Are My Prayers Selfish?

Now and then, I wonder if I’m being selfish in some of my prayers. I also wonder if I’m using prayer for an excuse to put off taking that next step in life.

I know that God has told us many times in the Bible that we should ask for his help. That encourages me to pray for anything and everything. I do try to be practical. I do not pray, for example, for riches, but for enough to pay the bills when they are due. I pray that I can fulfill my promises to the creditors who I owe. I pray for that which we need to survive. Once in a while, yep, I sure do pray for something selfish. There is a place in the Bible where it is mentioned that if we know how to give good gifts to each other, how much more will the Father give good gifts to those who ask him. These thoughts keep me from becoming obsessed with worry about whether I am selfish or not.

I also wonder if, by turning something over to God for resolution, I am giving up and taking the easy way out. There are times when I am frozen by indecision and seem to be going nowhere, even after I’ve turned it over to him. Tonight, I did a search on Bible Gateway, and found over 50 passages about “trust in the Lord.” One of my own favorites, in the same vein, is Isaiah 40:31. It is about waiting upon the Lord and then soaring on wings like eagles. I guess that’s what I’m doing - staying calm, or trying to, and waiting upon him to do his thing with me.

Heavenly Father, continue to give me patience. I know in my heart it will be worth the wait.