I have a friend who organizes his prayers on a spreadsheet. With spreadsheet prayers, he can easily add new prayers with a few clicks of the keyboard and even send weekly prayer updates to his wife via email. As he explained the process to me, my interest grew. I thrive on organization. I never even considered how I could organize my prayer life.

You see, he has a column for family members, one for business needs, one for friends, and one for financial concerns. “Oh, and there’s a separate column for people I know without a job,” he shared. In today’s economic situation, that column is a large one.

He explained how categorizing his prayer life, helped him stay diligent in honestly taking his needs to the Lord. “But one day, I ran across a problem,” he told me. One of the people in his “Without a Job” column got a job. He was elated as he surveyed the spreadsheet and realized he could move this individual from this list. But then he realized there was nowhere to move him. He hadn’t accounted for answered prayers.

As my friend relayed this story to me, I realized how much I could relate. So often, I take my prayers to the Lord without any expectation – expectation that He will answer them. Sure, I believe he CAN answer them, but do I honestly have the faith that He will? I focus on the problem so much I don’t see the solution.

And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive. Matthew 21:22 KJV

Now I’m not telling you to have a Magic Lamp kind of faith. Rub the bottle, ask the Genie, expect it to happen. “God, I want a big screen TV!” And poof, there it is. That’s not it at all. I’m just saying we should have a spreadsheet faith. The kind of faith that is diligent to ask and leaves room for answers.

I’m happy to report my friend now has a new column on his spreadsheet – “Answered Prayers.” How about you? Have you left a space for God to move?

p.s. I really could use a big screen TV, though. Just sayin’.

Carol