Trying To Pray Right (Correctly)

I would never get to the end of myself if I prayed about everything on my to-do list. It would be an enormous waste of time. As a guy, I'm so much all about checking things off my list each day and frankly, I often have to stop myself as I begin to pray, "Lord, I've got a lot of stuff to do today..."

It's not that I'm against praying for things like that, but I don't like the fact that my first impulse is to bring up my schedule when talking with God.

What I've discovered (surprise!) is that when my inner life is ordered, settled, and centered on things above, other things tend to work themselves out. Of course, my daily duties don't magically dissolve and drain away. If only... Instead, I find that the Lord supplies me with the focus and determination to work hard and work well, thus overcoming the sinful side of me that would tend towards laziness and laxity. That's why we approach the throne of GRACE and not the throne of GIMME. I need grace to supplant my sinful weaknesses so I can live out my day in the Lord's strength. I need daily bread. Strength for today.

So I guess I'm trying to beware of being satisfied with a lot of boxes checked off in my prayers. Instead, I want to make sure I've touched on the topics that change me and not JUST my circumstances. I will always have certain people and things I pray for regularly, if not daily. But for me, it's important that I don't stray into mindless, scurrying-around prayers instead of staying at Jesus' feet to listen.