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I don't know what to pray.

Wrg1405

Member
Is it ok when you come before God to pray but then don't know to pray just to say "I don't know what to pray, all I can do is lift it up to you?
 
Yep...

And even though you don't have a proper request God has a proper answer...

Although usually there is going to be a bit of trouble in getting to the point where the solution is finally realized.

And actually it's a more honest and accurate prayer. We often ask for specific solutions when God actually has a better idea.
 
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When I go before our Father on behalf of me and mine it is always easy to recognize my need. Like the soldier in a foxhole - HELP!
Heb 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
Praying for others takes contemplation and wisdom, and a fellowship ofttimes that allows insight of what to pray for.

I suppose more often than not we might fall into the enviable position of having need of nothing more, but there also I might be fooling me. Do I have a mission set before me, are all saved, and is my walk in Christ perfect? Akin to my age is the need sometimes of planning just as I would in planning a trip to the store for provisions. And then at times I find myself not having something this morning that I've prayed for throughout the day; does my Father need another reminder? :shrug
 
I learned to try and pray for others as much as possible and downplay my own needs. If I'm out and about and I hear a siren then I'll say something like..."Dear Father. I pray for whoever that siren is for and I pray for those responding. I pray that those involved accept Your will, but nevertheless Father, I pray for You to intervene in that situation and show them love , mercy, grace and that this situation be used to bring glory to You. May any be spared so that they may be a mighty witness for Your Kingdom. I ask that You move into their lives in a powerful way. That there be no doubt in their hearts of Your intervention. I ask in the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen..............I try to use that model for whoever I pray for. I hope prayer would come more natural to me so I will be more alert to pray rather than being so caught up in my selfish little world.
 
I pray often, not because I'm the ultimate Christian, but because for a long time I didn't have the concentration to study Scripture, and I'm a pariah, so church hasn't yet become an option.

So...I've taken to praying like The Bible says to, in my better moments. Enemies, those who spitefully use you, those who speak all matter of evil against you falsely (which happens to me, but is strange, because the truth is bad enough...), plus the authorities, from Prez Trump all the way down to whoever the mayor of my lil town is.

now and then, I'll pray for all the Christians undergoing persecution. I'll pray by name for some people from my past who are very much in darkness and very much in need of Christ. When I pass by a car on the side of the road, see an ambulance, see somebody pulled over by the cops, I pray a little prayer for that person.

Because of my life experiences, I pray for people in mental hospitals, group homes, jails and prisons, and the people who run those institutions. I pray for hopeless wretches and too far gone burn outs, because I've been there myself.

And now and then I just pray to say thanks, because I need to learn to say thanks and mean it, especially to God. I'm big on God's mercy, for obvious reasons, so I'll praise Him for his mercy, compassion, forgiveness, straight up pity (Christian pity is perfectly valid+acceptable, btw, even though secular cultural is dead set against pity).
 
Great answers Wrigley,
Here's what came to mind.
Romans 8:26-27

We just need to turn to God. He already knows what we need.

I like to praise God and thank him for all I have and concentrate on that.
Prayer, as I understand it, is for us to know the will of God and pray accordingly. For what
He wishes, for His strength to accept what may come our way.

Nothing happens without God permitting it, so we have to accept what He allows.

Many times our prayers are the other way around. That's fine too. Like a good Father would
want to hear His child's needs, so it is with our God, the desire to hear from us as a child would speak to his father.

Wondering
 
Prayer doesn't always have to be about requesting something from God. How about just talking to Him, praising Him, etc?
Yes I see what you are saying but if you find yourself thinking or burdened for someone else and you come before God to pray but then stumble with a prayer.

What drove you to pray in the first place?
Maybe God put the need in your heart to just be with Him. :)

I think when I'm in that situation that drove me to prayer is what is on my heart, placed in my heart I think by God.
 
Great answers Wrigley,
Here's what came to mind.
Romans 8:26-27

We just need to turn to God. He already knows what we need.

I like to praise God and thank him for all I have and concentrate on that.
Prayer, as I understand it, is for us to know the will of God and pray accordingly. For what
He wishes, for His strength to accept what may come our way.

Nothing happens without God permitting it, so we have to accept what He allows.

Many times our prayers are the other way around. That's fine too. Like a good Father would
want to hear His child's needs, so it is with our God, the desire to hear from us as a child would speak to his father.

Wondering
I like this answer a lot. I pray the Lord's Prayer all the time, but also there's times when I just talk to God in my head, and other times when I don't have an internal dialogue at all. I sometimes wonder if the "wordless" dialogues are counted as prayers.
 
I like this answer a lot. I pray the Lord's Prayer all the time, but also there's times when I just talk to God in my head, and other times when I don't have an internal dialogue at all. I sometimes wonder if the "wordless" dialogues are counted as prayers.
God counts everything as prayer. When we live and think of Him, it's a continual prayer. Reading our Bible in either contemplation or meditation is a prayer. God is greater than we can imagine. When we think and turn to Him, it's all prayer.

Wondering
 
I learned to try and pray for others as much as possible and downplay my own needs.
This is interesting. Do you believe God wants you to do that? I'd say He wants you to tell Him everything that's on your heart and not neglect your own wants & needs. His love is big enough for it all.

My stumbling block with prayer is falling into repetition. I have devotions every morning when I start off praising Him, then thanking Him, then confessing to Him, and finally petitioning Him. In my heart, I feel these are all important to include in my devotionals, and I never want to leave one out.

Since I'm most thankful for the same things in my life, sin in my usual ways, and He says "not now" to some of my most heartfelt requests, my prayers often feel the same. I even feel the order of the parts is important. Praise Him first. Ask last.

I always have things to say, because it's pretty much laid out before I start. He is worthy of more than that.
 
Yes I see what you are saying but if you find yourself thinking or burdened for someone else and you come before God to pray but then stumble with a prayer.
"Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words." Romans 8:26 NKJV
 
There are times when I feel like I have a need I cannot put my finger on but my spirit is hurting and needs to cry out to the Lord. At those times I pray in tongues so my spirit can empty out the built up needs/concerns.
 
How many people ever ask God how they can be of service to Him. We always tell Him how He can serve us but few of us ask how we can serve Him.
A very good point that I fall short with. One of my shortcomings that I often have to confess is missing or balking on opportunities to share His Truth. This is a call to action for me to ask Him to show me where I can stand in the gap. Thank you.
 
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