Prayer

We talked about prayers today in Sunday school. I think it helped a lot cause I often wonder if I should pray to ask for something. I meant God has a plan for me and he know exactly what I need. So when I pray for something, I am not even sure I meant to have it. But if I end up saying, please let me have that, but if I shouldn't have it, then help me understand. I found that is kind of a weird prayer cause I basically said nothing: "Please let me have it, but if you don't want to, that is okay too." And even if I pray for something and it happened the same way I asked for, I wasn't sure if it was because of my prayer or it was the way God intended anyway. I also read somewhere online that it is not right to pray your wish list. God is not Santa Claus. You have to pray very strategically (geez...no one ever told me this kind of thing.....I should have bought that book "Prayer for Dummies"). If it is asking for something abstract, like health for my friends or safety for my brother, I find it easier to say in my prayer. But if I ask for something more concrete, like a car, then I felt like I am talking to Santa. But my pastor said that he asked God for things all the times. He even joked around with God. All prayers will be answered though God may answer with yes, no, yes but my way, or yes but later. He also mentioned that there is a praying method called the ACTS method which stands for Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving and Supplication. And the last one, supplication means that we came to ask for our and others needs. I don't think I ever did all those in one single prayer. I may do bits and pieces here there. Well, but at least I know I am on the right track, I think.

PS. Today I think God did answer my prayer in an interesting way. A friend called and chatted for a quite awhile. She called me in sort of the right time cause she asked me the problem I was having (and geez, to my surprise, I can't believe she sort of figure it out) And I sort of need to talk to someone anyway or I know I will harden my heart (which I think still is) on the situation.