Children's prayers should really inform our prayer life (Mark 10:15). Kids usually pray for very specific and practical things.

Last week I was talking with a friend who was saying he got hurt yesterday and it was causing him a lot of pain.  I asked if I could pray for him.  He thought about it.  Then he looked at me and said:  ”No.  I believe in God, but I don’t think I believe that he cares that much that much about things I’m going through”.  I told him that of course Jesus does and will if he asks.

You do not have, because you do not ask. (James 4:2b)

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. (Matthew 7:7)

Often I talk to people who are frustrated with God because they feel He is not answering their prayers.  God hears all our prayers and does answer, just not always in the way we expect.  But another problem is that we are not actually praying for anything specific so we are missing out on seeing how God is answering prayers.  God has lain it on my heart to ask for specific things to happen and I’ve been overjoyed to able to witness how He has been answering those prayers.

Now, there is a time for general prayers.  Indeed, often we do not know what to pray so the Spirit intercedes for us (Rom. 8:26).  However, I do think that moving from general to specific prayers can be a helpful motion in our prayer life.  In my own life, this has also opened me up to inviting God – through prayer – into more of my activities and thoughts, as it helps me realize that He cares so immensely and wants to be involved in everything I do.

Some examples of moving from General to Specific Prayer:

General – Lord God please save my uncle.
Specific – Lord, please give my uncle a realization of how empty life is without you.  Lord, please put a strong male Christian in my uncle’s life who can demonstrate the joy found in you and can connect my uncle with a community of Bible-believing Christians.

General – Lord God help me have a good day at work.
Specific – Lord God, I desire to have my joy in you today.  Help me love you while I work and through that focus on you give me patience and kindness in dealing with my coworker and with my boss.

General – Father God, please bless my church.
Specific – Father God, please bless the elders of my church and help them to be 1 Timothy 3 men, examples of faith in you.  Guide the elders and the leaders of the church by faith.  Father, and please help the congregation be stirred up by their example of faith and to give of themselves generously in their time, talents, and treasure.  I pray that those who specifically have been tight with their money because of a lack of faith or a focus on self would be freed by your Love to trust in you and give generously to what you call them to give toward.

One of the great benefits of praying specifically is that it focuses our attention on what we’re praying for and helps us seek and listen to God in how He could work in that situation.

May God speak to you about your own prayer life and guide you in praying to Him throughout your day, inviting Him into all the decisions, times of failure, and times of joy.  May your ears be opened to hear from Him and to pray specifically in response to hearing from Him.