Why Not Just Pray for Everything?

Once I was studying with a young man who asked to pray before we finished, and so he did. And as he was concluding his prayer, he asked God specifically for “all of His blessings.” I thought this was an interesting prayer request, since in all my 27 years, I’d never quite heard anyone pray this way or ask for so much. In fact, I think that many Christians might be bashful to pray so boldly. Some may feel greedy or as though asking for so much would be wrong. However, this very boldness is at the heart of how we should pray.

Christians might say to themselves, “God has already given me the life of His Son to save me from my sins, how could I possibly ask for more?” But Paul uses the exact same logic, to come to the opposite conclusion. He writes in Romans 8:32: “He who did not spare His own Son but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” Of course, Paul might have an eschatological hope in mind, but the principle still stands. If God is gracious enough to give us His Son, will He not be gracious to give us what else we need as well?

The writer of Hebrews certainly knew this to be true, “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:16). Because Jesus is our High Priest who forever intercedes for us and cleanses us with His blood, we can enter God’s presence in prayer with absolute confidence and certainty that we are welcome and that He hears our prayer.

Jesus also said that we should pray to God our Father with confidence in His inclination to help us and answer our prayers. As Jesus said, in Matthew 7:11: “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” And I can verify personally that if we remember that our prayer to God should be presented as if we are addressing our Father, we should indeed have a great deal of confidence. Though my son is yet to speak clearly, He knows the sign language for please. And when he wants something, he rubs his chest earnestly to ask for what he wants, and I have only rarely rejected his request; but when I did, it was for his own good. The vast majority of the time, I give him his exact request.

It is possible that we could be greedy in our prayer life, if we are only thinking about our wants and needs (James 4:3), and this should be avoided; nevertheless, we should be bold in our prayers, with the confidence that God hears, and is gracious to grant us our request; after all, if He has given us His Son, will He not be willing to answer our prayers? This doesn’t mean He always gives what we would like, since He knows what is best (2 Corinthians 12:8-9). But, nevertheless, this knowledge of God should make us anything but shy or bashful concerning our petitions. If we are concerned about health, we should ask. If we are concerned about finances, we should ask. If we want more ways in our lives, families, careers, and opportunities to serve, we should ask. And the reason is that God is willing and able to bless us abundantly and answer our requests when they are offered in faith.

Prayer is not conquering God’s reluctance, but taking hold of God’s willingness.

The man who says he is too busy to pray is too busy.

A prayer is merely a desire turned heavenward.