Petition Defined, Plus 7 Steps to Making Requests to God
Petition Defined And 7 Steps to Making Requests to God
Far too often I find my prayers have the appearance of a grocery list, full of items I want and nothing else. I don’t like that, because I don’t feel like that’s how it should be. Perhaps, you’ve been there too? I get it. I began to wonder how the Bible defines prayers of petition and how to make requests to God in a way that feels more right. Here’s what I discovered.
Prayers of petition make requests to God based on individual or collective needs. They ask God to be involved in the midst of needs and worries, and result in lasting peace. Prayers of petition should focus on God, both His ability to meet needs and His goodness and willingness to do so.
There are seven steps that can help keep our prayers of petition focused on God and prevent our prayers from becoming grocery lists again. Ready to see what they are?
A Biblical Definition of Petition
The Greek word for petition in the New Testament is δεησις (deēsis). Petition is simply a prayer based on a person’s need. In the New Testament petitions of this nature are always addressed to God. When you ask God for help in meeting your needs you are praying prayers of petition.
What are prayers of petition used for?
Petitions seek personal or collective assistance, intervention, or provision from God. As such an individual or a group of people can ask God for answers to questions or concerns, to act on their behalf, to change circumstances, etc. Petitions can take many different forms including,
- salvation and healing (Jeremiah 17:14);
- comfort (Psalm 119:76);
- strength (Psalm 86:16);
- guidance (Genesis 24:12);
- wisdom (James 1:5);
- etc.
How are prayers of petition different from other types of prayers?
The purpose of prayers of petition is to make requests of God based on personal or collective need. This is what distinguishes it from other types of prayer. Let’s look at two similar types of prayer and see what makes petition different.
- Intercession: Intercessions is similar to petition in that it makes requests to God. But the request is on the behalf of someone else. In other words, you are asking God to meet someone else’s needs not your own.
- Thanksgiving: Thanksgiving is similar to petition in that it recognizes God’s provision. However, thanksgiving focuses on gratitude for previously met needs and not current unmet needs. Though, we can and should express thanksgiving during prayers of petition.
If you are curious to see how petition differs from other types of prayers then be sure to check out this article. It covers 6 different types of prayers, key elements of each, and what makes each one unique.
How are prayers of petition used in the Bible
Paul encourages the church in Philippi to present requests to God by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving (Philippians 4:6-7). In the larger context of these verses, Paul is telling the Philippian church: If you are worried about something, pray about it. Then God will give you peace about it.
Notice He doesn’t take away the situation, but brings peace over the situation that you can’t explain. Prayers of petition in the Bible are used to bring peace into situations and calm anxiety. Petition gives us an opportunity to tell God how we feel about a situation, ask for His help, and surrender to His will.
Examples of prayers of petition
We see an example of prayers of petition in the Lord’s model prayer. Jesus teaches his followers to pray, “…Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one” (Matthew 6:12-13).
This example of a petition from the Bible illustrates that we can ask God to meet both our physical needs and our spiritual needs. There is no need we have that God cannot meet.
Non-biblical examples of prayers of petition could include,
- “God, give us safe travels…”
- “God, be with the doctors and give them wisdom as they…”
- “God, be with our church as we….”
- “God, help me to be more like you, love more like you, live more like you.”
- etc.
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Making Requests to God Step-by-Step
As already noted, prayers of petition can take many different forms. But they also weave together many other types of prayer including adoration, confession, and thanksgiving.
When making prayers of petition to God you may be tempted to give Him a laundry list of needs and be done. I’ve certainly been guilty of this far too often. But then the focus is on me and not on God. And when we pray our focus should always be on God. So, here is 7 steps to making requests to God step-by-step in way that will keep the focus on Him.
Step 1: Come Alongside God in Relationship
The very first step in prayers of petition is to come alongside God in relationship. Jesus begins the Lord’s prayer with, “Our Father…” It starts on reflecting and recognizing the personal and unique relationship with God that we have. In prayers of petition this serves to remind us that that God is not our personal genie, but our Creator, Lord, Savior, and Father.
