THE PRAYER OF FOCUS IS A QUIET WAY TO PRAY. IT'S SHORT ON WORDS AND LONG ON LISTENING. yOU MIGHT SAY, "HERE I AM, LORD!" AND THATS ALL. IT'S RINGING THE DOORBELL AND WAITING. YOU CAN PRAY A FOCUSING PRAYER WHILE YOUR BRUSHING YOUR TEETH, WALKING ALONE,OR PUTTING YOUR BOOKS IN YOUR LOCKER. MUSIC MAY HELP YOU BLOCK OUT THE WORLD OUTSIDE SO YOU CAN LOOK INSIDE. YOU CAN USE DIFFERENT SONGS FOR DIFFERENT TIMES AND DIFFERENT MOODS. IT MAY HELP TO DEVELOP A "PLAY LIST" OF SONGS WITH AND WITHOUT LYRICS SO THEY'RE READY WHEN YOU NEED A SPIRITUAL DOWNLOAD. tHE WAY OF FOCUSING PRAYER IS TO REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE AND WHOSE YOU ARE. THE PRAYER OF FOCUS CAN BE AS SHORT AS A MINUTE. IT'S AN INSTANT MESSAGE. PRAY TO SAY, "THANKS."----THIS IS THE PRAYER THAT IS SOMETIMES FORGOTTEN. GIVING THANKS BEFORE MEALS IS A TIME WHEN LOTS OF TEENS PRAY. WE SAY THANKS FOR WHAT WE PUT ON OUR TABLES AND IN OUR MOUTHS, BUT MIGHT FORGET ALL THE OTHER WAYS WE HAVE BEEN FED. THE PRAYER OF THANKS CAN BE A LOT LIKE A MEAL PRAYER, ONLY YOU NAME OTHER GIFTS---LIKE PASSING A SURPRISE QUIZ OR NOT GETTING CAUGHT IN THE RAIN. YOU CAN SCAN THE NEWSPAPERS AND BE GRATEFUL FOR A DAY OF SAFETY AND GOOD HEALTH, FOR WARMTH AND SHELTER. IT'S THE PRAYER OF COUNTING YOUR BLESSINGS. PRAY TO SAY, "SORRY." THE HUMAN CONDITION INCLUDES FAILURES, SHADOWS, AND DOWNRIGHT MEANNESS ON OCCASION. STRESS AND IRRITATIONS PILE ON AND WE CAN TURN MEAN, EVEN HATEFUL. BUT WE REGRET THIS WAY OF BEING IN THE WORLD, AND WE WANT TO DO BETTER. THAT IS THE PRAYER OF,"IM SORRY. PLEASE FORGIVE ME, LORD." YOU MAY THINK SOMETIMES THAT YOU'VE BEEN SO BAD THAT YOUR CASE IS HOPELESS, BUT THE FACT YOU EVEN NOTICED IS PROOF THAT YOU REALLY ARE GOOD AT HEART. GOD ALREADY KNOWS THAT YOUR SORRY, BUT ITS GOOD FOR YOU TO PUT IT INTO WORDS. TAKING TIME TO PRAY GIVES YOU THE INSIGHT INTO YOUR OWN BEHAVIOR, KEEPS YOU PRETTY HUMBLE ABOUT IT, AND LEADS YOU TOWARD BETTER CHOICES. THERE ARE OTHER WAYS TO PRAY, PRAY TO CHILL, PRAY TO SAY "HELP", PRAY FOR HEALING ETC... IN JEREMIAH 29:12 THE LORD SAYS, "WHEN YOU...COME AND PRAY TO ME, I WILL HEAR YOU." SO WHY TAKE TIME TO PRAY? BECAUSE WE WORRY. YOU WORRY ABOUT WHAT PEOPLE THINK OF YOU, ABOUT YOUR FUTURE, ABOUT TODAY, ABOUT YESTERDAY. WORRY CAN TIE YOUR STOMACH IN KNOTS, MAKE YOU SWEATY, NERVOUS, OR SLEEPLESS. PRAYER IS THE OPPOSITE OF ALL STRESX. PRAYER PUTS YOU IN TOUCH WITH THE LIGHT---THE LIGHT THAT IS INSIDE YOU AND AROUND YOU. IT DOESEN'T REQUIRE A FANCY VOCABULARY OR A SPECIAL PLACE. WHENEVER YOU PRAY IS EXACTLY THE RIGHT TIME. HOWEVER YOU PRAY IS GOOD AND EFFECTIVE. SO WHY NOT PRAY? AND WHY NOT START TODAY??? AMEN!!! IN HIS SERVICE, HENRY
