Desperation or Entitlement: Assessing Your Prayer Life

Do you approach God with the expectation of receiving? How do you present your needs to Him? Do you come with clear requests, or do you simply defer to "If it is the Lord's will"?

The account of the woman with the issue of blood (Matthew 9:20-22, Mark 5:25-34, Luke 8:43-48) illustrates a person who exhibits faith coupled with expectancy.

James 2:17 states, "So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead." This woman's faith prompted her to take action. Despite only knowing of Jesus through hearsay, she firmly believed that He might hold the solution.

She took a bold step at the mere chance of a miracle; there was no guarantee of it. It's important to remember that the New Testament had not yet been written. She lacked the intimate knowledge of Jesus that believers have today. All she had were rumors; nevertheless, her expectancy prompted action in the face of uncertainty. She risked much for the opportunity to touch the Rabbi.

How often do we opt for the safer route, offering vague prayers and omitting specifics? Do we mistake surrendering to God's will as an act of great faith, when in reality, it reflects the opposite? I contend that many prayers go unanswered due to our reluctance to define our needs boldly and to pray with expectancy.

When we fail to articulate our requests with confidence, we might actually reveal a lack of faith that leads to no outcomes at all. Why? Perhaps because we fear that God won't respond, and we find comfort in leaving matters to chance.

Certainly, we should always align our prayers with the Lord's will, but this should guide our prayers rather than serving as an excuse for vagueness. In other words, we should understand God's will in many cases and then pray accordingly. Instead, we often wait passively for God to act, when God is waiting for us to approach Him in faith. Even when we are uncertain of God's will in a matter, the Bible provides enough guidance to keep us moving forward.

Philippians 4:6 advises, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication with gratitude, let your requests be made known to God."

When people approached Jesus, He often inquired, "What do you need?" He wanted to know their specific needs. Expressing a specific need transforms mere requests into miracles and requires humility.

Do you approach God seeking handouts or expecting miracles? Preferring "whatever you desire, Jesus" over "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" reveals desperation rather than entitlement.

The crucial question to ask oneself is: "How earnestly do I desire it?"

The church must adopt a bold, specific, and deliberate approach to prayer, discerning God's will and aligning personal desires with His.

As we earnestly press toward Jesus, overcoming obstacles and excuses, we will witness a genuine move of God. Unlike the woman in the biblical narrative, for us, there is no "perhaps." We are assured of results when we approach with faith and expectancy.