Generic Prayer - Generic Results

There were two women who lived in the same town. One woman lived on the East Side of town. In a brand new home. Two story Brick Victorian style house sitting on 5 acres of ground. Three car garage that housed a Lexus - a Mercedes coupe - and Cadillac SUV. She had two children and a husband. She worked in a large company and held a high position. She worked long days to make big money. Every morning when she Got up. She paused for a second and said "Lord I hate my job." Went into the bathroom and prepared for her day. Came down to the kitchen where the children were bickering.....and her husband seem oblivious to it all as he read his paper. She whispered under her breath, "Lord why me" She screams a few commands and storms out the door. Her stomach churning her head pounding she gets in her Lexus...slams the door.... and backs out the drive. As she drives to work, a person cuts her off. She mutters, "Lord there are some jerks out here!" She arrives at work - totally stressed and ticked completely off. She gets to her office only to find her secretary has called off sick. "Lord, just let me get through the day." After many meetings that totally frustrate and many persons who have gotten on her last nerve the work day concludes....the drive home ends.....her housekeeper has prepared dinner....she sits and begins consuming the food....watches the late night news....showers...lays down in bed....and closes her eyes and says "Lord, why is my life so hard."

The second woman lived west of the tracks. In a small frame home in the middle of what is considered a rough neighborhood. She has five children....no husband....she holds two jobs to try to make ends meet....she uses public transportation or the famous foot travel known as walking. Every morning she rose at 5:00 a.m. kneeling down by her bed - "Lord thank you for another day. Lord thank you for my children. Keep them safe in the comings and goings. Allow no hurt harm or danger to befall them. Lord keep the drug dealers away. Keep the molesters away. Keep accidents away. Keep alcohol away. Keep their minds stayed on you. Keep them focussed during class so that they may receive scholarships to attend college. Lord thank you for this home....keep my lights on that I don’t have the money to pay for right now. Keep the landlord away until my child support check comes in the mail. Lord anoint my cabinets so that my children will not go hungry. Lord thank you for the jobs you have given me = and I will continue to give you the praise and honor by tithing and praying and worshipping you continuosly. This I ask in Jesus name. AMEN!

She gets up prepares for work. She goes into the kitchen to prepare breakfast "Thank you lord for the food in this pantry that you allow to nourish us" She scrambles some eggs and fries some potatoes. The children awaken to the smell of food - as they enter into the kitchen the woman closes her eyes and says "Lord thank you for the children...allow the anointing to be upon them" When she leaves for he job...she says "father keep me safe on my journey" as she waits for the bus and the woman next to her begins to curse her out...she closes her eyes and says "Lord allow your peace to reingn" and the cursing woman goes away. She arrives on her job and the boss is ranting...she closes her eyes and whispers "Lord your will be done...just give me strength to endure" and the bosses words had no effect. After leaving her second job she had no cook === she began thanking God for the neighbor who brought over some stew. After dinner she read her bible with her children then prepared for bed. Before lying in her bed, she knelt and thanked God for all that had transpired during the day. Asked for safe passage through the night for her and her family. Thanked him for allowing her lights to stay on and the landlord to stay away. Thanked him for the child support check that was coming. And she laid down to slumber. What is the difference between these two. Well one is thankless and one is thankful. One prays generic prayers and the other prays with specifics. One prays out of pity - the other prays with power! I am here to tell you this morning...you pray a prayer that is generic in content...Lord send me a financial blessing....Lord bless me and my family.....Lord give me a new job. Well $50.00 when you needed $5000.00 will make you mad. A blessing can be just allowing you to wake up....and a new job might mean Mickey "D’s" if you don’t ask for something in particular. Somebody in here today is going through something....and your thought is well God is all powerful and all knowing so he already knows what I want. Well just like any parent...he is simply waiting for you to ask him for what it is you need. When your child wants a pair of tennis shoes - he or she ask you - and if they don’t tell you what type and you buy the wrong brand - your response would be "well you didn’t say so" Well God is saying the same thing to us when we pray generic prayers and complain about the generic results....