Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Phil 4:6-7)
When I don't know how to pray, or what to pray, I just praise and say "you know my heart". I knew a woman once to who came to me after I had voiced a prayer request and told me she wanted to know specifically what I wanted in my petition to the Lord. After about 10 minutes of trying to tell her, I just said, "just pray for God's will in this situation" and walked away very frustrated.
I have learned to be very specific in my petitions to God. The other thing I've learned is to be careful what I ask for. In both cases I had the prayer answered and it wasn't quite what I wanted, however, it was what I needed. Sometimes we aren't ready for that answered prayer ~ but God is ready to answer it. When that happens, we must dig deep into our resourses and move forward. On two separate occasions within the past year I have asked that God close a door "if it was his intention to not grant my request". Both times he has. In shock and dismay, I cried out to him "why"? Silly woman - you know exactly why! In the midst of the pain and the hurt, I found something so much better, so much more of a blessing than anything I had had previously. I am certain he will again shine through me in this current situation.
Being a follower of Christ is not an easy journey. It's fraught with potholes and road blocks, "do not enters" and "road closeds". The rest stops along that road are sometimes not up to our human expectations, but they are there. Sometimes we have a full tank and sometimes we run on fumes, but either way, we make it to the next stop by his mercy and grace. We have a goal, he has a plan. My goal is to arrive at my final destination without the baggage of this life. His plan is whatever he chooses to place on that road to help me get there in one piece.
Present your requests to him in the quietness of your heart and he will meet your needs. Know that if he doesn't meet what you feel are your needs, he will most definitely meet what he knows them to be! Be patient, be still and know. Take the time and enjoy the scenic view from the rest stop. Be well rested for the next part of your journey because another storm may be just around that mountain in front of you, or there just may be a rainbow when you get there. In either case, you are not alone and you are loved!
