Do you ever find yourself praying the prayer, "God, please, please, please, help me?"

Do you ever find yourself praying the prayer, "God, please, please, please, help me?" Or its other-centered cousin, "God, please, please, please, help them" (or him or her)?

Our hearts are often in a good place when we pray in this way. We are begging the Lord for his mercy - a practice that has a long history among God's people.

But if we find ourselves praying in this way the majority of the time, it may not indicate what we would like to think - that we are just humble beggars who are leaning heavily on God's grace and mercy. Rather, this mantra may indicate that we have made God into some sort of genie-in-a-bottle that we call on only in desperation and, then, more out of habit than faith.

There is another way of praying for ourselves and others that I am learning. It is helping me to grow in wisdom, love, and - just maybe - in favor with God and man. This other way is the way that Jesus taught us to pray.

Here is what I am beginning to understand: When someone is dying of cancer or who is completely distraught about their children's welfare or about relationships going badly or you-name-it, the first things that I need to pray for them are: 1. That they know God as their father; 2. That from deep within they count God as holy; 3. That without restraint or constraint they allow his will to be done in their lives.

Then it is time for 4. That God meet their specific urgent need as we best understand it.

After number four, 5. That they forgive all who have harmed them, and 6. That they not be destroyed, that they be preserved, be rescued from what would crush them.

I am finding that when I pray for others and myself in this way, I love the other person even more, that I am caring more about their welfare than I did before.

And I am beginning to see the world and understand our lives a little more from God's perspective.

I may be something of a broken record when it comes to this message, but I want to remind you of it because it seems so important to our lives as new creations.