WHAT are you praying about?

Don’t miss God’s commands to pray about these things also.

It’s very common for ‘prayer warriors’ and children of God to have prayer lists. Why? So we can go down our check list to be sure we’re praying for everyone and everything we think we should be praying about. These would include praying for people who are mentioned on various prayer request lists we see. It’s a noble thing to be spending precious prayer time in intercessory prayer for others.We would also normally be praying the central points found in the “the Lord’s Prayer”. That too, is a good list of topics to be praying about. This would include elements of “thy Kingdom come”, praying “thy will be done on earth…” and providing for our daily physical and spiritual bread. As you continue on down that sample prayer, there are other elements, such as “forgive us our trespasses”, even as you ask for help in forgiving others. There are other points as well. So far, so good.

But let me ask this: are we also praying for the many other things which our Father or His Son have directly told us to be praying about?
For example, many of you reading this are hoping – and counting on there being “a Place of Safety”. I hope and believe there will be such a place, but I want to rely on Yahweh directly in my heart, not on an earthly place of safety. I don’t see Jesus – or Yeshua -- telling us to pray that we “get to make it to the place of safety”. That’s nowhere to be found that I know of, though something else is told us. What we are told to pray about, related to that, these two things:

Luke 21:36 - Watch therefore [be spiritually alert], and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man."
So have you been praying that prayer? When was the last time? There are two things listed there: counted worthy to escape, and to stand in the presence of the Son of Man.
Do you realize God has also given us other topics He says we should be sure to be praying about? I’ll list a few. This is not a comprehensive list but to pique your interest in studying it even further. So here we go:

There will be a coming “flight” from danger. If you are in Jerusalem, much of the city shuts down on the Sabbath. Have you ever prayed for this in the past year?
Matt 24:20; Mark 13:18-19 - “And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.”
As Yeshua was beginning the final ordeal leading up to Calvary, as He was beginning the horrific trial of the next many hours, He also told us to pray for this (when was your last time?):
Luke 22:40 - When He came to the place, He said to them, "Pray that you may not enter into temptation." (or be put to the test, or give in to temptation)

 With Passover coming up soon, here’s a good commanded prayer topic we neglect at our peril:

Matthew 5:44-46 - “ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.“

 How are we doing so far? If you have a “prayer list”, add these to your list right now. Start putting some names down of people you don’t like very much and start praying for them, asking for God to bless them. Notice Yeshua goes on to say this is one of the things which define us as God’s children, for He does good things even to the unjust.

Right now there is a growing tension around Israel and the city of Jerusalem. The spiritual leader of the Muslim Brotherhood terrorist group has called for jihad to liberate Jerusalem from “the infidels”. Are you praying about that – or just resigned yourself that what will happen, will happen? What are we told in Scripture? Are we praying for this as well: Peace of Jerusalem?
Psalm 122:6-7 - 6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: "May they prosper who love you.
7 Peace be within your walls, Prosperity within your palaces."

Pray for those in active, full-time ministry. Active ministry has its own ups and downs and challenges as you’re dealing with “people problems and issues” constantly, trying to prepare good spiritual food in due season. Ask Father to give them plenty of the Holy Spirit, to guide their sermons and counsel, to help them be strong as examples:
1 Thessalonians 5:25 “Brethren, pray for us”. 

 Do you want to be personally healed? Here’s another command:

Pray for one another that YOU may be healed as well. (James 5:16). If you are committing time in intercessory prayer, your odds of being healed when you are sick have just improved dramatically.
There are many more topics we are told to pray about. We can pray for more of the Holy Spirit and wisdom. We can pray we recognize and identify the gifts of God’s Spirit given to us, and to use them to His glory. To learn more you can check out my sermon and transcript at www.lightontheRock.org and go to November 2006 and listen to the sermon titled, “Pray for These Things also”. Learn what Paul said he prayed about. See many more examples. If you’re ever wondering what to pray about, you’ll get a lot of tips from that sermon.

 May Yahweh bless you and strengthen you as you pray. Remember, you are the House of God. The House of God was known as a house of Prayer. Let’s live it – and be houses of prayer.