A First Step Toward Praying Deliberately
God acts, in and around us, whether we ask Him to or not. He is a God who initiates. He initiated all of creation, and He initiates blessing upon blessing in our lives every day simply because He loves us. But some of His blessings only come when we ask. James says, "You have not because you ask not." (James 4:3) This is an amazing truth. Through prayer, we have been given the privilege of initiating blessings, for ourselves and for others. But we often (usually?) treat prayer so lightly that our prayers become ineffective. The kinds of prayers that result in blessings are deliberate and intentional. Too often m y prayers are not that kind. I need to be constantly reminded that the great privilege He has given us in prayer calls for a consciously thoughtful approach to His throne. When I come to God's throne deliberately and thoughtfully, He asks me questions that help me focus my prayers. The first question He asks is, "To Whom are you pray