Specific Prayers

I don’t know if I believe in specific prayers: Asking God for something specific, something that I feel I need or desire, and thinking that it will be, likewise, answered very specifically. Well, I believe in it somewhat as I tend to pray in this manner every so often. But sometimes I don’t know if God answers specific prayers, or if He instead responds to “the earnest of the spirit” (2 Cor. 1:22) and gives us what we really need instead of what we think we need.  

I have had many instances in my life where it appears that God has answered a specific prayer. Now, I know that God answers all prayers, but the prayers I am talking about now are the ones that He answers in the way I want them to be answered: either a “Yes,” or an “Of course!” or some bit of information that I need at that moment. And I can think of 2 examples off the top of my head where I felt that God answered my prayers pretty specifically.  

 

The first example is from when I was 17 years old. I was struggling with a major dilemma: I had some information of wrong doings, and I wasn’t sure what to do with this information. If I shared the information with someone, I would negatively affect dozens of lives. If I kept the information to myself, I risked damaging my own sense of well-being, safety, security, as well as a handful of people around me. It was a struggle; each day I woke up with 1 thought in my brain: What should I do? And the problem with situations like that is you can’t ask anyone what the best solution is. First of all, they wouldn’t really know as they are not in the situation, and second, once they know the information, the cat has already been let out of the bag, so to speak. The choice of speaking or not speaking is no longer relevant at that point.

I was stuck, and I was miserable. I wasn't sleeping properly, I couldn’t concentrate on my homework, or on anything. I even remember how I felt at Senior Prom. While I had a good time and am glad I went, that was really the only thing on my mind. I was, and still am, horrendous at compartmentalizing.

Then one day I just said, “God, help me. What should I do?” I closed my eyes and was quiet. And then, about 10 seconds later, the answer came. It was so clear, and it came in the form of an image; no words, no judgment, just an image that portrayed, “You have to tell someone. And this is the person you are going to tell.” I was so certain that it was the right thing to do. I asked the person in the image, an adult mentor of mine (remember, I was still a kid at this time) if we could talk. I shared the information, no lives were ruined, and it was immensely helpful and undoubtedly life-changing for me. Looking back on that time, and how quickly the answer came, I am sorry I didn’t ask God sooner. I was religious, I went to church, I prayed every day… But for some reason, I didn’t pray about this specifically. I was so focused on figuring out the answer by myself, using my own brainpower, that it didn’t even cross my mind to ask God for a specific answer.

When I was 13 years old and in youth group in, I got a bible for attending 3 weeks in a row. Every teen got a bible for fulfilling this easy attendance requirement. It was a great incentive. And in each bible, 1 or 2 verses, specific to the recipient, were outlined. My verses were, “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). I seem to forget about this passage when I’m struggling for an answer, but it’s an important one to keep close.

The second example came a few days ago. I wanted $123 to buy something for a friend. Technically, I had that much money in my bank account, but I knew that using it for this particular thing was maybe not the best choice right now. So I simply said, “God, I want $123. I don’t need it at all, but I’m just going to put it out there and see what You do.” And then nothing happened. About 3 or 4 times that week, I thought about this money; and just said, “If it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be. So, again, it’s $123.” Reminding God of the amount, as if He could ever forget anything. And then I waited some more.

And then a week later, 2 wonderful things happened. I got an increase in hours at my part-time job (I know, probably not exactly the best for me, but it’s only a slight increase in hours), and I also had a change in my financial situation that is going to save me thousands of dollars in the future. Not a monetary gift, but something that will eventually save me quite a bit of money nonetheless.

In the second example, the specificity of the answer is a bit different; I think it's specific because it came relatively soon (1 or 2 weeks after I prayed), but it's also unspecific as it's not like I opened my door and found an envelope with exactly $123 inside. But, as a friend pointed out, the $123 was a limited view of the abundance that is there, that is everything I ever need and want, and more. Why stop at $123? Why limit God to $123?  

I know almost nothing about prayer. I sometimes get answers right away, and other times I have to wait a bit. I’m still waiting on answers to some questions. But I do know that when I pray, when I talk with God, I have peace in my heart. And sometimes it feels like He’s talking to me, or answering me, in a language I can understand. When this happens, it’s an amazing feeling, and I’m so grateful.