"Focus First"

"After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name." Matthew 6:9

Our tendency when we come into God's presence is to come with our list of needs. Jesus even taught us to come to Him first acknowledging who He is and giving Him praise. I have discovered in my own life that if I will resist the temptation to immediately start making my request, giving Him my list of needs, asking Him to "do something", and instead take a moment to "enter His gates with thanksgiving and come come into His courts with praise" my prayer time goes from urgency, worry, anxiety over the needs to faith and confidence because I get refocused on who I am coming to with my needs.

I believe that this is why Jesus taught us to pray after "this manner". He wasn't giving us another "religious formula" to bring us into bondage because we "have to pray this way" and if we don't it becomes our excuse as to why our prayer "didn't get answered". If you will first enter with praise, if you will first acknowledge who you are coming to, if you will first remind yourself of His power and greatness, if you will first get your eyes on who He is, like I said already it refocuses you and takes your attention from the problem and places it on the God who is greater than the problem, and on the God who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all you can ask or think. It encourages and builds your faith. It restores and renews your hope. As you do this you will soon remember that He turns mountains into mole hills, He is more powerful than your trial, He's the peace speaker, the glory and lifter of your head, the fire quencher, the lion tamer, the deliverer, the healer, the provider, the wise One who works all things together for your good. It won't take long before you'll remember that He is bigger, greater and stronger than your need.

Have a great day. Before you start presenting your need to God, take time to get refocuses on God (through praise and acknowledging who He is) and the need won't seem so big, so difficult, so impossible.