When we consider the prayer of Abraham's servant we recognize how specific it is. He was clear and it was unmistakeable what he was looking and asking for. How could this man be so bold as to be so specific to the Lord? Don't you want to pray this way?
I have already offered and now, I offer this: I believe the reason the servant could pray so specifically was due to the nature of his faith in the Lord. In order to pray this way this servant had to believe that the Lord, first, would hear his prayer and, second, would answer in accordance to the request. That is radical faith and it is the call to all disciples of Jesus Christ to heed and imitate if they would see radical moves of the Lord. Yet, this faith is not merely something we can muster up or will into existence. This kind of faith, radical faith, is the fruit of having a history with God.
Clearly this servant was eyewitness to many of the miraculous things that took place in and around Abraham's life. Perhaps he himself had some experiences with God. Either way, he knew enough about the power and faithfulness of God to believe He could (would) deliver what he was asking of Him. The point? Radical faith equals historical dealings with the Lord.
The first step, I believe, to seeing the power of specific prayers is to acknowledge that our failure to pray specifically may be due to a lack of faith. I do not mean a lack of saving faith. I mean a lack of faith that is increased by our continual communion and relationship with the Lord. Let me seek to be clearer by restating what I mean in connecting our history with God and faith. In truth, and please ponder this: our souls cannot believe God for more than what it sees of God. Does that make sense?
If you have only seen hills you will never ask to see mountains! Spiritually speaking, my soul can never long for what it has never seen. If I am not constantly gazing upon the Lord's beauty and causing my souls to continually reflect upon His mighty acts in the Word, my life and the life of others I am stuck. My soul needs a dynamic, ever increasing sight of the Lord. Therefore, my faith is only as strong as what my soul sees. I will not (cannot) ask for that which is above my sight of God.
Fearing to pray specifically, then, can be called a lack of fearing God. Perhaps that is too strong of a statement. Take it as the Lord lays it on your heart. Maybe a cleaner way to say it is this way: the radical nature of our prayers will only rise to the level of our trust in (fear of) the Lord and trust, by definition, demands relational interaction. Somehow this servant knew the Lord. But there was more than mere knowledge. He had a relationship of faith in and a reverence towards The Lord that was radical enough to pray this radical prayer.
So, the key to praying specific prayers is to spend time enlarging my faith by way of Word, prayer and community. Word and prayer is the way the Lord deals with me. Community is the way in which I can see and be encouraged by the way in which the Lord deals with my brothers and sisters in the faith. It cannot be less than this if we desire the courageous faith to pray courageously specific.
Radical and increasing faith only grows out of a radical and increasing history (devotion) with Christ.