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Prayer is rooted in desire. Simply put, we want things. ‘Wanting’ gets a bad wrap, but in prayer, it’s invited: it’s the cry of couples, parents, the hurting, the addicted, and the anxious. It’s the cry that declares: “We need something more.” And it turns out that ‘wanting’ prayers are the way of Jesus. This week we look at a famous prayer–taught by Jesus–that invites real awakening in our lives.

“What do you want?” It’s the question we started this series with, and it’s the question we go back to today. It’s the best way to start the process of praying for someone else – what we call “intercessory prayer.” But prayer is also personal – what I ask God to do in my life – so we must answer the question honestly for ourselves as we encounter Jesus, in a way that is both humble and faith-building.

One question kicks off our new series on prayer: “What do you want?” Among humans, this can be a bit of a dangerous question if we don’t qualify or limit it. However, it was one of Jesus’ favorite questions – he asked it often, even at odd times (like before healing a blind man). As we consider the importance of prayer in our lives, it must be our starting point for the conversation.