Written by: Christie Love, Founder of LeadHer
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This month our LeadHer Local Chapters are talking about the topic: “Detailed Prayers”. Through that teaching I challenged women to not just pray broad, vague prayers- but to try to narrow our prayers and our focus so that we can see God more in the details of our lives.
For example, many of us will pray a broad prayer similar to this one:
God, please do something big in my church this year.
We are challenging women to get more detailed:
God, please help our church reach new believers this year and have the opportunity to lead 50 to faith in you!
Why is the difference important? Detailed prayers keep us focused both on what we are asking of God and what God is asking of us.
Tweet ThisVague prayers often treat prayer as a passive process. Detailed prayers understand that prayer is an active process by which we invite God in to the big and small details of our lives. Often this invitation into our specific circumstances will result in him calling us to a new level of action and activity in some area of our lives as well.
In order for your church to reach new believers and lead 50 to faith this year… someone is going to have to be willing to reach out and invite friends, neighbors, and co-workers to church. Someone is going to have to be willing to listen to hurts, explain Biblical passages, and invest time and energy in the growth and discipleship of new believers.
Detailed prayers challenge us to be more intentional and active.
For many of us, we struggle to pray detailed prayers because we are unsure what details to pray for.
This especially true when we are praying for others. The struggle is that when we do not know what to pray- we will pray broad, vague prayers for them. (Bless them. Protect them. Use them. Strengthen them.)
Let me be very clear here… Can God use our broad prayers? Absolutely! He knows the details and can fill in the gaps. I am not saying that broad prayers are bad- I am simply saying we can do better.
There is something powerful about being more aware of the details of what those in your life are facing that you are able to pray with more passion, focus, and awareness as you go through your prayer list. Being willing to get more detailed in your prayers for others requires you to be more aware and engaged with people in your life. The area of activity we often need to increase to be a more detailed in praying is asking.
Not sure how to pray more specifically for your church this year? Ask your pastor.
Not sure how to pray more specifically for your spouse right now? Sit down with them and ask.
Not sure how to pray more specifically for your children right now? Take them to ice cream and ask.
Not sure how to pray for your parents right now? Ask them what they are dealing with.
Not sure how to pray more specifically for your neighbor? Invite them over for dinner and ask.
Not sure how to pray more specifically for your best friend? Ask.
Not sure how to pray for the person in your life who is hurting? Ask them.
Not sure how to pray more specifically for your child’s teacher? Email them and ask.
Not sure how to pray more specifically for your co-worker? Go out to lunch together and ask.
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Does it take time- yes.
Does it take effort- yes.
Will it impact your relationship with that person to invest in them, listen to them, and be able to pray over them with greater intention and focus- yes!
Imagine how different marriages, families, churches, neighborhoods, workplaces, and communities could look if people were committing to pray detailed prayers over one another – the issues they wrestle with, the strongholds they are experiencing, and the fears that they fight.
Christians, prayer is more then an action item on your to do list each day; it is a daily avenue for you to invest in relationships daily. Through prayer you invest in your relationship with God and your relationship with others as you join them in asking God to work in the details of their lives.
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Weekend challenge for you: Connect with 3 people in your life and ask them how you can be specifically praying for them.