Sometimes my prayer life resembles an ostrich with its head buried in the sand, rather than an eagle soaring in the sky. I get caught up praying for my small daily needs, but I forget the bigger picture of my life. Although I know God cares about the details, I don’t want to pray as if I’m giving Him an order for fast food. How to pray for what really matters?
The other day I stumbled upon the prayer of Moses in Psalm 90 and found 3 prayers that gripped me with a greater vision for my life.
How to Pray for God’s Wisdom to Guide Us:
“Teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12)
Any mom whose kids have already left home understands how fleeting life is. We need God’s guidance to make the most of each day, week, and month; we need His wisdom to understand our priorities and make space for them in our calendars. Yet often, the most important things are not what we think of as goals.
This was brought home to me recently when I saw a glowing picture of myself and my daughter on Facebook memories and read the caption: “I had about 673 things to do this afternoon, but Camilla reminded me we only live once, so we better enjoy it. We figured if we didn’t run downstairs for a snow walk, we might not have another chance for several years.”
That day, I made a wise choice: I left aside my to-do list to revel in a winter wonderland and make a memory with my daughter.
Lord, give me the wisdom I need to understand your plans for my life. Help me to set priorities for today, so I can obey your call on my life. Help me to follow your leading and gain a wise heart as I spend my time in ways that honor you. In Jesus’ name, amen.
How to Pray for God’s Love to Fill Us:
“Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. (Psalm 90:14)
God’s faithful, steadfast love is the only thing that truly satisfies our hearts and makes us glad. We easily run after other things we think will fill us up: money, accomplishments, time with friends. Yet nothing replenishes us like His love.
“Satisfy me in the morning with your steadfast love.” This daily prayer invites God into our lives in new ways and renews our perspective. His love really does give us reasons to rejoice each day. Through the love of God in Christ, we have eternal life and forgiveness for our sins; nothing that happens today can change that.
Lord, fill my heart with your love today. Thank you, Jesus, for expressing your love by dying on the cross and saving me from my sin. Help me to find joy and fulfillment in your great love for me. In Jesus’ name, amen.
How to Pray for God’s Favor and Blessing on Our Work:
Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us, yes, establish the work of our hands! (Psalm 90:17)
Friend, I do not want to barrel through life relying on my own strength and wisdom. Do you? Let’s start each day with a healthy and humble perspective: We need God’s favor in order to succeed in our work. His favor and grace breathe life into our efforts.
I learned this last year when I did one of the scariest things I’ve ever undertaken: I published a book. I knew God had called me to write More of God to help busy, distracted woman’s have more meaningful quiet times and experience more of His presence in their lives. Yet I feared that no one would read my book or find it helpful.
After I began to pray earnestly for God’s favor, He gave me the strength to go forward and publish and share my message. My book did better than I expected, and the Lord is using it to encourage many women. I am grateful for the lesson I learned about God’s favor.
Lord, I need You to help me with my work today. Father, give me your grace and favor as I labor to serve you. Use my efforts to bless others. Establish the work of my hands; may it bring You glory. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Praying God’s Word wields power and aligns our hearts to our Father’s perfect will for our lives. Let’s learn from Moses how to pray for our lives with greater vision. What if we started by taking one of these three prayers and making it our own today and for the rest of the week?
Now it’s your turn: Which one of these three prayers do you resonate with most right now?
Want more ideas on how to get more out of your quiet time and grow closer to God? Do you battle distraction when you try to read the Bible or pray? Click on the image below to check out my book, More of God: A Distracted Woman’s Guide to More Meaningful Quiet Times.
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That’s a tough one. They ALL speak to me but How to Pray for God’s Wisdom
To Guide Us is the one I most need to pray today! Sometimes I get so caught up in my idea of “future me” that I forgot about “present me!” I need to remember to focus on what’s real and important TODAY and what God wants me to do TODAY and in the moment, not just on what may come down the pike.
That is a great point, Melissa. Let’s stay in the present and remember today is the most important day of our lives. <3
The prayer for satisfaction with God’s steadfast love resonates the most with me. With his love always on my mind, I am empowered to act different, love better, and see through his eyes and not my own.
Amen! Thank for chiming in here, Anita! It is true: His love empowers us, doesn’t it?
Betsy, thank you for reminding us/me of those life-changing truths! Ps 90. I love vs 12… teach me to number my days….. to focus on the present. I loved your words “prayer is a way to invite more of God unto my life”. So helpful to meet right now. You may or may not remember but I met you thru ESL (sharon Hampton group). I love to read your blog. Inspiring and refreshing!
Genevieve! Of course I remember you! Thanks so much for taking the time to chime in here. So good to hear from you. May He give you grace as you focus on the present, my friend!