Face To Face: Prayerনমুনা

Welcome to Day 3!  We talked on Day 1 about how prayer can feel awkward at first.  Maybe you've experienced some of that these last couple of days.  Maybe you feel like you aren't saying the right things or that you should be able to focus better.  That last one has always been difficult for me.  I used to get distracted a lot during prayer, and sometimes I still do!  So let's talk about what you can do about distractions.

First, remember who you are praying to!  God is powerful and incredible and perfect, but He is also our heavenly Father.  He is good and he is kind.  Think of prayer (or any interaction with God) like playing catch with your dad.  If you drop the ball, your dad doesn't scream at you or throw down his glove and walk away.  He encourages you!  And if you can't throw it far enough, he doesn't mock you or roll his eyes.  What does he do?  He just takes a step closer and you try again.  If you are getting distracted, be kind to yourself like God is kind to you.

Second, make sure you are away from normal distractions.  Put your phone on Do Not Disturb.  Don't have the TV on, don't pray in the middle of a room where your siblings and parents are running around doing different stuff.  Find a quiet place.  That's what Jesus did, and if Jesus needed a quiet place then we definitely need one too.

Third, when you get distracted, just pause and reset.  Tell God (it's not like He missed it) and ask Him to help you focus.  "God, I got distracted there and started thinking about whether or not the Moon Landing was real.  Help me refocus back on you."  The key is not to get frustrated with yourself.  God isn't frustrated with you, so don't let it knock you down!  Keep going!

We said on Day 1 that we were going to try different kinds of prayers.  Today we are going to try what's called "Praying Scripture."  It's pretty simple!  You take what someone wrote in the Bible and personalize it, like you are saying the words to God.  The scripture we are going to use is a very famous song written by King David.  You might recognize how it starts: "The Lord is my shepherd..."  Try using the NLT translation (you can change the translation at the top of the screen when you are reading the verse.)  Turn the words into a prayer.  So, instead of "The Lord is my shepherd, I have all that I need" pray this: "God, you are my shepherd.  Thank you that I have all that I need."  Pause there and think about the things you have that God has given you: food, a home, friends, family.  Then keep going.  Instead of "He lets me rest in green meadows" pray this: "God, help me to rest when I'm tired and stressed out." 

Try that with all of Psalm 23.  Take your time, and be kind to yourself!  God is your shepherd, He is patient with you.