The Doctor: Our Trouble in Prayer Is Our Little Troubles

Our trouble usually is, that we are so deeply concerned about our little problem and our particular difficulty, that we forget everything else, as if our problem was the one thing that mattered in the whole universe.  Pray for the success of God’s kingdom, for the spread of His Kingdom, for the success of His work.  It is always safe to pray for a greater knowledge of God, a greater knowledge of His love, a greater knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, a greater understanding of His love towards you.  You need never hesitate about offering such prayers; they are always acceptable to God, they are always well-pleasing in His sight.  He delights in them, and the more we pray in that way the more God will be pleased with us.  Prayer for greater holiness, greater sanctification, greater strength, and help in the battle against sin, is always right.  – D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Romans, Vol. 8, p. 152