It has been suggested that unanswered prayer often discourages us, partly because our FOCUS in prayer is misdirected. It will serve us well to consider five things NOT to focus on as we pray. Any one of these things will dilute, or prevent altogether, one’s praying. In Part Three of this series, we will suggest where our focus should be concentrated as we come to God with our petitions.

Things NOT to focus on:

1) Do not focus on the method of prayer.

     There are many speakers today who have been called and inspired by God to teach the Body of Christ how to pray. Each one suggests a way, a different way, or method, to gain “successful prayer.” Successful prayer is then defined or described as answered prayer – with supernatural answers to our prayers.

     So, we read the books and listen to the teachings and go home to apply all the learned principles or to follow the prescribed steps – and we do that. Earnestly and fervently (James 5:16) we present our petitions before God, and sometimes He responds as we expect Him to (or as we have specifically requested), but too many times we have depended upon the prescribed words or methods or formulas and seem to come up empty – again. Our tendency is to conclude that prayer just doesn’t work or perhaps is unnecessary. The enemy of our souls, and of our King, is determined to thwart, short-circuit, and eventually destroy our relationship with God, and he will use any means to accomplish his goal.

     Methods are not the answer. Formulas or outlines for prayer were never intended to be the focus of our intercessory prayer times.

     Each of us prays differently according to who we are in God. My sister-in-law, Eleanor, would ask me to agree with her in prayer about some truly catastrophic situation. She prays simple sentence prayers. When I get into prayer, I PRAY! – with fervency and authority and a loud voice at times, and often with much crying and tears. She quietly, with a soft childlike voice would say something like, “Dear Jesus, we just believe You now to take care of this thing.” And – He did!!

     It is not with our many words or the right words, or whether we kneel, sit, stand, or pace the floor that we touch and move God. It is with our faith that we touch Him. I don’t always pray the same way, but I always pray.

2) Do not focus on the magnitude of the need.

     We know we are to come to God in faith, believing in His faithfulness. Recall that Jesus said to one (or more), “It is your faith that has made you whole” or, “…moved mountains.” (Matt. 9:22; Luke 6:48; 17:19; Mark 11:22,23)

     Let me illustrate this point with a true story. Years ago, in the height of the Charismatic Movement, my brother, Judson Cornwall, was invited to accompany a healing evangelist on a mammoth missions trip to South America. After preaching to the gathered thousands, the evangelist gave an altar call for healing. He ministered and Judson ministered and there were countless miraculous healings taking place. After a time, a badly crippled and deformed child was brought forward. The evangelist asked the mother and child to be seated on the sidelines to be ministered to later, which they did.

     Afterward, Judson privately inquired as to why the evangelist handled them in this manner. The response was insightful and well-worth remembering. He had asked them to wait for prayer because the extremity of the situation would neutralize the faith of the people. It would change within from faith to sympathy. What a lesson for us.

     When we are asked to pray for a headache, we can have great faith and pray with authority and confidence in the healing. But – pray for cancer? That’s another thing. “I don’t have cancer-faith” is too often our deepest thought. The truth is – faith is faith. And the enemy is quick to undermine yours, introducing doubt into your mind and spirit. He says, “You don’t have enough faith for this.”

     Of course you have the faith! “Faith cometh by hearing, hearing the Word of God.” (Romans 10:17) We dare not focus on the nature or immensity of the need.

3) Do not focus on the measure of your feelings.

     We love to feel things! I do. And when we feel, we are infused with great faith! We gain confidence that God has answered our petitions when we feel His presence or some sort of physical anointing. We KNOW He has already accomplished the thing requested, and can simply move on. I love that! But I don’t live in it! I would love to live in it. That would be wonderful! But, you see, the majority of the time, my faith is simple and quiet – “God, You said.”

     And, when we give voice to that, the accusation comes quickly, “But that’s ‘name it-claim it.’” I can claim it if He really said it! I don’t have to feel it all the time. And most of the time, I don’t. But “I know in whom I have believed…that He is able…” (2 Tim. 1:12)

4) Do not focus on how much time is needed or spent in prayer.

     There was a time, years ago, when I was pastoring with my brother that I regularly, literally, spent hours in prayer every day. One day, I missed my intercessory prayer time because my counseling session went longer than planned and I was booked for the rest of the day. That evening I was to speak. And, because I had failed to spend my accustomed length of time in “deep intercession,” I lost any sense of anointing. “I can’t speak, I haven’t prayed. I haven’t spent hours in prayer. I haven’t earned it.”

     Have you ever felt that way? Hear it. “I haven’t fasted enough” or “prayed enough” or “sought enough” or “cared enough.” And as I was walking toward the platform with those thoughts, the Holy Spirit said, “Jesus has.”

     Oh, Hallelujah!! Jesus has fasted enough! Jesus has prayed enough! Jesus paid it all!!

     Why is it that we beat ourselves so badly? And what would make us think that we could ever earn His anointing…. OR… His answers to our prayers?

5) Do not focus on the many failures YOU have had in past prayers.

     Never would you be revealed to you, as quickly as when you go to prayer. Truth is, that is a gift. It is God’s gift to you. When He reveals me to me when I am in prayer, I can handle it because I can confess and forsake as I am already in His presence. I have enough of His grace there in His presence to forgive everyone I don’t want to forgive when I’m not in His presence. And, I have the grace to forgive myself.

     Oh, the Blood of Jesus cleanses. You see, in His presence, grace oozes. And that is why He reveals you to you. It’s not to condemn. That is why the Word in Matthew says, “when ye come,” if you bring a gift to Him and you realize, “Oh, I’ve got a problem with that person…” “Leave the gift, I’m not listening till you get it right with her.” (Matt.5:23,24 paraphrased)

     Learn to expect revelation while you are involved in intercessory prayer — of you, to you, by God. I come to pray for you and He talks about me! “I don’t want to talk about me. I want to talk about her. Oh, Lord, I know there are a few little things, but I’ll talk to You later.” He says, “I’m not listening.” Is that scriptural? Yes. Our sins separate us from the Lord and cause Him to hide His face from us (Isa. 59:2; Mic. 3:4).

     Sometimes it is as important to know what NOT to focus on as to know what we should focus on. The things that claim our attention often set us in a certain pattern or attitude that is counter-productive to our main goals. It is vital for us to check on what is capturing most of our concentrated thoughts so we can better understand why we think or “feel” in certain ways. We must then submit our ways to the authority of God’s Word, and adjust as He directs.

     In Part Three of this series “On Intercession,” we will turn our attention to the areas that perhaps we have missed, or that may have taken a secondary position in our minds as we enter into intercessory prayer. These three areas are so simple and obvious that we tend to forget, or assume, or otherwise miss the importance of keeping them in the forefront of our minds and spirits.