James4:3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.KJV
I have been in several prayer meetings and gatherings in my life. In time of ignorance, I have prayed certain prayers ignorantly but when light came into my heart, I discovered that my motives were not in line with scriptures. Though we were led to pray those prayers in the meetings but if I had known, I would have prayed in a different manner. Let me give you an example of a prayer that I've heard severally: "Father, bless me more than my siblings so that I will be their head". Have you heard this kind of prayer point before? Another prayer song is, "Father, make me the daddy in my family so that I will be giving to them in my father and mother's house and they'll reckon with me as their daddy". Being a daddy in context refers to being the head.
For me, that's not necessary. The spirit of competition and selfishness is what would set in once we can be wired to believe that God can make us greater than our families so that they would be looking up to us. The spirit of competition in such circumstance is very dangerous. It is an indirect way of saying, "God, make others poor but bless me alone so that by virtue of my wealth, they all would look up to me". We didn't learn of Christ that way. When it comes greatness or success as you call it, you don't need to pray someone down to bring yourself up. In fact, in the Spirit of brotherly love, you can pray for all your siblings and friends to be great. Imagine a family of blessed siblings where nobody is begging the other to survive. That's God's will.
I do not desire any of my family members to be poor or to be lesser than who God made them to be. It doesn't profit me to see them suffer while I'm enjoying. That would end up leaving a bitter taste in my mouth. People go as far going to the mountain to pray down people they see as competitors. If you're in business, don't pray down those doing similar trade. Do you know that sometimes, praying for others from a heart of love makes your issues receive heaven's attention? I know because the bible says, "The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself" (Proverbs 11:25). Praying for others is a form of watering. Stop giving yourself sleepless nights because you are praying to be greater than another person in life or ministry. Praying competitively is devoid of love and God won't answer such prayers.
Father, I receive grace to eliminate selfishness and competition from my prayer life In Jesus name.
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