Praying! Two "different" ways?

 A few weeks ago I had a discussion with someone on prayer, and based on Matthew 18:19 which says, "Again, truly i tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven." While I don't like to put labels on certain bible verses I remember from more than 25 years ago someone referring to this as "name it claim it prayer". I am not saying I disagree with the idea of ask for it and it shall be given to you, but I would add, "if it is God's will for me", then he will give it to me. I do believe that God gives us the desires of our heart, but I also believe that what we desire is not necessarily what God wants for us, simply because our desires are not always God based, but selfish based. Maybe I lack the faith to pray the "Name it, Claim it" prayer. I tend to be more like the persistent widow in Luke 18:1-8 which says, " And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.  He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’  For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man,  yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’” And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says.  And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them?  I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
To me I see two quite different ways to pray. Neither one wrong, but more of where my prayer life fits in. I would love to hear comments from anyone on what they see in the New Testament regarding prayer."

Do you remember when you first became a Christian? I remember being "on fire" when it came to reading the Bible. I would read it on the bus on my way to work. Then as time went on there was a mere flicker of a flame left of that fire, and over time it burned out. It would occasionally flare up a little but not to the extent it was more than 30 years ago. We do not need to look beyond anything other than Jesus... there is nothing else out there. It is Christ alone. Let's get back to preaching the word of God rather than implementing new programs in the church (the idea behind these seems to be, "Let's see if this will work?"). We are so worried about offending people, and yet they need to know the Gospel. I am the first to admit, that evangelism is my weakest gift...but I do have other gifts that I can use in the church, and so do all the other Christians in the pews as well as those on the stage. As a leadership, it is important to know the gifts of the people and to let them be used in building up and edifying the church.

Another thing that has been on my mind is the older I get the more I think about death. When I see others much older than me (people in their 70's and 80's) who do not know the Lord, I often wonder if they think about the after life...what happens when I die...where do I go? There is one couple who comes to mind every morning in my prayers and I know they are not living for the Lord. When I talk to them and ask them what is new, the reply is always the same, " Nothing is new, it is the same old every day, eat sleep and once in awhile coffee with the gang". What a sad life. It makes me wonder what they are living for, and holding on to. I guess the only way to know is to ask them next time we get together. Pray for me that I would have the courage and boldness to speak to them about the Lord.