“You are the Lord, you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; and you preserve all of them; and the host of heaven worships you.”
–Nehemiah 9:6
So much of our prayer life can be shallow, weak, and self-centered. But when you read the great prayers of the Bible, you discover that they are God-centered.
A fascinating example is the prayer in the book of Nehemiah chapter 9. It’s the longest recorded prayer in the Bible, and so much of it focuses on the nature and acts of God throughout history.
In the book of Psalms, you can see this pattern in the prayers of David also. Even in times of danger or need when David was greatly burdened, he would spend time praising God for who he is, and recounting the good things God had done in the past.
This is an important key to breathing life into your prayers!
It can be easy to become focused on your problems. But when you pray, put your cares aside for a moment and let your mind focus on the Person to whom you are speaking. Remind yourself of who he is and how much he has done for you.
Remember how the Lord’s Prayer begins: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name…” (Matt 6:9).
Of course, the Lord wants you to bring your cares to him—he tells you to in his Word. But when you pray, let your very first words, and the attitude of your heart, be to bring him praise and glory.
LET YOUR PRAYER LIFE BECOME INCREASINGLY GOD-CENTERED!
