As hard as this may be to say, begin to trust that God has “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV)
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34 thoughts on "practicing petition"
Oh, it feels so good to be back this morning! For some reason I could not get here yesterday–I kept getting an error page. In any case…good morning ladies! Missed y’all yesterday! Love this devotional! I particularly appreciate the emphasis on all the different types of prayers. Because, yeah, my prayers have mostly been petitions and I want to get better and better at some prayers of praise. I say thank you a lot, but it doesn’t really go much beyond that. I want to get intentional about prayers of praise. Have a wonderfully blessed day all!
This morning, I'm thanking the Lord for hope. For the promise of each new day and for the goodness of His will and His plan for each of us. I've been thinking a lot about waiting lately, and how we often pray and get so weary in our waiting for answers or doors to open, etc. But I think so often there are steps God has for us, things to learn and do along the way to some of our prayers being answered, because this is where the pruning and the sanctification truly happens. This is where our faith is tested and perfected. So, this morning, I'm also giving thanks for those in-between times when He is working, even though we may not see or understand it just yet.
"Giving thanks for those in-between times when He is working, even though we may not see or understand it just yet."
I love the way you put this, Katie! He is working when we are oblivious!
I am trusting God for so much. I recently begged God to let a big bank giv3 me a auto loan and I was turned down twice… the third time I asked I was give a loan witb a cap (meaning that they only gave me a certain amount ) but I had a glod dlwn pymt with my tax refund. Now I have a reliable car. I was diagnosed with genital herpes in 2010 when I was promiscuous and not thinking about
GOD. I am now. I pay my tithes and I am seriously trusting God for a healing. I need you all to pray with me. I feel if I share my problem God will know that I am serious. I go boldly everyday and I know He loves me. I know he will answer my prayers.
Praying for you Beth..praying with you Beth. I loved the way the Message put the scripture from Philippians this morning and so I am praying it(BOLDLY) for both of us and all our SRT Sisters:
Father, God, Don't let us fret or worry today. Lord, Instead of worrying, we come to you praying! We enter your presence with our petitions big and small and praise You for answered prayer, for Beth's reliable car, for my time with my sons and their families.
Lord, help us all to "shape your worries into prayers" and "letting God know your concerns" to set forth into this day you have made confident of our salvation and place in your family. And then before we know it, we can experience a sense of Your wholeness, everything coming together for good, and we will come and settle down.
Lord, thank you! "It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of our lives. Amen (Philippians 4:6, 7 MSG)
Thank u carolynmimi, I really felt your prayer this morning. Bless u.
Hi Beth,
After I read your post, I stopped to pray for your healing and you strength to continue to stay pure.
wow! this devo is so wonderfully written, and JUST what i needed to hear this morning. thank you!!! i am so grateful for all of the wonderful comments you girls leave to read. so uplifting, inspiring, heartfelt and beautiful. God bless you ladies!!
I am so loving this devotion!! And my prayer life is richer and more full than it has ever been! I begin each morning asking my prayer for forgiveness, and for God to open my eyes to sins I may not have realized I committed. I reread Psalm 51 with my prayer. After reading the devotion and sharing with you ladies, I head to my journal. In the front of my journal, I am offering prayers of praise. Praise ONLY!!! Boy! What an eye opener that has been! That was the hardest prayer to begin practicing because I am so used to going to my Father with petitions and intercessions and very seldom thanking him for the extraordinary– and the mundane– things in my life. Then, I turn to the back of my journal where I have started my running prayer list again. I end with an EXTRA prayer for my husband because that is what I am feeling The Lord is leading me to do. And what a difference it has made!! Not to him… To ME!
The best part of this morning routine, other than the quiet time with my creator, is how I am becoming more and more aware of His presence in every aspect of my day. God is so good!!!
Amen, Amen ask and it shall be given, seek and you shall find knock and the door will be open. Matthew 7:7
Thank you Jesus for your word to remind us of all your wonderful promises.
Amen. Being specific is something I need development in. I’m grateful for today’s devo, reminding me how much my Father cares about every detail and everything that concerns me. It just sometimes seems that soooo much concerns me – I’m overwhelmed with life – that there isn’t the time to bring everything in detail, so I tend to get vague. There’s just so much I need help with. So, one of my petitions this morning is for help to be specific and detailed and not just cry out, in desperation, “HELP!” What a Friend we do have (that’s one of my favourite hymns). I’m thankful I can come to the throne of grace and find well-timed and SPECIFIC help in time of need. Like this morning, when the day had slapped me in the face before I’m even out of bed!
I know that I’m a good 6 weeks or so behind you in this study and that you posted this quite a while ago. Yet, I feel compelled to comment… While it is a good and profitable discipine to be specific in prayer, there are days when I myself am reminded of Paul’s words in the letter to the Romans. I am sometimes so overwhelmed that these verses are a blessing – when my thoughts and feelings are ALL OVER the place: Romans 8:26-27 (NLT) “26 And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. 27 And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers[t] in harmony with God’s own will.” He most certainly does provide for the days of confusion, when we need the Spirit to carry our needs to Him!! Love to you, sister in Christ!
What a wonderful. way to start a new day. God is so good. I’ve just started this program a week ago and I cannot even begin to describe how I feel . My heart and soul feels so much peace and love. May God bless us all as we share his love forgiving grace together. I feel like I have thousands of new friends in Christ!. Praise God for what he is doing in all of our lives!