Page 89 - First Steps 2023

was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought.
And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with
the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ For some time he
refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God

or care what people think, yet because this widow keeps bothering
me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come
and attack me!’” (Luke 18:1-5).

If that’s what Jesus wanted from his disciples, there’s no reason to

think he doesn’t expect it from us, too. Which means you may need to
pray for something specific not once, or twice, but for years.
It’s not a sign that God’s forgotten to listen. It’s a reminder, every
time you pray, of your dependence on God.
And that’s not a bad thing.

4. Document when a prayer is answered.

People tend to be very, very good at remembering when they don’t
get what they want but seldom notice when things do go as hoped.
Doubt that? Consider how a story of disappointing service at restau-
rants will go viral, but the zillion times chefs and servers excel are all but
ignored.
We Jesus-followers are people. We, too, find it easy to forget when
God answers a prayer, even if we’ve prayed something for a long time.
And that’s a mistake.
Not only may we forget to thank God, but we also lose out on the
chance for our faith to grow.
Keeping a journal of what you’ve prayed gives you the long view—you
can review what you’ve talked with God about and, over time, see how
he’s responded.

5. Asking specifically—right now.

What’s one thing you’d like to see God do—specifically? A request
for yourself or someone you know well. Jot it down below. Remember, a
specific request will have a specific answer!

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