something, of course, will increase or decrease your chances of
receiving what you ask for. Perhaps that is the real reason
many of us refuse to pray specifically—we don’t want to be
disappointed, we don’t want to look foolish, and we don’t want
to deeply consider our own motives for asking.
In addition to the numerous examples of requesting prayers
(Abraham, Moses, Nehemiah, Gideon, David, and Daniel)
found in the Bible, research for yourself what Jesus taught
about prayer. He both taught and modeled how to pray to all
who followed Him. Not only did He give a practical template in
what is called The Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9–14), but Jesus
continually asked His heavenly Father to attend to His
requests with specific answers: Water was turned into wine,
the dead came back to life, the sick were healed, and thousands
of hungry people were fed from just a few loaves of bread.
In teaching about prayer, Jesus did not suggest that you
hold back your requests. In fact, He taught that you should not
be afraid to ask God for anything. Jesus said, “Ask and it will
be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door
will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he
who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be
opened” (Matthew 7:7–8).
Jesus’ words inspire me. I’ve tested His words and found
that He says what He means: “Ask.” Don’t just wish or wait or
wonder how or what to pray. I encourage you to ask God
specifically for what you need. This section will become very
exciting to you when you ask specifically, because you will get
some specific answers. For the record, you must be as willing
to accept a “no” answer as often and as graciously as you
accept “yes” answers in response to your requests.