A Glad, Believing Mindset
When Praying

I'm finding new value in affirming every morning with a glad, believing mindset when praying, who God is, and how He has proven His love for me in sending Jesus. I repeat my position in Him. This has recently become my staring point for worship. It lays a foundation so when I start praying about other things, and other people, my faith is fresh and at the ready to believe God will answer my prayers.

It's not that God needs to be reminded. It's easy to say or think, "Oh, I already know this is true. It hasn't changed from yesterday, so why go over and over it?" So if God knows, and you or I remember this, then why bother?

We need a glad, believing mindset when praying simply because we are human; although our mind may know certain things are true, our heart or emotional base tends to forget when over-crowded with many other things. Our sub-conscience needs to be saturated with this wonderful truth.

Of course, when it gets to be dull rote repetition, then the usefulness is gone. But it is our attitude that must change, not the repetition of the truth.

If you're floundering with anxiety and questions and doubts start affirming what you do believe about God. Develop a glad, believing mindset when praying. Slowly it will sink in to your sub-conscious spirit, and gradually it will really believe these profound eternal truths about God. When it really takes hold you'll notice a different attitude welling up from within you.

I'm speaking here from personal experience and not scientific studies. I only know that whereas I used to pray fretfully and urgently as if I needed to persuade God to spare me a favour or two, (and I often felt I was more effective at praying for others rather than myself), I am now finding that I have greater confidence in God's love and power in my life because I reminded myself. I spend more time thanking Him for all the little evidences of His help in my life, rather than pleading - or, yes, even whining like a helpless toddler.

One night, in a group of Christians discussing the work and future of a mission, I noticed that while others saw change as a possible end to our work, in my heart I saw it as coming to the brink of miracles and exciting new direction God must have in mind for us. Suddenly I recognized that I used to think like they did. Hey, I have a glad, believing mindset when praying!

Another relative was expressing anxiety about a decision to confront someone about an old wrong. He wondered if he should go to court over it. My first reaction was, "Oh no! Just turn the matter over to the Lord. He will work perfect vengeance for you, and you don't have to lift a finger to do that! God is more than big enough and loving enough to keep His word!"

Again it came to me that I had a different mindset exactly because I take time in the morning to tell God what a wonderful Creator-God, and Father-God He is. What a marvelous plan of salvation He had in sending Jesus to die for us. But better still, that He raised His Son up to new life, so we could share it with Jesus through the gift of His Holy Spirit.

I don't use exactly the same words every morning, but ad lib until I have praised God for those key truths. Only then am I ready to start making requests for situations and problems and people in my life today, that I am aware need a touch from our Awesome and Marvelous God.

You don't have to restrict this just to your first prayer time of the day. Start every prayer with a few words of thanksgiving and reminding God (as well as yourself), that you believe in Him and are ready to obey.

Now if you want to watch this kind of praying in real life situations, you ought to read my novel, Ruthe's Secret Roses, where the main character, Ruthe Veer, has constantly running dialogues with the Lord Jesus in her mind as she goes from one scene or friend, or different event to another in her daily life. Ruthe definitely has a glad, believing mindset when praying.

What is her daily life like? Well, she works shift work in the telephone office as a Long Distance operator. Since she commutes from her home in the small town of Kleindstadt, she is able to live a unique separate life in the city in the off hours before and after her shift, or between split shifts. Ruthe has a way of making new friends wherever she goes, and she takes her responsiblity to be a friend very seriously. Their hurts and problems become hers, and she uses her creative mind to think up exciting solutions for them. Sometimes those solutions throw her into nerve-wracking, tense times when she has to cry out to the Lord for help, and usually finds that He comes through with ideas as to what to do next.

Ruthe is as human as myself. There are times when she prays and glory fills her soul, but there are times when it is hard work, and times when she panics. However, she is always able to come back to what she knows is true, and she can throw herself upon God with total abandon. If you need to see how to do that, then you want to watch Ruthe's life for about three years in this novel!