2 Timothy 1:7 – Appeal vs Praise Prayers

I came upon a Marcus Stanley prayer video on Facebook recently that Jesus used to teach me that I was praying for something incorrectly.

Appeal vs Praise

I pray every morning. I realized recently that I was making an appeal prayer to God when I should have been praising God for what I already had and asking for help in using it wisely in my current situation. I may need to ask for additional training to use my gifts more productively. However, I don’t need to ask for what I already have. For example, until recently, I prayed and asked for a strong mind, love, and power on days when I was struggling due to lack of sleep. I am naturally very grumpy if I do not sleep well. I should have asked Jesus to help me use the gifts of love and a sound mind that God had given me to function better in my current situation. 2 Timothy 1:7 clearly says I was given a strong mind and other attributes. Sometimes, our situations may mean learning to adapt and lean on Jesus differently.

Learning to Ask Correctly

The Scripture James 4:3 came to my mind about how we have not, because we ask incorrectly. Even though I usually think this Scripture is about motive, this morning I knew it was telling me I was asking for what I already had and that I needed to ask differently. Jesus was using my situation to teach me how to pray better. 2 Tim 1:7 tells me I already have a strong mind, love, and power through Jesus. The Lord wants us to have every Heavenly Blessing that we need. Learning how to pray correctly and realizing what I already have from God was encouraging. This change in perspective, as I prayed, also made me realize that it was time to grow and walk as a more mature follower of Christ Jesus, by knowing what I already have through Christ Jesus as I pray.

I Gave My Day to Jesus

I am already having a good day because I gave my day to Jesus. I had expected a bad day, because my night was so bad. So I prayed and gave Jesus the day because I didn’t think I could bear this groggy day. This bad night’s sleep and a groggy morning gave me a different perspective.

My New Perspective

Usually, I ask Jesus to join me and lead me each day as I learn how to follow Him better. Now I am wondering, what would happen if I just gave Jesus my day instead? If a day I expected to be so bad has turned to good after giving it to Jesus, what would a good day look like after giving it to Jesus Christ?

Lord Jesus, please help me remember this new perspective and learn from this day. Use this day to teach me everything I can from this new perspective. Thank you for all of the many gifts that are already ours. Thank you for teaching us how to use our gifts better and to follow when You are leading us. Especially, thank You for teaching us how to use the gift of prayer. Amen.