Step 2: Begin with Praise and Adoration
The second step in prayers of petition is to include praise and adoration. Adoration praises God for who He is and what He’s done. Because we’ve reflected on God’s relationship with us, it leads to praise and adoration of who He is. Again, we see this in the Lord’s prayer, “Hallowed by your name…”
God can meet our needs because of who He is, and for that He is worthy of our praise and adoration for doing so before we even ask God for divine assistance.
Step 3: Seek God’s Will
Third, we can and should seek God’s will. God wants what’s best for us. Period. His will is what is best for us. So, we should seek God’s will in every prayer of petition. While we have needs that we make requests to God about, He know what we truly need and He will provide it. So we should pray like our Lord and Savior, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done…”
Step 4: Confess your Sins and Ask for Forgiveness
The fourth step in prayers of petition is to confess our sins and ask for forgiveness. Unconfessed sin is a stumbling block for you in approaching God and making requests to Him. It is vital we recognize the power of the gospel in defeating our sin and ask God to “Forgive us our trespasses….” so that we we may boldly approach the throne of God.
Step 5: Humbly Make Your Request to God
Fifth, we are to humbly make our requests to God. Now, we ask God to meet our needs. Steps 1-4 have prepared us for this moment. Now, we know that God is able to meet our needs, He wants to meet our needs, He will meet our needs.
The key word here is humbly. God is omniscient, He knows all things, including what we are going to ask before we even ask (Matthew 6:8). Our prayers of petition do not come as a surprise to God. He already knows what we need. So we can make our requests in humble confidence knowing God hears our prayers. He loves us, cares about us, and is there for us.
Step 6: Yield to God’s Answer
The sixth step to prayers of petition is to yield to God’s answer. This can be hard especially if He doesn’t give the answer we wanted. That’s why step 3 is so important. It reminds us of the bigger picture. God truly wants what is best for us. Jesus came to give us abundant life (John 10:10). It just might not look exactly like we think it does.
God will give us exactly what we need to grow closer to Him in faith and love. He will give us exactly what we need to grow like Christ–to live like Him and love like Him. He will meet every physical and spiritual need we have, because He is the ultimate fulfillment of every need we have. He knows what is best for us, and He gives it to us. We are called to surrender.
Step 7: Trust in God’s Goodness
The last step in praying prayers of petition is to trust in God’s goodness. Everything God does is good. Period. Not just good, but perfect. That’s one of the first things we learn about God in the Bible. He creates something, and it’s good. Why? Because God is good.
So when we pray prayers of petition, we can trust that God’s response will be good. If your circumstance or your situation is not good, then God is not done. So, we can pray a prayer petition and trust in God’s goodness. This is how we get the peace that surpasses understanding (Philippians 4:6-7).
Key Points to Remember
Petition is making requests to God to meet your physical and/or personal needs. Prayers of petition focus on God and His ability to meet those needs. This can give us peace in the midst of any worrying circumstance. Here are some key points to remember about making prayers of petition,
- Be sincere and humble: God already knows what you need. He made you and loves you. He wants to be sincere and humble with Him. If you are angry with God, that’s okay? Talk to Him. If your sad, talk to Him. If your tired, talk to Him. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:6-6).
- Base your prayers on Scripture: Use Scripture as a foundation for your prayers. God’s word is full of promises, guidance, and examples of how to pray. Learn to study the Bible and wonder in God’s word. Here is a post with three different Bible study methods you can choose the best one that meets your needs. This will strengthen your prayer life like little else.
- Spend time listening: Prayer isn’t just about talking to God, it’s about listening to Him as well. Take time after your prayer to rest in God’s presence. Listen for His voice, play worship music, or read His Word. Listening for God is a sign that you care about the relationship and not just having your needs met. It shows your willingness to surrender to His will.
- Be persistent: Pray always. Jesus taught us to be persistent in prayer (Luke 18:1-8). Yes, it can be hard especially if you are not seeing results. But persistent prayer strengthens your relationship with God and shows that you trust Him–His ability and His timing.
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-Welcome email with your Free Guide right now!
-Monthly emails with a brief devotional.
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