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Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” And the blind man said to him, “Rabbi, let me recover my sight.” Mark 10:51
Specific prayers are answered.
When Jesus asked the blind man what he wanted, the blind man gave a specific request, “Rabbi, let me recover my sight.” The blind man didn’t say, “Lord, give me a blessed day.”
When I ask someone how I can pray for them, often they say, “That I will have a blessed day” or “I’m having difficulty with my business” or “That my relationship with my child will be better.”
How do you get “blessed” or “difficulty” or “better” to a specific request so you will notice if the Lord answers your prayer?
Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him on the way.” Mark 10:52
The blind man noticed when he recovered his sight. His specific request was answered.
How we formulate our prayers enables answers.
A general prayer is – well, general – a burden or a yearning, but nothing specific. A specific prayer? You notice when it is answered. There is nothing wrong with general prayers, in fact, great specific asks of God start general and then get more specific:
God, I want to work for myself and start a new business. Is that okay?
Thank you, God. When I helped my neighbor build his shed, I knew you were calling me to a handyman service. Can you give me confirmation of this calling?
Okay, God, I quit my stable but unfulfilling job to start “End-Times Handyman!” But I need a better pickup truck and they are hard to find; help me find one, please.
Wow, God thanks. Someone called to ask if I wanted to buy their truck. I bought the truck. It was reasonably priced and in good condition.
Thanks for the truck! Now I need to start doing at least $1,500 of work a week. Please bring in the work.
Feeling unease at work (a general burden or conviction of the Lord) to asking about changing occupations (more specific as God can indicate “yes” or “no”).
To a needed pickup truck (he should have asked this before quitting the job, but the Lord is gracious!)
Then another specific – a need of $1,500 a week in work to pay bills. Won’t the new handyman praise God when God takes the $1,500 request and increases it to $15,000 a week?
General to Specific to Abundance – the sequence of praying general to specific, plus God’s blessing.
Praying specifically allows God to give beyond your expectations. When the blessings come, you will know it is God. How problematic for the person who encounters blessing without knowing where the blessings originate?
Instead of praise, there might be pride.
Jesus wants to answer prayers. He wants you to be involved in the process.
Great answers are incremental and build – which means your greatest answered prayers will be later in life. Yes, the purpose of sitting at home while infirm should be great specific prayers that shake heaven and earth.
Faith for shaking prayers is built upon years of answered specific prayers.
General to Specific t0 Miracles t0 Praise.