Pray the Cross

One question that I often get is, "How can I have more effective prayer times? I find myself getting distracted."

Heres my answer. Start praying by thanking God for his gift of salvation to you. I find that my most effective prayer times are when I start by simply recounting God's redemptive plan and how the salvation which I receive came at the cost of His Son bearing my sin on the cross.

I think one problem we often have is that we view prayer as a mere formality and therefore approach it without emotion or joy. Really it should be a time to engage God, finding joy in what He's accomplished through Christ. It is hard to recount all God has done through Christ and not be affected and amazed.

A note on getting distracted...I find it helpful to pray out loud.

rick