Renowned Scottish theologian Oswald Chambers said, ‘Prayer does not equip us for greater works— prayer is the greater work. Yet we think of prayer as some commonsense exercise of our higher powers that simply prepares us for God’s work. In the teachings of Jesus Christ, prayer is the working of the miracle of redemption in me, which produces the miracle of redemption in others, through the power of God.’
The older I grow, the more it seems like I have more to pray for than I can handle. Is this is a common dilemma for Christians as they grow older? I’d like to hear from readers who share the same or a similar problem.
My prayer list is getting too long to manage. It includes numerous categories including family (spouse, children, grandchildren, siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles, in-laws and extended family members); friends; colleagues at work; clergy; those persecuted for their Christian faith; my church; my former churches; local leaders; state leaders; national leaders; military service members; and even the abused and missing children on the evening TV network news. Where should I begin praying on a prayer like this?
I’ve tried ‘checklist’ praying–simply going down the list and asking God’s blessing for each category, but that feels very hollow. I’ve tried lifting up specific prayers for everyone and everything on the list, but my ability to concentrate usually fails after five or 10 minutes into the prayers. I’ve segmented my prayers to pray for one category at a time on my prayer list.
When Jesus’ disciples asked him to teach them to pray, he gave them (and us) the ‘Lord’s Prayer’. It’s a beautiful model for praying, but should not be the only prayer we pray; one of the purposes of prayer is simply for us to be with God and to listen and experience the glory of his presence. Our Lord’s prayer goes like this:
Our Father who are in heaven (recognition of God’s supreme authority in all creation),
Hallowed be thy name (affirmation of God’s perfect nature),
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on Earth as it is in heaven (a petition for God to restore the perfect order on Earth that he has intended since creation),
Give us this day our daily bread (recognition that God sustains us),
And forgive us our trespasses (a plea for God’s forgiveness through Jesus Christ),
As we forgive those who trespass against us (an acknowledgement that we have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God and a reminder to forgive others),
And lead us not into temptation (a plea to God to spare us from testing, as Job, Jesus and so many Christian martyrs have been tested),
But deliver us from evil (protect us from Satanic forces),
For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and glory forever, amen (a final acknowledgement of God’s supreme authority in all creation).
The Lord’s Prayer is a beautiful way to begin or end any prayer!
St. Paul’s epistle to the Romans (8:26-27) tells us, ‘…We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God (NIV).’ I try to apply this wisdom when I’m feeling overwhelmed. Sometimes my daily prayer is simply, “Holy Spirit, please pray for me and my family.” I also pray this prayer for individuals, when I feel troubled about/for them, but I don’t know how to pray for them.
One thing I’ve learned is not to pray too much for myself. When I do pray for myself, it usually entails asking God for forgiveness. Psalm 51 and the Lord’s Prayer are my ‘go to’ prayers when I pray for myself. They are more than sufficient!
So how should we pray? I would love to hear your comments and ideas on prayer. Please consider leaving a comment.
To Be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing. —Martin Luther
Divine Simplicity 
Posted by ROSS K BROWN on September 28, 2018 at 7:02 pm
Colonel Zach Hubbard:
You have stated a truth, there are simply too many things to pray for. Therefore, I revert to the Irish Serenity Prayer which starts with:
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can, And wisdom to know the difference.
Peace, Ross Brown
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Posted by Zachary P. Hubbard on September 28, 2018 at 10:41 pm
Such a beautiful prayer! I should have thought of it when I wrote the original entry.
Posted by flipsue on September 28, 2018 at 9:54 pm
Yes. I agree. There are moments when I fall back on praying on ” anyone in trouble, sorry, need, sickness or any other adversity.”
Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone
Posted by Arlene Johns on October 16, 2018 at 9:37 pm
I struggle with the same issue. It feels like a list and sometimes it is discouraging to ask the same petitions and things do not change.
But one thing I think Nike has correct. (Perhaps only one!)
JUST DO IT!!
I think God wants to hear from his children. Even if we are asking the same things over and over again.
Thanks for this.
Posted by Joe Johns on October 17, 2018 at 6:54 pm
I relate to so many of the points made. If I pray for “everything” it seems to take forever and I feel selfish for asking for so many things. I keep my prayer length controlled…I thank God for all my blessings (without renaming all of them each time) but I do mention the specific daily or new blessings for several days. For instance, finances is a general category but I thank God for my job and ability to work daily. Overall Health is a blessing even though my sore foot is a pain, but the person who can’t walk would love that same pain. So categorize it how you think…is it a blessing or a problem? We all have loved ones, friends, and personal health issues. I must admit I pray for certain ones everyday for years on end while other recent issues enter into my prayers … others get dropped…have to let go of something. Your own feelings will often guide you into what you will “selectively” pray for, but some things just simply have more personal emotions. Praying for a parent or close friend seems to stick with you much longer than the prayer request “to save the world”…dropping prayers for myself in exchange for that dear friend or family member… I don’t know does God set a limit on how much to ask for? or do we set the limit on how much time we will spend praying? Does God mind if we pray 24/7? … I must confess, I set a limited time for prayer, and so far God has not told me “enough already”!
Posted by Zachary P. Hubbard on October 17, 2018 at 8:49 pm
I often feel guilty that I’m not praying enough.