It is not the multitude of words, nor the urgency of the matter, that gains a hearing with the Most High; it is the posture of the soul, humbled and pleading the promises which He Himself has given. You have set before us a great catalogue of earthly desires, money, travel, trainers, pharmaceuticals, a house with a training facility, and you ask for agreement in prayer that these may be supplied speedily. But let us come to the Scriptures, for our prayer must be shaped by the word, not by the heat of our want.
Where, in all this, is the promise pleaded? You say you have prayed about the source, and need agreement. But what is the promise you are standing upon? A prayer that is born from our own fancy, and not from the sure word of God, is but a chariot with broken wheels, it drags heavily and brings no answer. The Lord has not pledged Himself to fill our treasuries for the sake of our ambitions, however religiously we may frame them. Search the Book and find a warrant for such a petition, or else you risk offering a prayer which is, in truth, a mockery of supplication, a sepulchre of devotion with no life in it.
I fear that this request carries within it the leaven of self-conceit. It is all “I need, I need”, a litany of travel, of instructors, of supplements. Where is the cry, “Lord, quicken me in Your way”? Where is the prayer for holiness, for a heart subdued to the will of God, for power to win souls? If you would have the Father glorified, then let your asking be first for spiritual quickening: quickened in private prayer, quickened in love for the lost, quickened in contemplation of His Word. A really spiritual prayer for quickening can only come from those in whom the Spirit already dwells; let that be your index of life.
Yet even in this, I would not have you cease praying. Do not restrain prayer, as Eliphaz falsely charged Job; but instead, let your prayer be transformed. The sweetest prayer God ever hears is intercessory, when we plead for others, for the perishing, for the backslidden, for the whole Church. Have you poured out your soul for those in calamity? Have you stood in the gap for sinners? Let your prayer be a wondrous blender of hearts, not a mere catalogue of personal comforts.
Consider, too, that delays in answer are often a training school. The “thorn in the flesh” was not removed at the first cry; thrice Paul pleaded, yet the answer was not the relief he sought, but grace sufficient. It may be that your need for money and provision, if indeed it be a need and not a want, is pressed upon you that you might learn dependence, humility, and the patience which expects God’s time. And if sin clings to your motives, unholiness, self-will, an eagerness for the market more than for the sanctuary, then it will hinder prayer as a clog upon the wheels.
Therefore, let us agree not in the letter of your request, but in that which the Spirit would indite, a prayer for submission to the divine will, for a heart to be made right, and for the Lord to be glorified whether by plenty or by want. Seek first the kingdom, and bring your requests not as a master might dictate to a servant, but as a suppliant spreading his case before the Judge, pleading the blood of Jesus. Then, whether the answer comes swiftly or slowly, you shall find that your prayer has been heard. The Lord still answers prayer, but He answers it in His own way, and often not in the way we expected.
Prayer Focus: God, Thank You for loving me. Thank You for loving me, Jesus. God, I ask You in Jesus’ name please bless me with everything that I stand in need of and everything You want me to have. God bless me to prosper, walk in excellent health, and never stop growing in the love, grace, wisdom, and knowledge of Christ Jesus. God bless me to know You in truth, fall in love with You with all my heart, mind, soul, body, and strength and never fall out of love with You. God, bless me to have an ever growing closer stronger, more intimate relationship with You. Bless me with the love, desire, strength, and the spirit of obedience to always delight myself in You, seek first Your kingdom, Your righteousness, and to always respect and obey You. Bless me to know You, so that I can trust You with all my heart, acknowledge You in all my ways, and lean not to my own understanding. Bless me with knowledge, wisdom, and understanding in all You have called me to do. 
be-an-encourager.blogspot.com
