The Focus of Our Heart When We Pray

Sep 15

It doesn’t take long to hear me. And when you hear Me, what are you focusing on? Can I teach you a way to let go of an old habit? Can we practice this together?

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Begin:

Sit with Me. Let’s do this together. Go to a quiet place and get comfortable.

Empty your hands.

Breathe deeply. Softly. Evenly.

Notice the beating of your heart.

Notice your neck and how it is holding your head.

Notice your shoulders and your back.

Notice your arms, your hands, your wrists and elbows.

Notice your chest and stomach.

Yes, continue to breathe deeply. Take more slow, even, deep breaths.

Notice the weight of your legs–and your feet upon the ground.

As you breathe, listen. What is that sound you hear? Listen again longer. What is the sound behind that sound?

What emotion(s) are you feeling? What ideas/thoughts do you have right now?

Father, this is what I am feeling and thinking now…

Before we continue further, surrender everything that is on your mind to Me. Don’t fight the thoughts. Don’t try to change them, endeavoring to will them into something different or new. Let the thoughts come and offer them to Me. Give Me your concerns and worries. Give Me your fear.

Father/Jesus/Holy Spirit, I give you…

And now, in your journal, in the middle of a clean sheet of paper, draw a picture of yourself. And then draw or name the people you love and care about and the things/experiences/situations that have been on your mind today. Note the worries and fears that have been weighing you down. Make sure you draw those on your paper or write them down.

Now, consider this question: When you pray–when you ask Me for things, for help, for rescue, for companionship, for love–are these things on your picture (the one you just drew in your journal) what you talk to Me about? Are these things your focus?

Father/Jesus/Holy Spirit…

Remember what you have learned from Paul, when he communicated to the Romans:

“But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God” (Romans 8:25-27).

[Spend at least ten minutes contemplating these verses, considering how God is leading you to a deeper understanding of Himself–and your heart. Write down your observations in your journal.]

Give me Your wisdom, Lord. What do you want me to notice in these verses? What are you speaking to me?

My Spirit intercedes on your behalf; I hear and know every concern and cry. You need not worry. Can I teach you how to keep your focus on Me?

Look at your picture again. Linger over each drawing or word. For each concern, express to Me the prayer that is on your heart.

Lord, here are my prayers…

And now, look at your picture again. Who is in the middle of the circle, surrounded by all of these prayers?

This is what I see…

Now, let’s revise this drawing a bit. What if I could be at the center of the circle? You could be there, too, but how about if I held you up in the middle of it? Or what if I held your hand?

[Modify your drawing to include what it might look like for God to be holding you up in the center of the circle.]

Let’s return to Paul’s wisdom again:

“But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God” (Romans 8:25-27).

Can you imagine Holy Spirit interceding for you? Can you imagine Me hearing these prayers and lifting you, knowing what is on your heart? Can you imagine Me knowing what you need even more than you do?

Father…

When you pray, what if you engaged with Me? For each worry and each concern, for each heartbreak and each fear, what if you asked Me to translate the prayers for you? What if you first filtered each prayer through my heart and wisdom? What if you trusted in the interceding on your behalf and sought to join Jesus in the same prayers Holy Spirit is praying for you right now? Can you imagine how you would feel–and how your prayers, combined with my very own, would be so much more powerful then? Can you?

Look at your journal page with the pictures you drew and the words you wrote down. What do you think of each prayer? Would you like to know what I am praying for you? Let’s talk about this together. I’m listening. I love engaging with you.

Lord…

What is your focus now?

Amen