Jesus said: “Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” Matthew 7:9-11
Our requests to God can sometimes be very selfish, centered only on what we want and not what we need. God the Father longs for the day when we ask him for what we really need or, better yet, what others need.
Solomon had the privilege of asking for anything he wanted from God. Of all of the choices available to him, Solomon made the one that was most pleasing to God – he asked for wisdom. God responded by giving Solomon more wisdom than any other man, and God gave him riches and honor as well, so that others could benefit from the wisdom God gave him. (See 1 Kings 3:3-14).
The best things to pray for are those that will help other people. Good examples of the right kinds of things to pray for are character qualities like patience, self-control and gentleness. That will help you get along better with other people and will help point others towards Christ. Another example is praying for the health of someone who is sick. “And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” James 5:15-16
When you have needs, however, you should never be afraid to ask God to meet them. He loves to answer the prayers of his children!
