Focus on Prayer
…O Lord,
at dawn you hear my voice;
at dawn I bring my plea expectantly before you. Psalm 5:4
People work hard to establish a prayer practice. For many, morning prayer is a set routine; evening prayer, not so much. Our busy lives leave us drained by evening, and we seek relaxation, then sleep. Prayer to close the day is often forgotten.
The psalmist captures the freshness and expectancy of morning prayer. But what happens to our prayers as the day moves forward, gets complicated and consumes our energy? Think of a child’s rubber ball with a slow leak. Over time, the ball gets flaccid and loses its bounce.
Try this: today, at the top of every hour, pray a short, internal mantra such as, “Lord, I place my trust in you!” See how the day unfolds. My hunch is that by evening, you will find our Lord still very close.
Jennifer Christ
Originally published June 18, 2018
