Stop Praying Like a “Wuss”

Wuss – weakling or wimp – Dictionary.com Unabridged, Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2010.

If you cannot bench press 1075 lbs., climb Mt. Everest without bottled oxygen, or score the decisive goal at the World Cup, some may refer to you as a “wuss.” The truth is, only a minority have actually pulled one of these off. Some things are limited to a small number of people. Being able to pray with power is not one of them.

All of us have felt like a “wuss” in our prayer life at one time. We have experienced the frustration of thinking our prayers barely reached the ceiling, much less the Throne of God. Others confess they really cannot identify any specific answer to prayer and feel…well…like a spiritual “wuss” when describing their prayer life.

So how should we pray? Is it a secret reserved for a select few? Is it possible to pray with confidence? What would it feel like to pray believing God would answer?

In his epistle James refers to Abraham as a man who “believed God.”  (2:23) Genesis 18 narrates Abraham’s compelling prayer for God to spare Sodom and Gomorrah. He was a man who prayed like he truly trusted God.

This is not a special formula for prayer. In reality this is just a man acquainted with His God and prayer. Notice four qualities about his prayer:

1. Boldness – You can sense the intimate relationship Abraham has with God (vs. 18-19), and you get the idea this is not his first prayer (vs. 22-23).

2. Persistence – He kept pressing the point (vs. 24, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32) – thus demonstrating his confidence in God’s mercy.

3. Passion – His repeated question of “Will you destroy the righteous with the wicked?” reveals his passion and compassion for people consumed with wickedness.

4. Reverence – Abraham humbly says in verse 27: “Indeed now, I who am but dust and ashes have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord.”

You can sense the intimate relationship Abraham has with God, and you get the idea this is not his first prayer.

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Why not identify one of these qualities from Abraham’s prayer to implement in your own life today. “Stop Praying Like a “Wuss”!

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