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Ask and Receive

"What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.  Mark 11:24

 

Someone has said that before our prayers can mean anything to God, they must first mean something to us. Mindlessly repeating a prayer we memorized in childhood or vaguely asking God to bless everyone, everywhere---that isn't authentic prayer. Prayer is speaking to God about the deepest concerns of our hearts.

What is the source of true prayer? It is a heart attuned to God. It is a life lived in loving obedience to the Father. The Bible says, "And whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him, because we keep His commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in His sight (1 John 3:22).

God delights in the prayers of His children---prayers that express our love for Him, prayers that share our deepest burdens with Him. Don't pray casually or thoughtlessly, but "come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:16).

From, HOPE for Each Day: Morning & Evening Devotions, by Billy Graham.