Just like a sailor uses a spyglass to focus on one certain spot on the horizon, we need to focus on Jesus when we pray.
I have tried to instill into my children the importance of prayer. I tell them that when they pray, they shouldn’t just ramble on as if they were talking to no one. They need to focus on God. It’s hard to shut out the world, but God deserves our complete attention, especially if we expect to have His complete attention.
And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him (Matthew 6:7–8 NIV).
God knows our prayers before we even open our mouths. He is all-knowing, and we should be in awe of Him. You may ask, if God already knows what my prayer is, why do I need to pray it? Well, even though He already knows our prayers, He still wants us to pray to Him. He loves hearing our voices and knowing that we will call on Him when we need Him. When we cry out to him, it is like music to His ears.
Not only do we need to pray, but we also need to be in constant communication with God. Throughout our days, we should be praising Him, talking to Him, thanking Him and holding others up to Him in prayer. He should be first and foremost on our minds when anything happens, good or bad. Just like 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says:
Pray continually.
But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you (Matthew 6:6 NIV).
So, whenever you pray, get out your spyglass and focus in on God and only God. Shut out the world and spend some quality time with your heavenly Father. He wants to hear from you, and you need to hear from Him. Open up your heart and let Him speak to you.
Debbie Mitchell