Day 6: Ongoing, Deadline. Impossible. Praying Concrete.

I have a couple of prayer journals, but one is a journal that I write down prayer requests in and try to keep record of the answers. It is SO EXCITING to read the records of how Jesus has answered. I've noticed though that it's often the more concrete, specific prayers that I see visible answers to. I think there's such value in being specific in our prayers (not being manipulative or demanding but being humble and yet bold).

Along this line of making specific, measurable requests to Jesus, I feel like there are 3 types of prayers (I'm making this up as I go. Wink). There are 1) ongoing prayers, 2) deadline prayers, and then there are the 3) impossible prayers. :)

Ongoing prayers: These are the prayers for which we need daily answers. They may seem a little more abstract, but there can eventually be seen literal answers. An example of this type of prayer would be praying for patience towards people. I will be able to see evidence of Jesus at work as I pray for this, but I will most likely never see the prayer fully answered here on earth.

Deadline prayers: These are the prayers prayed for something with a time limit, a prayer that could be witnessed to be fully answered. This is like the prayer for the job or the prayer for enough strength for that paper that needs to be turned in five days from now. Those types of prayers. They may be prayers in the moment or for future things.

Impossible prayers: Mmm. These types of prayers fascinate me the most and get me most excited. :) These are the prayers of boldness that many of us don't offer up because we either don't know all we can ask for, and/or we're scared of being wrong in asking for it. These are the prayers that people know can't be answered on a human level. These are the prayers for the salvation of the atheist neighbor, the prayer that God would heal, the prayer that God would bring in enough money to send us to Bible school or the mission trip, the prayer that Jesus would use us to bring someone to Him in the next week. (And those may not even be the boldest of prayers. There may be a higher level of boldness out there. Smile).

Well, my goal by the end of this week: Come up with 2 deadline prayers and 2 impossible prayers. :) I'll try to share at least some of them with you, so you can be witnesses! :)

PS The "ongoing prayer" for day 5 is for "Joy." :)

Dear Jesus,
Please help me to be creative in what I pray for . . . and bold. Please help me to pray in Your will, Jesus.

And may I humbly ask for Your joy? Please fill me, Jesus. Thank You that You give me all I need. Thank You for Your forgiveness toward me today. I needed it.

I love You, Jesus. (still more love, Jesus? please? help me?)
Amen.