Are you having a hard time praying and staying focused?
Well, that was me this morning. I could not for the life of me stay still and focus on my prayer. So, I asked the Lord to help me. I cried out loud, “Lord God, please help me to pray! I am having a hard time praying and staying focused!”
I believed that He heard me and that He was going to help me. And He did.
I ended up finding myself reading a couple of chapters from Isaiah out loud. (There is something about reading a chapter out loud over reading it silently.) It somehow helped me get my soul going into a prayer mode.
I read Isaiah chapters 14 and 58. I am trying to memorize Isaiah 58 because it talks about the way to fast, and how if you fast the way the Lord wants there is healing that will come. I love the rewards that come with doing a right fast. I have to say I have benefited very much in doing this. I have seen God’s healing upon my soul and upon my life. When you fast for the sake of other people and carry such a burden for their souls, that is the right fast. When you fast just to gain something carnal for yourself, or to get even with someone who has hurt you, well you might as well save your time and energy because you’re not going to go far. That is exactly what God was mad about in Isaiah 58. The children of Israel were doing the wrong fast. They actually were fasting to get even with people. Can you imagine? Fasting the right fast of course, and having that burden for other people can only come from the Lord. So if you need help, just ask the Lord to give you that burden and He will give it to you.
Anyway, I read my chapters out loud, including my Bible Reading for the day. In the midst of it, I just found myself wanting to sing worship songs, so I did. I didn’t fight it. I sang and sang, probably five or maybe even eight songs.
Then I loved the Lord. I just felt like thanking the Lord and loving Him. And you know what, since I was feeling this way I didn’t force myself to finish my Bible reading. I figured I’d finish it after I’m done talking to the Lord. So I talked to the Lord some more. I loved Him. I praised Him. Made my request. Sang some more songs. Made more petitions. Loved Him. Thanked Him for the wonderful things He has promised to do for me. Then I was done.
I finished my Bible reading out loud. Memorized a couple of those verses in Isaiah 58 and closed the book.
I love the Lord because He’s so good! He has helped me pray today.
I also find that having a prayer goal helps. Every day of the week I have a schedule of who to pray for. For Monday I pray for my family. Tuesday, my relatives. Wednesday, for my friends and co-workers. Thursday, home missions. Friday, America. Saturday, the world. Sunday, missionaries. This way I don’t get overwhelmed when I am praying. Also, I can focus on the need that is at hand. If there are needs of other people that I am aware of I pray for them. I can also focus on loving the Lord and thanking Him for all He’s done for me, and what He’s going to do in the future. It is important that your prayer is not just about praying for other people and problems, but that you make time to focus on the goodness of God. Often I find myself satisfied to just focus on God’s goodness, rather than praying for my problems or other people’s problems. This delights God more than asking and asking. Because we all understand that He knows everything. He knows our problems more than we do. But by focusing on His goodness and what He has done for us first (and not just for us, but for what He’s done for other people and in the Bible), our problems will become less insurmountable. They become less serious. We can believe in God more and our prayer time will be less overwhelming.
I also have a pattern I follow in my mind when I am praying. I call it my “two-twos prayer”. This was a prayer I came up with during my commute in the morning to work. It’s so easy and quick and yet when I am done I feel like I have accomplished what I need to do in my prayer.
This is how it goes:
- 2 things to thank Him for
- 2 chapters in Psalms
- 2 songs
- 2 things I like about the Lord and am thankful for
- 2 things the Lord has done for me in the past I’m thankful for
- 2 people I want to pray for
- 2 personal requests
- 2 things I’m believing Him and will thank Him for to do for me in the future
First I thank Him for waking me up for the day and for His protection upon me and my husband during the night. So that covers the first two things I thank God for. I thank Him for a wonderful day, especially when the sun is shining. I just love it when the sun shines. It makes me so happy. But in general I thank Him for His protection during the night and for a new day, rain or shine.
Then I read a couple of Psalm chapters to myself and sing a couple of songs from the heart to Him. I focus on what I am singing, the words I am singing, and I sing with all my heart to Him. And it usually is a song that is a one on one. A worship song. Not the happy go lucky, jolly sing along song but a worship song. A song of adoration and thanksgiving just solely for the Lord.
