Praying God's Heart, By Kelli Zaniel

T.V., radio, newspaper and internet constantly seduce us with their ungodly charm. As we work,

pick up kids,

sort laundry, or

check out at Target,

we are constantly inundated with a wealth of worldly wisdom.

We try and look the other way but the world is constantly wooing us with its overindulgent antics. Screaming, “It’s all about you,” all day long. I don’t know about you, but by 5:00 p.m. it’s hard to remember it’s all about God. Some days, it’s all about the messes on the floor, gum stuck in someone’s hair, purple nail polish stains, or a stopped up toilet that won’t be fixed without a $90 an hour plumber.

If we aren’t careful, these worldly “things” may limit our view of God. They may wedge themselves in between our relationship with Jesus. Our perspectives may become distorted and misguided. Time alone with God may seem artificial because of our lack of surrender to Him. If we make it all about us during the day, we will probably make it all about us when we pray too. All too often our prayers are focused around the desires of our hearts and not God’s.

There is no better way to refine our supplications and intercessions than by going to God’s Word first. Praying God’s heart through scripture is a great way to surrender to his will without interjecting so much of our own. This way we can kneel at the feet of an Almighty God and pray with a godly perspective instead of a worldly one.

These four steps will help us focus on God and the desires of His heart when we pray:

1. Read a section of Psalms. Read Psalm 119 which expresses David passion for God’s Word. Lord, I pray that you will renew my passion for your Word;

2. Read a praise. I like Psalm 145 because it sings praises to God for His mercy, grace and unfailing love for me;

3. Read a Proverb to dust off the worldly junk that has stuck to us throughout the day. I choose these verses based upon things I struggle with (ex. Prov. 29; 27:16);

4. Pray Accordingly Sister! Now that you have aligned your heart with God’s, pray with confidence and passion. We can ask the Lord boldly (Heb. 4:12) for our desires and requests (Matt 7:7-8), knowing that if we ask according to His will, He hears us and answers us (1John 5:14-15).