What are you praying for?

"What are you praying for that does not make sense - that you will be ridiculed by man - but biblically, in faith, you are praying. It's how you cultivate faith." Adam Thomason

Something God has been reminding me of lately comes from Matthew 7, verses 3 through 5. I have been praying for God to convict others of sin in their life. Of course, I knew beforehand that I would be a major hypocrite if, first, I didn't pray that God would convict me of my own sin. The problem is, I wasn't paying much attention. Sure, I prayed for God to convict me of sin in my life, but before I spent any time listening, I moved quickly into prayers for God to convict someone else. It didn't take long for me to not only forget about my own convictions (and in many cases, go right back to sinning), but to stop praying for those others as well.

Some of you may be wondering how I could have the nerve to pray for God to convict others at all. Shouldn't I be solely concerned with my own screw-ups, and let everyone else do as they do? Let me start by saying that I believe Christians are encouraged - even commanded - to pray for fellow Christians, which includes praying for the Holy Spirit to convict us of sin - that we would seek forgiveness and repent as we are continually sanctified.
(2 Corinthians 3:17-18; Galatians 5:16-25; James 5:13-16).

"And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him. If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life—to those who commit sins that do not lead to death. There is sin that leads to death; I do not say that one should pray for that."
(1 John 5:14-16 ESV)

Furthermore, I believe it is also an act of obedience to God for me to pray for the Holy Spirit to convict those who have not yet put their faith in Christ.
(John 16:7-11)

"First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people...This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time."
(1 Timothy 2:1-6 ESV)

George Müller explains, far better than I can, the importance of persevering in prayer:

"The great point is to never give up until the answer comes. I have been praying every day for fifty-two years for two men, sons of a friend of my youth. They are not converted yet, but they will be! How can it be otherwise? There is the unchanging promise of Jehovah, and on that I rest. The great fault of the children of God is that they do not continue in prayer; they do not go on praying; they do not persevere. If they desire anything of God's glory, they should pray until they get it."

On a side note (and somewhat unrelated), more from George Müller:

"Now in brotherly love and affection I would give a few hints to my younger fellow-believers as to the way in which to keep up spiritual enjoyment. It is absolutely needful in order that happiness in the Lord may continue, that the Scriptures be regularly read. These are God's appointed means for the nourishment of the inner man....Consider it, and ponder over it.... Especially we should read regularly through the Scriptures, consecutively, and not pick out here and there a chapter. If we do, we remain spiritual dwarfs. I tell you so affectionately. For the first four years after my conversion I made no progress, because I neglected the Bible. But when I regularly read on through the whole with reference to my own heart and soul, I directly made progress. Then my peace and joy continued more and more. Now I have been doing this for 47 years. I have read through the whole Bible about 100 times and I always find it fresh when I begin again. Thus my peace and joy have increased more and more."