She Reads Truth: Prayer in the BibleChikamu

Practicing Petition

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:

• 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.

• Call to mind some things you can ask your Father for.

• Be specific when you pray. Don’t be afraid that He can’t handle your needs and desires.

• 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)   Join the SheReadsTruth Community: bit.ly/SRTPrayerDay10