It wasn’t a typical Sunday evening service. Instead of listening to a sermon, our church entered into a time of corporate prayer. One by one, people shared needs, and as they did, I watched my friend Hester walk to the microphone.

Through tears, she shared her deep longing for a child to call her own. Sitting in the pew with my head bowed, I felt the weight of her pain. My own pregnancies and childbirths had come easily, but for my friend, years had passed without a positive test. She had endured the heartbreak of a failed adoption, and as she approached forty, she knew her chances of conceiving were slipping away with each passing birthday.

That night, women gathered around her and lifted earnest prayers both with her and for her. I remember thinking that Hester sounded like Hannah in 1 Samuel 1—pouring out her heart before the Lord in desperation and hope. And as I cried and prayed, I found myself asking God to do something big in her life—something that felt impossible.

A few years later, Hester went to the doctor with unexplained symptoms. Bracing herself for difficult news, she instead heard the words she had longed for: “You’re not sick—you’re pregnant!” Her son, Eli, was born in God’s perfect timing. It was a reminder to me that the Lord is still the God who hears and answers the cries of His people.

And yet, if we’re honest, we know this is not always how our stories unfold.

God does not always answer in the ways we expect or in the timing we desire. He is not a genie granting wishes according to our plans. But He is good. He is wise. And He is faithful. The same God who heard Hannah—and Hester—is the same God who invites us to come to Him today.

Because of Christ, we are welcomed into the presence of God. We are invited to come boldly before Him—not because of anything we have done but because Jesus has made a way for us. And in that invitation, we are free to bring even the prayers that feel too big, too heavy, or too impossible to say out loud.

In Matthew 20:29–34, we see a small but powerful moment in Jesus’s ministry. As He is on His way to Jerusalem, surrounded by a crowd, two blind men sit by the roadside. When they hear Jesus is passing by, they cry out to Him for mercy.

Jesus stops and asks them, “What do you want me to do for you?” (Matthew 20:32).

It’s a simple question, but it invites us to pause and consider: What are we asking God to do?

Maybe today we are praying for the salvation of someone we love. Maybe we are asking for healing, or wisdom, or direction. Maybe we are carrying a request we’ve prayed over for years, wondering if God still hears us.

Wherever we find ourselves, this passage gently invites us to reflect on how we come to the Lord in prayer.

Are our prayers specific?

When Jesus asked the blind men what they wanted, they responded clearly: “Open our eyes” (Matthew 20:33). Sometimes our prayers can remain general, but we are invited to bring our specific needs before God, trusting that He hears us.

Are our prayers shaped by Scripture?

The blind men called Jesus the “Son of David,” recognizing who He was (Matthew 20:30). In the same way, we can let God’s Word shape how we pray—guiding our desires and reminding us of His character.

Are we seeking God Himself or only what He can give?

It is easy to bring a list of requests before the Lord, and He welcomes us to do so. But prayer is also an invitation to know Him more deeply. After they were healed, the blind men followed Jesus (Matthew 20:34). Their encounter with Him changed more than their circumstances—it changed their lives.

Are we praying consistently?

Scripture calls us to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). This kind of prayer is not about constant words but about a posture of dependence—an awareness that God is with us in every moment.

Are we praying boldly?

Even when the crowd tried to silence them, the blind men “cried out all the more” (Matthew 20:31). Their persistence reflected a faith that Jesus could help them. We, too, are invited to come before the Lord with confidence—not in our own strength but in His power and compassion.

Are we asking God to do what only He can do?

There are things in life we can plan, organize, and accomplish—but there are also things only God can do. We cannot change hearts or bring about true transformation. But He can. As Ephesians 3:20–21 reminds us, He “is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think,” according to His power at work within us.

We serve a God who hears us. A God who sees us. A God who invites us to bring every request—big or small—before Him.

And when His answers look different than we hoped, or when they seem delayed, we are not left without hope. We can rest in who He is—faithful, present, and good. He is always at work, even when we cannot yet see it.

So today, we can come to Him again.

What are we asking God to do?

Author Bio:

Kelly D. King is the Women’s Minister at Quail Springs Baptist Church in Oklahoma City. She also serves as an assistant professor of Christian Ministry at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary where she teaches the Ministry to Women courses. You can connect with her at kellydking.org.

Additional Resources:

Pray Bible Study		The Prayer Handbook: A Comprehensive Guide to the Practice of Prayer		The Lord's Prayer Bible Study
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