Every day Bob prayed, “Lord take the cobwebs out of my heart.” Another man overheard him praying this same prayer day in and day out and finally prayed, “Lord, I’m tired of listening to this guy, please, kill the spider!” Vinny prayed, “Lord I want to win the lottery. After a year of praying Vinny said, “Lord, I don’t get it, I’ve prayed every week that I would win the lottery and nothing, why?” The Lord responds, “Vinny, meet me halfway – Buy a ticket!” We chuckle, at these examples, but if we’re honest, our own prayer lives often reflect Bob and Vinny’s. (Please take note I am not endorsing the lottery or gambling)

We tend to focus on the cobwebs in our lives and try to manage them, rather than killing the spiders. We look at outward symptoms and indicators, instead of digging down to unearth the root causes which requires a look inward. To make this shift inward, we must present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

The transformation of our mind happens when we allow the Word of God and the Holy Spirit who dwells in us to convict, convince, and conform us toward greater Christlikeness. God does His part, but we must do our part by presenting ourselves to Him, submitting to His will, obeying His Word, and prayer.

Here’s a quick heart check when it comes to your prayers: 1) Are your prayers selfish? Are you praying “my will be done instead of Thy will be done? 2) Are you manipulative in your prayers, trying to “coerce” God, revealing impure motives? James 4:3 says, When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives.” 3) Is there unconfessed sin in your life? Psalms 66:18 says, “If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear me.” 4) Are you praying for “street cred”? The religious leaders in Jesus’ day deliberately prayed to be seen and heard by others. They timed their prayers so that they would be at major street crossings during the busiest times so they could be seen by others. Those are all non-starters. And finally, 5) Do your prayers lack faith? James 1:6 says, “But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man unstable in all his ways.

Maybe you’ve heard the story about a mid-west farming community that was experiencing severe drought. The pastor of the small rural church announced they would have a prayer meeting Saturday at noon to pray for rain. The entire community showed up. One little 7-year-old girl arrived with an umbrella in her hand. The pastor asked, “why are you carrying an umbrella there isn’t a cloud in sight for 100 miles?” The little girl replied, “I thought we were praying for rain?” This story of course demonstrates the faith of a little girl and her confidence that God would answer her prayers. Perhaps the first step to take is to start carrying an umbrella with you.

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