How To Pray For Something Specific

In Christian circles, some believers argue that you should pray for something specific when you pray. In contrast, others would say that general prayers suffice since God is all-knowing and knows everything even before a word is on our tongue (Psalm 139:4).

Either way of praying is acceptable. There are times when you will find yourself praying generally, while there are times when you are praying specifically, depending on the circumstances. Regardless, the most important thing to remember here is that prayer is not a ritual in which a particular method must be done to be effective. Instead, it is our way of communicating with God out of our relationship with Him.

Heavenly Father, we thank You because, in Christ, we are reconciled with You and have been adopted as Your children. Our prayers are not there to earn Your favor but to come before You, seek You, and depend on You, our Heavenly Father. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

 

Should I pray specifically?

There is more to praying specifically than gaining an advantage. Praying generally allows you to pray in a broader sense. For example, praying for other people’s salvation would be as simple as praying for the people in your city or town to come to know Christ. It could also be as general as praying to be able to find a job.

On the other hand, specific prayers are more precise in what is being prayed for. Instead of praying for just the salvation of the city, one could pray for boldness upon the believers in the city so that the people may hear the Gospel, that God shall soften the people’s hearts, and that the government leaders of that city themselves shall come to know Christ as this would make an impact. It could also be praying for a specific job, like praying to get the job as an administrative assistant in XYZ company. If you ask God for a house for your family, it’s as specific as finding a home in a particular neighborhood, with a certain number of rooms at an exact price, which would benefit your spouse and kids.

So, is one better than the other? While specific prayer has advantages, it does not mean general prayer is bad. One of the benefits of prayer is that you can better measure the extent to which God answers your prayers. For example, the success of the prayer for saving your city is not easy to measure, given the broadness of the idea. Does one particular group of people coming to Christ show that God is answering your prayers? Or does it have to be the entire city in itself? What is the time frame for everyone to come to Christ? But praying for particular government leaders to be saved and Christian outreach events to proliferate in your city allows you to measure your success better. When you learn that the vice governor came to Christ and several Christian outreaches are about to happen, you know those are answers to your specific prayer.

Even in James 4:3, where James tells us that sometimes we do not have because we do not ask, and Matthew 7:9-11 where Jesus tells us that how could God, being a good Father, give us a stone when we asked for bread, provides us with the notion of praying specifically. When we pray specifically, it means that we know what we want. God would be delighted to grant us our desires as we delight in Him and ask according to His will (1 John 5:14; Psalm 37:4). There is some sense of being personal when we pray specifically. We pray for certain things because they mean something unique to us.

It is essential, however, to strike a balance between praying generally and specifically. General prayer means that you cover a broad area. That is believing in the sovereignty and power of God to accomplish great things no matter how big the scale. Also, there are times when we use general prayer due to a particular scenario. For example, if we feel broken because of a specific heartache, we may only be able to utter, “Lord, help me.” Does that mean it means less because it is not as clear as “Lord, heal my heart and give me the grace to face tomorrow and the strength to keep persevering at work and life?” Of course not. In the end, prayer is a matter of one’s relationship with God.

How Do You pray specifically?

First, pray for wisdom and discernment because specific prayer means asking for what you want. For example, if you pray to God for a spouse, you must be clear about what you want in a spouse, like their values or maturity. You must ask God for wisdom and discernment because your spouse’s values, maturity, and character will significantly impact you. Having a spouse who does not share your values could be troublesome down the road. Hence, ask God for wisdom and discernment as you specifically ask for a spouse. The same principles apply when praying about other things. The good thing is that the Bible tells us that God generously gives wisdom to those who ask (James 1:5).

You can pray for that home as you learn what you want and exercise wisdom and discernment. Pray about which neighborhood, the mortgage rate, the accessibility, etc. That is why you need the wisdom to decide what you want.

However, it is also important to note that there are prayers where you don’t necessarily have to be so detailed. For example, if you have a friend who needs strength as he goes to work, that is already a specific prayer, or if you wish to pray for a particular nation, you may pray right away. There are prayer points that need wise deliberation, while others do not.

Below is an example of praying specifically. Notice how the prayer dives into more specific details:

Father in heaven, I pray for the campus from which I graduated that You will cause the hearts of the people there to be softened. Give me the boldness to preach the Gospel there, starting in my former department, where I know some people like the current chairperson and the admins. I also ask You for the grace that I need when it comes to work, specifically the grace to come up with new ideas for our marketing strategy. I also pray for a car to make my travel easier. Help me discern which type and brand of car I should purchase and pray for. Help me make the best choice and to pray for it. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

While we ask God for something specific, we should also remember that there are times when God has a different answer. In such times, it is essential to remember that the LORD can be trusted (Psalm 18:30; Deuteronomy 32:4). He is our good Father who only gives good gifts to His children. We can trust that all God ever wants to provide us with is that which is good for us (Romans 8:28).