Approaching the Bench

My mother is an attorney. She gave me a great courtroom analogy for praying for a miracle.

Mom said that, first of all, a judge cannot grant anything that you don't ask for, even if you are entitled to it. You have to petition for what you want, in order to have a chance at getting it.

Second, you have to make a compelling case for your petition. If you do, the judge is more likely to grant your petition.

As we "approach the bench" in prayer, we are boldly asking for a miracle. We are specific in our requests. Complete remission. Cancer driven from my body. An extension of life sufficient to raise my children. We are asking for the very things we want.

We are also giving our compelling case. In my pleadings, I have told the Lord that no one will ever love these children like I do. No one will ever be their mother in the same way that I am. No one will ever teach them the way that I can teach them. This is the work that I want to do with my life. I want to raise them up as servants to the Lord.

As always, these prayers are punctuated with "thy will be done". Our petition will only be granted in accordance with the Lord's will. But we have made our righteous desires known, and we have given our reasons for asking for them.