Sometimes, in fact in all honesty, many times, I focus on myself when I pray.
I try to focus on Jesus, on others and their needs
and it all comes back to myself.
If I divided the time into percentages, many days,
I would take the biggest percentage.
Ideally, our vain imaginations should be cast down.
Casting down imaginations, and every high thing
that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God,
and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
2 Corinthians 10:5
God is so patient with us.
Why does He even listen?
He looks on our hearts.
He cares about the troubles and concerns we have.
How do we get them to not take precedence?
Our flesh takes over and begins to toil.
That wretched flesh that demands time away from God.
Time that I try to dedicate to God, the flesh fights with me
and burdens me with the things I should be laying at His feet.
God, in His mercy, is with me in that battle.
Always disappointing Him, but then, He sees our efforts and our desires.
Even David toiled during his time spent with the Lord.
He toiled with his imperfections and his burdens,
all the things that troubled him:
I am weary with my groaning; all the night make I my bed to swim;
I water my couch with my tears. Psalm 6:6
Casting our burdens on the Lord is scriptural:
Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee:
He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved. Psalm 55:22
Even Jesus Himself prayed to the Father and sweated great drops of blood.
And being in an agony He prayed more earnestly:
and His sweat was as it were
great drops of blood falling down to the ground. Luke 22:44
God does want us to bring our burdens to Him.
Wallowing in them, after we have given them to Him,
almost like taking them back, is less than
and something we can strive to do better in.
Letting Him keep them and resting in His love,
resting in the fact that He cares for us
and takes care of us and has all the answers to everything that concerns us.
How do we get to that point?
Take therefore no thought for the morrow:
for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.
Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. Matthew 6:34
God loves it when we seek Him.
When thou saidst, Seek ye My face; my heart said unto Thee,
Thy face, Lord, will I seek. Psalm 27:8
Spending quality time with Him is an honor to Jesus.
Our desire to do that is enough.
He will see us through and help us and carry us through as we learn.