God-Centered Prayers

When it comes to prayer, I think that sometimes we wish that there were some magic formula or "How-to" guidebook that would instruct us in our prayers.  I am grateful however that our prayers are heard by God regardless of what formula they follow and that Romans tells us that God even hears and understands the prayers that we are unable to pray thanks to the work of the Holy Spirit.  As I study the Scriptures, while there is no "how-to", there are certainly numerous examples of people praying, one of which I spoke on this morning in Nehemiah 1.  There are a few things that these prayers seem to have in common that I think that we can learn from.  These include the fact that these prayers seem to come from genuine hearts.  These include the fact that they are not limited to times of need or blessing, but can be raised to the throne of God at any time.  I would encourage you to look at some of these prayers.  They can be found throughout the Old and New Testament.  Jesus prays, Paul prays, Nehemiah prays, the prophets pray. . . people in the Bible pray.  And the one thing that seems to be most instructive to me at this time is the fact that in their recorded prayers the people of the Scripture pray prayers that are centered on God.  Nehemiah prays and spends most of his time in Nehemiah 1 praising God for who He is, and confessing his own sinfulness.  And then at the very end of the prayer he gives his request - that God would give him success as he approached the king.  He focused on God.

I know with certainty that my prayers are not as God-centered as was the prayer of Nehemiah.  In fact, other than the introduction ("Dear Heavenly Father, . . .") and the conclusion (". . .in Jesus name, Amen."), my prayers are suspiciously focused on me.  I focus on what I want.  I ask for what I think needs to be done.  I let God know how much I would appreciate all that He would do for me and for those close to me.  But, at the end of the day I have spoken more about me than about my God. 

Not all of this is bad.  God commands us to cast our cares and anxieties upon him.  He asks us to talk to Him.  I wonder however when I center so much on myself if I miss the blessing of the peace that comes from focusing on who God is.  And so, as a form of corrective, I try and think of all of my requests and the reasons that I take them to God in the first place. 

After all, I go to God with requests for healing because God is the perfect Healer.
I go to God with requests for provision because God is a God who provides.
I go to God asking for comfort because He is a God of all comfort.
I ask for peace because God is a God of peace.
For blessing because God blesses.
For salvation of the lost because God saves.
. . .
and the list goes on and on.

For each request that we have there is a corresponding quality of God that motivates us to go before Him in prayer. And in focusing my mind and heart on these qualities of God I have found that my prayers have become more centered on God.  I still ask that God would sell my house, but I pray that the God whose timing is perfect and who provision is constant would help my patience while He sells my house.  And when I am able to pray in this way I find that I am more centered on who God is and not simply what I want Him to do for me. 

Perhaps as you evaluate your prayers you find that they are centered on you.  May God help us to continually focus more and more on Him as we pray, that His glory might increase, and we might be used by His powerful hand to proclaim His wonder and majesty!