After many years of being a follower of Jesus there was something that bothered me about my prayer life, but I could not place my finger on the problem. So, one day I decided that it was time to analyze my prayer life. In no time at all I discovered the problem, all of my prayers were self-focused, they were all about me. It was all about thanking God for what He did, was doing and was going to do for me. It was all about presenting to God my petitions and even when I was praying for others it was still about me. Because after all it was my petitions, my friends, my family, the needs I felt should be presented to God and the things I felt I needed to thank God for. What I discovered was that all my prayers revolved around me, me, me and it actually bothered “me”. But how could I change this when the context for all my prayers is “me”?

Matthew 6:9 NIV

This, then, is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name…

One day, reading Jesus’ teaching on how we should pray, I found the solution to my problem. It was far simpler than I could ever imagine. Even though I had read, memorized and repeated the “Our Father” more times than I could count the answer was right in front of me. Praying should never start with me, praying should always start with “Our Father”. Jesus taught that when we pray we should begin by declaring God’s greatness, focusing in on His name.

Praying shouldn’t be self -focused but rather God-focused. When we pray we should always begin focusing on God and not on ourselves. We should pause until we recognize whom we’re talking with, who He is what He’s done. King David exclaimed in Psalm 8: “I look up at your macro-skies, dark and enormous, your handmade sky-jewelry, Moon and stars mounted in their settings. Then I look at my micro-self and wonder, Why do you bother with us? Why take a second look our way?”
Focusing on God surely puts our lives in context.

The more you examine and declare God’s greatness the more you will understand who God is and the more you will understand who you are. This will put your worries, hopes and dreams in the proper context. Don’t skip this step when you pray, spend as much time as necessary here. Think of what God has done, look at what God has done and declare it. When you declare His greatness it will impact and transform your life more than you can ever imagine. You will be less concerned with your petitions and worries, and you will feel the security and the assurance that comes from knowing almighty God as your Heavenly Father.

It’s SIMPLE, the context for all my prayers should never be me, and the context for all my prayers should always be my Heavenly Father.

Heavenly Father, your greatness has no end. You are glorious, majestic, and holy. The things you do take my breath away and your love never fails.