“Thus, prayer becomes not so much a matter of asking for something as it is a means of life and growth of the inner person.”
I have nearly stopped asking for things in prayer. I have even stopped asking for ‘good’ things, like specific intervention prayers for others. Instead, I ask that God’s will be done in their lives and that they be reconciled to His will. Instead of asking for things for myself, I try to talk to God as if He is the Counselor He claims to be in Scripture. I ask Him why I do the things I do. I ask Him to help me understand my responses to certain situations; why I got mad at someone, or why I’m feeling lonely. Sometimes I will look at the seat next to me and speak to God as if He is sitting there. Instead of asking God for things I am learning to invite Him into all areas of my life. I am growing with Him, and I am trying to let Him lead the way.
For example, instead of striving for wealth and success, I ask God what He wants me to do. That’s tough sometimes because there is a little voice in my head that tells me I will die an unknown nobody if I don’t achieve. I don’t have a great answer for that little voice. I know I am supposed to believe that I am a precious child of God, but sometimes telling myself that sounds cliché.
I talk to God about these feelings as well, asking Him to help me understand my inner soul. Why do I feel like a nobody who needs to ‘achieve’? Who taught me that lesson? Why do I think it’s true? When I talk with God about these things, He will sometimes answer: I learned this from my father, who taught me that I needed to always try my hardest and achieve to the fullest of my ability.
If others could hear your prayers, would they think you were talking with Jesus Christ or Santa Claus?
Three Taverns Church 
November 18, 2012 at 4:57 pm
😀 I like this. When our prayers become as wishlists, it is like we have degraded God. Rather than asking Him to do things for me, I try to ask Him to help me do things for myself. I can’t expect God to do for me what I am not willing to do for myself or even Him and others. Whatever I ask, I ask that it be according to His will and not my own. Thank you.
November 18, 2012 at 5:14 pm
Thanks for the comment! The 12 & 12 agrees with you: When we ask for things from God (and Jesus did this at least once), we should probably end the prayer with, “…not my will, but your will be done.” The tricky part, of course, is to not allow ourselves to be fooling into thinking just because we ended a prayer with, “thy will be done,” that we have carte blanche to go ahead and do whatever the heck it is we prayed about.
December 5, 2012 at 12:23 am
Not to disagree with what you’ve written but….I always ask God for things and outcomes for other people’s lives. Just the other day I asked God to help my daughter loosen a bolt on a plumbing project she was struggling with. And, of course, He did. Jesus has every need covered so I go to Him for the answers and the help and to provide for my temporal needs and wants too. I usually thank Him in advance because I know He will provide. God IS my Santa Claus! Santa is the symbol of God’s generosity toward us.
No, Jesus should not be like a vending machine and Santa should not be thought of as merely a dispenser of toys. Get to know Jesus—- the Greatest Giver of the greatest Gift and gifts. Then you will feel comfortable and even eager to go boldly into His throne room and ask for what you need and want. He will will help you with all of that. I love “Santa Claus”! He is the spirit of Generosity. He reminds us all to be generous to others and to reach out in generosity to others. Keep Christ and Santa in Christmas! Merry Christmas! 🙂