If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? – Matthew 7:11, KJV

I recently met a fellow for the first time who turned out to be a brother in Christ. We talked about the reason for our meeting for only about twenty minutes. For the other hour and forty minutes, we fellowshipped in The Lord.

One of the stories he told me was the story of how he met his wife. Twenty-six years ago, someone challenged him to not only pray for a bride, which he was already doing, but to pray specifically for what he wanted in a bride. At first, he thought it awkward to put boundaries on The Lord’s provision, but he eventually took the advise. “Lord,” he prayed, “please send me a wife that’s a little younger than me, a little shorter than me, has a dark complexion, and has a daughter I can raise since all I have now is boys.” After praying, he turned the matter over to The Lord and moved on with life.

Two weeks later, a woman walked into his office that, you guessed it, was a little younger, a little shorter, had a dark complexion, and had a five-year old daughter. Within a short course of time The Lord knit their two hearts together, and the rest, as they say, is history.

The blind men of Matthew 9:27-30 prayed specifically that they might see. The centurion of Matthew 8:5-13 prayed specifically that Jesus would heal his servant. The woman of Mark 5:25-34 prayed specifically that Jesus would take away her 12-year issue of blood. And, today, Jesus is waiting for you and for me to pray to Him specifically for what we want.

Will you always get what you pray for? No. There are biblical reasons why God doesn’t answer some of our prayers. But if you pray for good things for Godly reasons and for God’s glory – and if you believe with all of your heart that He is able to perform – then He will give you what you ask.