David prays for his prayers. “Hear my cry…listen to my prayer.” David prays for his prayers! The 61st Psalm opens with a prayer that his prayer be heard. David is serious about praying. He is earnest in prayer. He does not just pray to pray. He prays to be answered. He prays prayers that must be answered. Prayer is not sky journaling, therapeutically pouring out your soul to the silent but caring counselor in the heavens. Prayer, specifically petition, is not ultimately about you praying, but God answering.
Oh how little we really pray. How little we really pray is evidenced in this—we don’t look for an answer. I don’t pray enough. I don’t even pray enough lazy prayers. So few are truly earnest. Oh how little we pray even when we do pray. We look with more anticipation for the latest Amazon package to arrive than we do for answers to our prayers. William Plumer writes, “It is a sad mistake with some to offer prayers and then care no more of them. It is not the prayer but the answer to it that brings the blessing.”
Pray, “Deliver me from this temptation!” and then look in earnest for the answer as though your life depended on it.
Pray, “Save my children!” and then look in earnest for the answer as though their life depended on it.
Pray, “Revive your church!” and then look in earnest for the answer as though our hope depended on it.
Pray, “Advance your gospel!” and then look in earnest for the answer as though their hope, the hope of the nations depended on it.
Certainly our prayers should involve more than petition, but are your petitions so petty they are forgettable? Or do you pray prayers that God must answer! Certainly there are many petitions that we may not bring before God as demands. But as you grow to know God, as you cry out with greater insight and specificity “Hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:9–10)—as you do so, there should be an earnestness, a desperation for God to prove Himself to be the God He has promised to be.
“Hear my cry… listen to my prayer.” I’m afraid we don’t pray for our prayers, because we know that so often, our prayers aren’t really worth listening to.
Thou art coming to a King,
large petitions with thee bring,
for his grace and pow'r are such,
none can ever ask too much.
Perhaps we may begin by praying that we would pray prayers worth praying for?