What is the proper attitude when we approach God in prayer with petitions? At times it is difficult to discern if our requests are simply our own desires or if they reflect God’s desires. If we pursue a heart for God, our petitions to God should also be a desire for God’s will in our life and the lives of those around us.
Yet when I see people I love and care about scoff at you dear Lord, my heart aches. They discredit your name and worship the false gods of our age. I pray for a transformation of their heart, but nothing happens. I pray they will embrace a life for Christ, yet they continue in their ways. At times it seems God that you do not care that they profane your name.
In Daniel 9, I find that Daniel shares this feeling. He wants the destroyed temple in Jerusalem to be restored if only to bring glory to you God. He prayed, “Give ear, our God, and hear; open your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears your Name (verse 18, NIV).” In the same verse he then prayed, “We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy.”
Help me dear God to reflect on the motivation of my prayers. I truly am not righteous. It is only because of your mercy dear God that I have been saved. Help me not to pray for a quick fix for the people I love and care about, but help me to pray for your mercy dear God. Help me to pray that they will experience your mercy; understand your grace; acknowledge they are not righteous, but only saved by your grace dear God.
“Lord, listen! Lord, forgive! Lord, hear and act! For your sake, my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name.” Daniel 9:19 (NIV)
© 2019 CGThelen
140 Character Christian 
Reblogged this on emotionalpeace.
Help us oh, Lord! Let Your mercy, Your grace, Your love. Be forever on the tip of our heart, and be manifested forever on our tongue! In Jesus’ name, Amen!
All praise to you dear Lord! Blessings.
Refine us as intercessors, Father.
We wait in hope…
Amen! Blessings.
Beautiful reminder for us. Our prayer is our asking is in accordance with His will.
Hopefully we can pray in accordance with his will. I am still a work in progress on this one. Thanks for the comment. Blessings.
We’re right along side you on being a work in progress!!! The great part is He isn’t finished with us yet.
Amen to that.
Great message and so encouraging. I have people I pray for and then nothing seems to happen. I need to remember to not pray for a quick fix but that they would experience his mercy.
It is so hard sometimes to wait on God, but his timing is perfect. Thanks for the comment. Blessings.
We are created in God’s image; He, too has emotions. He grieves.
But He sees how it is all worth it, how perfect is His plan.
For that we can give thanks.
Yes, praise God for his perfect plan. Good reminder that he too grieves. Thanks for sharing your insight. Blessings.
Our attitude as we approach the throne of grace in prayer is as important as you say! By attitude I mean our heart position. We ought to lead out in humility, for this is the King of Kings that we are communicating with. There are times when my prayer life is rich because I have aligned myself properly to this reality.
Yet like you, I find myself aching for those of whom I pray. I earnestly desire God to move, right now, in the hearts of loves ones who deny Him. So many times, however, it seems nothing is happening.
When I find that (or more likely, when God reminds me) I have gone there, He will speak to my heart, telling me again who He is. As great as His love is, so are His thoughts and plans. Things that are far above my comprehension.
With my heart re positioned, I can again approach the throne with the heart attitude that cries out for God to be glorified through the circumstances that I am praying about, trusting Him completely that He is in control.
Thank you for this thought provoking post,
Pastor Chuck
I have to keep reminding myself that God has the complete picture, sometimes over decades of time or across generations. I once heard this described as only seeing the back of the tapestry, not the beauty from the other side that God sees. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Blessings to you.
I like that about seeing only the back of the tapestry!