Colossians 4:2

Be persistent in prayer, being alert and focused in your prayer life with an attitude of THANKSGIVING.

AMP

Persistent in prayer??

Is it just me or does anyone else feel like a complete and total failure when it comes to that recommendation??

Let’s see a raise of hands:

Have you ever fallen asleep while praying?

Has your mind ever crazy wandered while praying until you realize you aren’t even praying anymore?

Has the day come to an end and you’re all snuggled up in bed with a TV show on and you realized you haven’t prayed officially yet today? And now you kind of don’t want to because the TV show has started?

Do other people talk about their prayer life -listing books about prayer or websites that offer formal prayers- and you have zero idea what they are talking about?

Upon reflection, has it seemed like your prayer life consists of “help me”, “I want”, “I need”, “give them”….and not much about listening?

Ugh.

Me too.

All that pretty much blows the whole “be alert and focused” while praying right off the table too.

Want my two cents?

If you don’t, I’m not so sure why you’re even reading this!

My feelings of being a “praying failure” is certainly NOT helping with maintaining my attitude of thanksgiving.

In fact….my personal criticism keeps the focus much on me and NOT focused on God.

Now I’m not being thankful or focused which will not help me with this be persistent challenge.

Therefore, I think the key is being focused.

What am I focused on in my life?

Am I fixated on my day? How work went? Was traffic bad? Was a person nice or rude to me?

Am I zeroed in on how I’m feeling? Do I feel “well” or “sick”? Am I hungry or full? Frustrated or fulfilled? Tired or well-rested? Bored or content?

Am I concerned about what is going on around me? The political climate, social issues, and injustices of this world are running rampant these days.

Am I worried?

Am I scared?

Am I deleriously happy to the point that I can’t see anyone’s pain anywhere near me?

Or …

Am I thankful?

Thankful of this beautiful fall weather we are experiencing in Michigan.

Thankful for technology that connects me to my traveling husband and my Navy son.

Thankful for my job as an RN and my coworkers that I thoroughly enjoy and care for.

Thankful for my animals that provide unconditional love and entertainment.

Thankful for my belly full of Chicken Piccata – even if it is frozen from Costco (totally delicious! I highly recommend it!)

Thankful for medical treatments that point me in the direction toward remission or healing.

Thankful for the opportunity to visit with my precious friend’s family tomorrow- even though I wish it were her I was visiting instead.

Focusing on what I am thankful for changes the trajectory of my thoughts. It is an intentional act…it takes effort to find reasons to be thankful when life is just plain hard.

When I am intentional, I suddenly become alert to my surroundings.

I am more aware of a bigger picture going on…I am more able to see a different perspective than what is going on inside me or near me.

Choosing to have an attitude of thanksgiving is no small feat. In fact, it could truly be one of the hardest things a person could do…. especially in certain circumstances.

Choosing an attitude of thanksgiving takes being both alert and focused.

My attitude is my countenance. It is what I project to this world around me. It can either be controlled by how I feel or how I want to be.

My attitude could be one of a grumbler….a bitter person who has been hardened by the hurts of this world…a grieving person with a broken heart…a victim who never gets what I feel I want or deserve…a fearful person…a lonely soul…an unforgivable sinner…an angry person who is desperate for justice or revenge…a prideful, self sufficient, independent woman who doesn’t need anyone.

OR- in the midst of all that pain and partial truths- I could choose an attitude of thanksgiving.

When I’ve been wronged? Trust me…I don’t want to find something to be thankful about.

When my heart is broken? Trust me….I don’t feel anything to be thankful about.

When I’m angry…lonely…scared…closed off due to my self sufficient independent pride? I would rather sit in it than choose thankfulness.

And yet …that is what I am called to do: to be persistent in prayer, focused and alert, and choosing an attitude of thanksgiving.

The reward?

Focusing on God brings His peace.

Focusing on God through prayer brings me into His presence.

Persistent prayer helps me to CHOOSE an attitude that goes against my situation.

When my attitude changes? My outlook changes. My behavior changes. My perspective changes.

Being thankful brings hope alive inside of me.

Hope for new things to occur. Hope for God’s promises to be fulfilled. Hope for restoration and healing to happen. Hope for brighter days to come. Hope for goodness to abound.

Being persistent in prayer is not something that should stress me out or make me feel like a failure. Instead it is nothing more than maintaining a continuous dialogue with the One who created me; loved me first and saved me second; transformed me; softened my heart and opened my eyes to His wonder.

A continuous dialogue.

That doesn’t sound too bad, does it? After all, a dialogue means a conversation. It’s a continuous conversation meaning we have a relationship. In this relationship we both talk and both sides listen.

If formal prayers are your thing- keep doing them. If being on your knees at bedtime or before each meal works- don’t stop. If a scheduled time each day is beneficial – maintain that appointment.

But if that’s not you…keep talking to Him anyway.

Small prayers, big prayers: God hears our cry.

Be persistent.

If you don’t know where to start…then try choosing an attitude of thanksgiving and go from there.

What are you thankful for?