A friend recently received a crushing diagnosis.

In the letter to her co-workers in ministry she told of her illness and asked that they pray three specific things:

  1. That God would be glorified.
  2. That people would be drawn to him.
  3. That God would bring healing.

These three requests are so in line with the heart of God.

As I have pondered them over the past week I have come to believe that this should be the pattern for all our prayers.

The first question/answer of the Westminster Catechism is this:

Q. What is the chief end of man?
A. Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him for ever.

As followers of Jesus, our greatest joy and purpose is to bring God glory. Our prayers are one way to do that.

It is easy to want what we want and to pray that God will answer our prayers in ways that satisfy us. But when we seek God’s glory in our prayers we surrender to him our own desires and expectations. We demonstrate our love for him and our faith in him when we yield to his will.

Jesus told his disciples, “And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son” (John 14:13). Let’s follow Jesus’ example by seeking the glory of God in all our prayers.

This is David’s story of God’s intervention in his life and its impact on others:

I waited patiently for the Lord;
he turned to me and heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.
He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear the Lord
and put their trust in him.

Psalm 40:1-3

Do you ever find yourself in a slimy pit, in desperate need of rescue?

When you do, let David’s testimony reassure you. God will lift you out of that pit as you call on him. People who see your suffering will notice when the Lord rescues you. They’ll hear your song of praise. And they will be drawn to him.

“Lord, might our lives and our prayers help others to come to know you.”

And now we are ready to pray for the need at hand.

My friend’s prayer is for healing. Yours might be, too. Or you may be in need of provision, guidance, protection, money for rent. Maybe you are lonely, or in an unresolved conflict, or you have a wayward child. I’m sure you can add many concerns that you are praying for. It is good to bring all our cares to  God (see Phil 4:6-7).

Whatever you lay before the Lord, he hears. He sees the big picture—all the details we ourselves do not see. Out of the abundance of his wisdom and grace he responds.

We are prepared for God’s answers when our prayers seek his glory and the good of others.

This is a pattern for our prayers, not a formula. We cannot think that if we order our prayers in this way God is obligated to give us what we want. Rather this is a way to order our prayers that honors God, cares for others, and humbles us in his presence (see 1 Pe 5:6-7).

There is another way to find yourself in the proper attitude of prayer. According to the fictional character Father Timothy Kavanagh, rector of Lord’s Chapel in Mitford, North Carolina, there is a prayer that never fails. You may recognize it as Jesus’ prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane,

“Thy will be done.”

Ginger

If you haven’t yet met Father Tim and the fascinating characters whose life in Mitford is full of color, humor, and humanity, check out author Jan Karon’s website.