Is your prayer request legit?

Will you pray for me?

It’s a sentence that many of us have uttered at some point or another. Sharing your cares with others is after all the Christian thing to do, as is asking for prayer, isn’t it?

It depends.

I don’t know if you recognize this, but sometimes we spend more time sharing our cares with others, than sharing them with God. The Bible teaches us to cast all our cares upon Him, for He will support the righteous (Psalm 55:22). And 1 Peter 5:7 encourages us as well to cast all our anxieties on Him, because He cares for us.

Do you spend as much time talking about your problems with God as you do discussing them with others? I know that for me, it’s often the other way around. I’ve even been guilty of discussing them with others before I even talked to God about them.

The same goes for prayer requests. Of course it’s good to ask others to pray for you or for a specific situation that’s on your heart. I did just that this week when I asked people in my former church in The Netherlands to pray for something that’s been on my heart for weeks and that I’ve prayed a lot about myself.

But if your first reflex is to put out a prayer request instead of dropping on your knees and pray yourself, you may want to ask yourself why. Prayer requests can be a substitute for praying yourself, especially when you’re wrestling with an issue. It can also be a subtle way of asking for attention.

Be honest and check your heart before you put out a prayer request: is it legit, are you doing it for the right reason? Have you prayed earnestly yourself?

Don’t let others take the place in your life God deserves. Cast all your anxieties upon Him, because He cares for you!