FOCUSED PRAYER
“Focused prayer is devoted, faith-filled, targeted prayer.”
3 Ways to Have Focused Prayer
"If you shoot without aiming, you will hit anything, just not your target. If you shoot while aiming at your target, you are guaranteed to hit it." - Brad Reynolds
“Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.” But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we.” And they gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, “The land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature. There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.” - Numbers 13:31-33
The Israelites were at the brink of the Promised Land, but they were focused on the wrong thing. They were distracted by the size of their obstacle, instead of focusing on God, what He had spoken and putting their trust in Him.
What are you focusing on when you pray (or don't pray)?
Focused prayer is not praying for your food. It's not going into your room and praying for three hours about random things and hoping something happens. Focused prayer is devoted, faith-filled, targeted prayer. This kind of prayer is dangerous. When you pray, something does happen according to James 5:16, but when you pray with faith, focus, and intentionality - something BIG happens.
The key to focused, faith-filled prayer is letting God set the agenda of your prayer time, not you.
Here are 3 Ways to Help You Keep Your Prayer Time Focused.
1.SEEK GOD FIRST
When you go into your prayer closet, put God first. You do this by beginning your prayer with worship, praise, and thanksgiving. You should spend a large portion of your time doing these things. Benny Hinn had said in one of his books that when you put God first in your prayer time, you are allowing Him to set the agenda. Set aside your own thoughts, desires, wants, and needs. Allow God to set the agenda and watch Him move mightily.
2.PRAY IN TONGUES
I am so thankful for the Holy Spirit and for the gift of speaking in tongues. When you pray in tongues, you are allowing the Holy Spirit to speak the perfect will of God directly through you (Romans 8:26-27). This is such a cheat code!
3.YOUR FOCUS IS YOUR REALITY
"Always remember, your focus determines your reality" - George Lucas
What are you focused on while you pray? What are you focused on when you're not praying? Personally, I know that if I start entertaining thoughts of doubt, fear, and discouragement, it affects my prayers, my faith, and my attitude. But when I focus on God's Word, on good things, and on the outcome that I desire, it shifts my mindset. I begin praying with faith. I begin walking with my chest higher, because I know that God will do what His word says He will do.
When approaching Goliath, David didn't focus on his size, his armor, his victories, etc. His focus was on God. His reply to Goliath's blasphemy was that of faith:
“Moreover David said, ‘The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.’” - 1 Samuel 17:37
David, instead of looking at his enemy and getting discouraged, reminded himself of who God is.
When you pray, focus on God, His Word, and the outcome you desire...this is the key to focused prayer.
***BONUS TIP***
"Starve your distractions, feed your focus" - Unknown
Remove spiritual distractions from your prayer time. This tip is in direct follow-up to the last. Not only should you focus on God, but you should be removing distractions from your life that discourage your faith. I very rarely look up or at anything news-related because at one point in my life, I had noticed that I had let the news dictate my faith. If the news was good, I was good. If the news was bad, I was bad. Stop letting external things control your faith & your attitude. Remove distractions immediately. If that means you have to put blinders on like a horse, then do it.
I hope that this encouraged you today. Being focused in our prayer life and in our faith walk is so important. Aim your faith at God, aim your prayers at your target, and watch God do miracles in your life. Stay focused!
Many blessings!
In His Service,
Bishop Brad Reynolds
Founder of Revive Ministries