Asking for Prayer

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. – Philippians 4:6

By nature, I am somewhat shy. For those who know me, they may disagree because I can be rather chatty. But, for those few friends who know my heart intimately enough, you’ll find they agree. I’m lousy in a crowd, somewhat backward and bumbling. I can’t think of a thing to say, however in small groups I thrive. When I speak at ladies conferences, a completely different side of me immerges – one that brings the lighter side of me to the surface. The fact is, I like anyone else, is multi-faceted. There is one thing for sure, through it all, I often feel very unworthy.

It’s very easy for me to pray for others but it’s very hard to ask for prayer. I take my prayer life very serious. This is not to say I spend hours on my knees – far from it. There are lots of times I could use some real improvement. I do, however, take prayer requests very seriously. My guess is, if someone is aching enough to ask for prayer, then I should ache equally to oblige their request. Praying for others is easy, but praying for myself is a long, slow, agonizing place.

Perhaps it’s fear. When we pray we are completely exposed–naked, before Christ. Maybe the vulnerability is more than I can take. Or maybe it’s pride. I can’t put my finger on it. I can only say, many times I feel unworthy to ask. My issues seem so trivial compared to those who are dealt a devastating blow. How wrong could I be? Learning to ask for prayer for our self takes practice for most. Meaning, if we ask, someone might see we are struggling. Struggling is a sign of weakness, and we all know – that can’t happen.

We are all human. We all face trials and frustrations. And–we all need prayer. Learning to ask brings us into a submissive heart, and a submissive heart reveals our longing souls. Therefore, ask. Ask. Ask. The more we ask, the more we open ourselves to the Father. The more open we are to the Lord, the easier He can work in us. It’s not selfish to ask others to lift us before God, its scriptural. It’s what Jesus taught and what Paul taught. Seeking His guidance in everything we do brings us into a humble and suitable relationship with God. Asking others to pray for us, allows us to be lifted above the rest and placed into loving hands of the Healer – so ask.

Prayer: Lord, our pride sometimes stands in the way of our needs that need to be placed before You. Teach us we are worthy.