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"Prayer" Part 3 of 3 from the 2022 Summer/Autumn Vision Newsletter
The prayer of the people in Nehemiah 9 gives us pause to think about how we prepare to pray. Here the people fast, read Scripture, worship, and confess their sin. Extensive thought must have also been given to what they would pray for, as the first 27 verses of their prayer retell what God has done for the Israelites in detail.
How do we prepare to pray?
How do we focus our mind and heart on the One we are praying to?
The lengthy preparations recorded in Nehemiah may not always be possible to replicate, but even a few moments of silence, reading of Scripture, or even singing a hymn would facilitate a heart prepared for prayer. Taking a few moments to pause from the commotion of our lives, whether it’s before a meal, at the beginning or end of the day, or any time we speak with God, focuses our attention on the One we are communicating with and gives us a moment to think about what we’re going to say.
Be still and know that I am God…
Psalm 46:10