Then I focus on the Lord and His attributes, and tell Him why He means so much to me. I find myself always thanking Him for His presence and how He is able to be here for me all the time. I thank Him for His faithfulness. So I look for two things about God that I am thankful about and thank Him for it. Of course when my heart feels more worship towards Him then I do that. I don’t just stick to two things. But this helps me to start off. I just think of two things and then that gets me rolling.
After the couple of things I like about the Lord, I then thank Him for two things He has done for me in the past. That usually is no problem. I end up thanking Him for more than two things of course. I thank Him for my mind that is better today. I thank Him for a better marriage. I thank Him for delivering me from my job and bringing me back home to spend more time with Him. On and on. And when I can’t think of anymore then I move on to praying for people.
I think of a couple of people that come into my mind that need prayer. Usually I find more than two people. Some times the Lord shows faces in my mind who to pray for, so I pray for them.
After this I pray for a couple of my personal requests. I tell the Lord what I’m desiring in my life and ask Him to grant them to me according to His will. It doesn’t have to be anything major or serious, it could be as simple as, “Lord I want a piece of furniture out of my living room. It’s too heavy for me to move myself. Please help me get it out of the living room this week.” Or “Lord, please get me out of jury duty this week. I have no means of getting there!” And you know something, both of them got answered. He granted them to me. So it doesn’t matter how big or small your desire is, just give them to the Lord. Let Him worry about granting it. Just tell Him.
Then I thank Him for a couple of things I know He’s going to do for me in the future. Usually the things I’ve been praying for and things I have heard Him tell me He’s going to do. I thank Him for those, believing that He’s going to fulfill them.
I love and praise Him and thank Him for all He’s done for me and I finish my prayer.
I finish up on my Bible reading if need be. I always start my prayer with a Bible reading. It helps get my mind on the Lord. (This morning I needed help to stay focused and it came upon me to read the scriptures out loud and that helped a lot. By the time I was done I was ready to talk to the Lord, sing and praise Him.)
Then I sing my last song:
Isn’t He wonderful
wonderful wonderful
Isn’t Jesus my Lord, wonderful
Eyes have seen, ears have heard
What’s recorded in God’s word
Isn’t Jesus my Lord wonderful
It is truly wonderful what the Lord has done
It is truly wonderful
It is truly wonderful
It is truly wonderful what the Lord has done
Glory to His Name!
Finally I say the Benediction that Moses pronounced to the children of Israel to myself. I put my left hand on my head and raise my right hand to the heaven and say:
May the Lord God bless thee and keep thee
May the Lord God’s face shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee
May the Lord God lift His countenance upon thee and grant thee peace
And then I add my own benediction:
And may the fruit of the Holy Ghost abide in thee forever. And may wisdom, understanding, knowledge, intelligence, beauty, courage, long suffering, meekness of heart, humbleness of spirit, a healthy body, healthy heart, healthy mind, healthy soul and healthy spirit be upon thee. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. {Psalm 34:8}
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. {Philippians 4:6}
But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. {Philippians 4:19}
Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me? {Jeremiah 32:27}
For with God nothing shall be impossible. {Luke 1:37}
Prayer
Lord Jesus, You are so wonderful! I love You so much! I thank You Father for Your great love for me. I thank You for giving Your life away at the cross so that I can find Your grace and forgiveness and healing for my soul today. I thank You so much for You Lord Jesus, for You are so kind and gracious to me in this life. Thank You!
Father, I pray Your continued guidance and teachings upon my life – to teach me and guide me to know You more and more and love You more and more. One cannot have enough of You. When this life is over the only thing that’s going to matter is You. No one else matters in heaven but You Jesus. When I see You face to face I won’t have to be embarrassed that I didn’t know You. I won’t have to wish that I knew You, because I will know You and You will know me. Thank You, Father for knowing me and teaching me today about you. I pray for more faith in Your love for me. I pray this in Your wonderful name, Jesus. Thank You, Father. Amen.
