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Things To Pray For
Things To Pray For
“An excellent wife is the crown of her husband, but she who causes shame is like rottenness in his bones” (Proverbs 12:4).
About a decade ago I started writing in the margins of my Bible the letters “TTPF” (Things To Pray For) by verses that mentioned something I wanted to add to my prayer life. When I started this habit it was meant only as an aid to know what I should be praying for. As I read my Bible now, these annotations remind me to reflect on what I used to pray for, continue to pray for what I used to pray for, and keep going back to Scripture for my prayer life.
Reflect on What You Used to Pray For
If you are like me, it is easy to move on to your next request once a prayer has been answered. This week I had a humbling moment as I came across Proverbs 12:4 in my daily Bible reading and saw “TTPF” in the margin. I realized what I once prayed for I now have. As a college student, I diligently prayed for an excellent wife. After wearing this crown for two years, I am often focused on what is coming next instead of focusing on my answered prayer. My encouragement to you is to keep track of what you are praying about right now so that years in the future you can reflect on what you used to pray for.
Continue to Pray For What You Used to Pray For
The excellent wife is a good example of my bad habit to pray continually about something then suddenly stop once I feel satisfied. I used to pray for an excellent wife and the chance to be an excellent husband before I ever met Julianna. I have an excellent wife now, but that does not mean this prayer is no longer needed in my life. Now, more than ever, I should be praying for an excellent marriage and to be an excellent husband worthy of his excellent wife. Additionally, I can be praying for young men who might be praying that same prayer as they look for an excellent wife. If I read this verse ten years ago as something to be praying for, then it is still something I should be praying for today – just in a different way.
Keep Going Back to Scripture to Know What to Pray For
If I never read this verse then I would have never been praying for a wife whose excellence is like the crown of a king. The imagery that Scripture uses is there for a reason. I would not have thought of marriage in these terms had I not been praying for a wife according to the way Scripture explains an excellent wife. This principle applies to much more than just an excellent wife. If you are struggling to find what you should be praying for or how you should be praying for it, look to Scripture and you will find an abundance of examples, especially in the book of Psalms:
- Psalm 69:16 “Hear me, O LORD, for Your lovingkindness is good; turn to me according to the multitude of your tender mercies.”
- Psalm 80:19 “Restore us, O LORD God of hosts; cause Your face to shine, and we shall be saved!”
- Psalm 119:10 “Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!”
Our communication with God is through prayer, and God’s communication with us is through His Word. It makes sense that these two forms of communication should work together when we want to communicate with God. If we diligently seek communication with God through prayer and His word, then our lives will naturally draw nearer to Him.
–William Speer
