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Prayer

by Pr John Macindoe

 
Prayer - Two thoughts on prayer

 
My wife, Anna, and I were praying together the other day, and as she was praying my mind drifted off. It happens too often! It's frustrating. I had stopped really listening. Frankly, I had stopped praying. So I quickly re-set my mind and began once again to concentrate on what Anna was saying. I wanted to share with her in prayer. I wanted us to say 'Amen' together.

Unfortunately this problem doesn't only rear its head when Anna's praying. I often get distracted and fail to concentrate when others are praying. How rude! Imagine talking to a friend, and in the middle of their speech you turn around to concentrate on something else.

It's sad and it's shameful, an expression of my all too often selfish, faithless heart. As if the only prayers that really matter are the ones I pray. Sad to say, I don't think I'm alone in my struggle. We often fail to listen and concentrate when others are praying.

Thank goodness the Lord is not like us. He always listens. He never stops paying attention. His mind never drifts off. He hears our prayers. The apostle John wrote, 'This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us - whatever we ask - we know that we have what we asked of him' (1 John 5:14-15).

Others may drift off, but don't be discouraged, the Lord is listening and in the end it's his attentive ear that really matters.

- - - -

I pray because…

• God is big and I am small.
• Jesus loves me.
• I love other people.
• The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective (James 5:16).
• Sometimes there is nothing else I can do.
• I have so much to be thankful for. Blessing upon blessing. Far more than I deserve.
• Everyday - and this is frustrating - I need to own up to my sin and plead the Lord's forgiveness.
• God answers prayer.
• I often need wisdom, grace, love, and strength way beyond my capacity.
• Sometimes I just want to talk. I need to unload, express my insecurity, and refocus my heart.
• God listens really well.
• God is glorified when I pray. It shows that I am treating God as God. That's good.
• Some things burn a hole in my heart. They should not be. I can't change them, but God can. So I ask him to change them.
• Sometimes…  I'm angry. I cry. I want to scream. I need help and no help is coming. I'm lost, confused, downcast… I don't know. God understands. He accepts me as I am.
• The Lord knows what's best. He's looking after the big picture and I trust him.
• I believe.

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