Building Your Faith Through Prayer: Finding Focus in Your Relationship with God

Prayer serves as a fundamental building block of faith, yet many believers struggle with maintaining focus and consistency in their prayer lives. Understanding both the practical and theological aspects of prayer can transform how we communicate with God and deepen our spiritual relationship.

What Does Focused Prayer Look Like?

Focused prayer requires intentionality and preparation. Rather than rushing through quick prayers or letting our minds wander, we need to create an environment that draws us into God’s presence and keeps us engaged in meaningful conversation with Him.

The Three Essential Elements: Place, Posture, and Plan

Finding Your Prayer Place

Creating a dedicated space for prayer helps establish consistency and focus. This doesn’t require an elaborate setup – simply gather the essentials that will support your prayer time:

• A candle and matches to mark the beginning of your prayer time
• A Bible for when God guides you to specific scriptures
• Something to write with and write on (pen and paper or digital device)

Having writing materials serves multiple purposes. God may speak to you during prayer, and you’ll want to record those insights. You might also maintain a prayer list for people and situations that need ongoing intercession. Perhaps most practically, when distracting thoughts about daily tasks arise, you can quickly jot them down and return your focus to prayer without trying to remember everything in your head.

Choosing Your Prayer Posture

There’s no single “correct” posture for prayer. The key is finding what brings you into God’s presence most effectively:

• Sitting in a comfortable chair (though be careful not to fall asleep!)
• Kneeling, which many find helps maintain focus and reverence
• Standing upright in God’s presence
• Lying prostrate with arms outstretched

The posture itself matters less than your heart’s intention to connect with God.

Establishing a Plan

One model for organizing a prayer time follows the acronym A.C.T.S. [Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving & Supplication] While these categories are somewhat self-explanatory there is some confusion between Adoration & Thanksgiving. Adoration is praising God for who He is and thanksgiving is thanking God for what He’s done.

Many years ago I re-visioned this prayer model as The Well Mannered Prayer:

• I Love You (Adoration)
• I’m Sorry (Confession)
• Thank You (Thanksgiving)
• Please (Supplication)

What Does the Bible Teach About Effective Prayer?

James 5:13-18 provides powerful insights into prayer’s role in the believer’s life. The passage addresses prayer in times of trouble, songs of praise in times of joy, and the importance of community prayer for healing and forgiveness.

The Power of Righteous Prayer

James tells us that “prayers offered by those who have God’s approval are effective,” using Elijah as an example. When Elijah prayed for drought, it didn’t rain for three and a half years. When he prayed for rain, the rains returned and crops flourished.

This might seem intimidating – after all, Elijah was a great prophet. But the passage reminds us that “Elijah was human like us,” suggesting that effective prayer isn’t reserved for spiritual superstars.

How Should We Handle Unanswered Prayers?

Not all prayers receive the answers we expect or desire. The Bible provides several examples that help us understand this reality:

When God Says No: Paul’s Thorn

The apostle Paul pleaded three times for God to remove a “thorn in his flesh.” Instead of granting this request, God responded: “My grace is sufficient for you. My power is made perfect in weakness.” Sometimes God’s “no” serves a greater purpose we may not understand until eternity.

When God’s Timing Differs: Jonah’s Journey

Jonah’s story shows us that even when we’re running from God’s will, He can still use our prayers and circumstances for His purposes. Jonah’s prayer from the belly of the great fish was answered, but not before he learned important lessons about obedience and God’s mercy.

Why Focus on Relationship Over Results?

The key to understanding prayer lies in focusing on our relationship with God rather than demanding specific results. This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t bring our requests to God – He invites us to do so. Rather, it means trusting that God’s responses, whether “yes,” “no,” or “wait,” come from His perfect love and wisdom.

Trusting God’s Greater Plan

Sometimes we can look back and thank God for prayers He didn’t answer the way we wanted. What seemed like disappointment at the time may have protected us from lesser blessings or prepared us for something better. As one song puts it, “Some of God’s greatest gifts are unanswered prayers.”

Finding Sufficiency in God’s Grace

When prayers aren’t answered as we hope, we can rest in the truth that God’s grace is sufficient for every situation. His provision may not look like what we expected, but it will always be exactly what we need.

Life Application

This week, commit to establishing a consistent, focused prayer practice. Choose a specific place, posture, and time for daily prayer. Gather the simple tools you need – perhaps a candle, your Bible, and something to write with. Most importantly, approach prayer with the goal of deepening your relationship with God rather than simply presenting your wish list.

As you pray, remember that God cares more about your heart’s connection with Him than the eloquence of your words or the length of your prayers. Focus on the relationship, trust His responses, and allow His grace to be sufficient for whatever you’re facing.

Questions for Reflection:

• What distractions typically pull your attention away during prayer, and how can you address them
• How might focusing on your relationship with God rather than specific outcomes change your prayer life?
• Can you think of a time when an “unanswered” prayer actually protected or blessed you in ways you didn’t initially recognize?
• What practical steps will you take this week to create a more focused prayer environment?

Sermon video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EndPuYFghO0

[Blog post created by Sermon Shots from original sermon content preached by Rev. Kent F. Jackson on November 2, 2025.]