I couldn’t find the school. I knew I was in the right place, approximately, but there were no signs. It was in the olden days – the 1900s – before smart phones with AI directions, so I needed to stop at a gas station and just ask for directions.
After making my obligatory purchase to earn the information I needed, I asked the attendant, “Do you know where Heritage Academy is?”
“Yes, I do!” she replied as she continued on with her tasks.
I waited. She ignored me. Then I go the message.
If I had known what a *facepalm* was at that time, I would have done a beautiful one.
“Excuse me,” I tried again. “Would you please tell me how to get to Heritage Academy?’
“I would be glad to!”
Only then did I receive the information I needed. I didn’t ask the right question.
I do love the fact that a gas station attendant schooled the teacher. Since that day, I have used her example while teaching others the skill of asking the right questions to receive the desired response.
Ask the right question
“I don’t have a pencil,” Jamie says.
I, of course, reply with… “I’m so sorry to hear that,” as I continue my tasks.
Jamie tries again, “Do you have a pencil?”
“Yes I do!”
Jamie waits.
Does this feel familiar? I learned how to ask the right questions from my gas station attendant. My students learned the same way.
Jamie tries one more time, “Mrs. Peterson, may I please borrow a pencil?”
“Yes, you may!” I reply as I hand her a brand new #2 yellow pencil with a freshly sharpened point.
Ask a specific question
We have gotten to the point in our society in which we expect our needs to be met immediately. As Christians, we expect God to know our needs and meet them without our even having to ask, but God clearly tells us that we are to pray and ask for what we need. Sometimes this seems easier said than done.
The disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray, and He replied:
“This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. (Matthew 6:9-13 NIV)
The requests in the Lord’s prayer are very specific, and when they are answered it will be clear that God has answered that prayer and provided what was requested.
When Jesus approached the blind man in Luke 18:41 (NIV), He asked, “What do you want me to do for you?” If one of us had been that blind man, we might have been taken aback at the incredulous question. What else would a blind person want but to see? Jesus simply wanted him to make his request clearly and specifically.
Philippians 4:6b (KJV) “let your requests be made known unto God.”
Just Ask God
In his book, Anxious for Nothing (2017), Max Lucado speaks to specific requests. He states, “A specific prayer is a serious prayer.”
When I had my own business I learned to approach potential clients specifically: “May I call you on Tuesday at 4:00 or Wednesday at 5:00?” Making a specific request more often will receive a specific reply. It implies that you actually do want to have the meeting. “Give me a call when you want to chat or if you have questions” will typically have no reply… ever.
See God Work
“Specific prayer is an opportunity to see God at work” (Lucado, 2017). When we make a specific request, we can attribute that answer directly to God! God wants us to tell others about our answered prayers and particular direction from God, and when we see clear God responses, we can rejoice specifically.
I couldn’t find my iPad. It wasn’t in my house or my car. I checked every bag including my computer carrier – nothing. I really had no idea where it was. I’ve started doing this more often as I age… but that is another issue. There was no reason to tear my house apart looking for it, so I just prayed. I specifically prayed for God to keep it safe until He led me to it. Several days later,
I was setting up for an event at a venue where I work, pulled out a chair… and there it was, safely kept in a bag of mine on a chair under a table. Did I fret for those days? Nope. I let it go. I didn’t waste a moment wringing my hands about something that I couldn’t find. I gave it to God… and then I gave the praise to Him when I found it!
Let God Lighten Your Load
“Specific prayer creates a lighter load.” We can leave the details of our lives at His feet knowing that He will supply our needs. “God is not limited or impressed by our eloquence or formulas. But He is moved by a sincere request. After all, is He not our Father? As His children we honor Him when we tell Him exactly what we need.” (Lucado, 2017)
Philippians 4:6 (NIV) “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
When we are specific with God, we have peace. We lay our requests at his feet, and our anxious thoughts subside.
Whether you need directions, a pencil, or the location of your iPad, be specific, and watch God work.
