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But you, when you pray, enter into your inner room, and having shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. In praying, don't use vain repetitions, as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their much speaking. Matthew 6:6-7 WEB.

My friend had no idea that the answer to his prayer was waiting for him just inside the church door. I went to seminary with a brother who was praying for a wife. He told me one night that he had poured out his heart to God about his loneliness. He prayed:

"Lord, I'm lonely. I just want someone to hug me, kiss me, and tell me they love me."

When he went to church that Sunday morning, the burly, hairy pastor met him at the front door, hugged him, kissed him on the cheek, and told him that he loved him. My friend said that as this was happening, he thought, "I need to be more specific in my prayers."

The Lord had given him exactly what he had prayed for, but it wasn't delivered in the package he had envisioned. He learned to adjust his prayers to include a wife, and a lovely young woman soon joined that church. They hit it right off, and today they are married. God answered both of His prayers.

When you pray, tell the Lord exactly what you mean and be specific. It is a personal relationship that we have with Him. Don't assume that because He already knows it will happen. God knows everything, but everything doesn't happen. You have a part in this, and you actually need to pray the words. That's why it is called praying. James said we do not have because we do not ask (James 4:2).

I have often prayed something specific and saw God go even beyond the details in my prayer. Your prayers don't scare Him, for He is not just creative, but the Creator. Yes, He knows our needs before we even ask Him, but I still saw the brother in this story being kissed by the pastor. Be specific in your prayers.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I thank You for hearing my prayers, and I will try to be more specific. Please build my faith and teach me what I need to know today. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen!

Note: Today is Thankful Thursday at the Ministry Events group! This event gives us an opportunity encourage each other by posting thoughts, moments, and prayers of gratitude for Him, His creation and all that He does in our lives. All our welcome! To join, just click on the group name and then the join link on the page that will follow. As always, if you have a prayer need, we are here for you! We and the prayer team are ready to lift you up at our private prayer page: RHM Prayer Network.