Persistent Prayer Reveals My Priorities

“These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” Matthew 6:32-33 (NLT)

God is wanting and waiting to answer my prayers. So when I pray for something more than once, it’s not because I need to convince God to do it. Instead, my persistent prayers let God know what's really important to me.

In other words, praying persistently tests my priorities. If it's not worth praying about repeatedly, then it isn't a priority.

What is most important to me is whatever I worry about most. Worry tells me what's important in my life. If I worry about it, it's important to me. If I don't worry about it, then either I've entrusted it to God, or it's not that important.

Every time I start to worry, I should stop and turn the worry into a prayer. If I prayed about everything I worried about, I'd have a lot less to worry about. Worry won't change anything. But prayer can!

Jesus says in the Sermon on the Mount, "These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need” (Matthew 6:32-33 NLT).

When my priorities are right, God's answer is “yes.” He'll give me all I need if my first concern is to live for his kingdom. Often, "I'm waiting on God to answer this prayer." Am I waiting on God, or is he waiting on me? Maybe he wants to test my desires and priorities. He wants to know what’s most important to me before he gives me an answer.

The Bible promises, "The LORD will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right" (Psalm 84:11 NLT).

When I'm living for Jesus—when I'm giving him my attention and stay connected to him—then he is ready to give me what my heart desires.

God won’t hold back any of his goodness!

In summary:

Prayer is less about convincing God and more about revealing my priorities. Persistent prayer shows what matters most, while worry highlights the areas I need to entrust to Him. Instead of letting anxiety dominate, I can turn every worry into prayer, knowing God already understands my needs. Jesus teaches that when I seek God’s kingdom first and live righteously, He promises to provide everything I need. Often it’s not about waiting on God, but Him waiting on me to align my desires with His will. When I live for Him and stay connected, He holds nothing good back from me. If it's not worth praying about repeatedly, then it isn't a priority.

Bottom line:

When I make seeking God and His Kingdom my first priority, He promises to meet all my needs—so turn worries into prayers and trust His provision.

My next wisest step:

I need to be sure I'm aligning my Priorities for Kingdom Impact. If my foundation (time, energy, focus) is aligned with my highest calling then my influence for others grows naturally, and everything else (content, coaching, tools) flows with greater authority and authenticity.

How to Give God Your Attention

"My eyes are always looking to the LORD for help. He will keep me from any traps." Psalm 25:15 (NCV)

The Bible says God is always thinking about you. But how often do I pause to think about him? He’s not distant—he’s near, waiting for my attention, not because he needs it, but because he loves me.

God wants my attention! But how do I give it to him? One way is to pray about something over and over.

God had a particular affection for King David, and one reason is because David gave God his attention all the time. David said, "My eyes are always looking to the LORD for help. He will keep me from any traps" (Psalm 25:15 NCV). That means David was persistent in prayer. 

Like King David, I face unexpected traps every day. God is the only one who knows them in advance, and persistent prayer is the best way to show that I'm trusting him to keep me safe.

When I'm going up a mountain road, it’s always helpful to be able to anticipate what’s ahead. But if I'm stuck behind a slow truck and can't see around the curve ahead, it can be really frustrating. At that moment, how helpful would a helicopter be to give me the “all clear” to pass?

God is like that helicopter. He can see what I can't see. He can see the traps I'm going to have this week, this month, and this year. If I will give him my attention and focus, he’ll go ahead of me and show me how to navigate those traps.

The Bible says, "Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually!" (Psalm 105:4 ESV). How often should I seek God? Continually. Prayer is not something to be checked off a list. It is an ongoing conversation.

Be persistent in my prayer. Keep seeking God for his direction and help. Don’t stop talking to him! He loves my attention, and he is ready and waiting to answer my prayers.

In summary:

God is always thinking about me and longs for my attention, not because He needs it but because He loves me. Like King David, who persistently prayed and kept his eyes on the Lord for help, I’m called to continually seek God’s guidance and protection from life’s traps. Just as a helicopter sees the road ahead when I can’t, God sees what’s coming in my life and knows how to guide me safely through it. Persistent prayer is how I show trust in Him, keeping my focus on His presence and strength every day. Prayer isn’t a task to complete—it’s an ongoing conversation that keeps me close to the One who leads me forward.

Bottom line:

God longs for my consistent attention, and through persistent prayer and trust in His guidance, He will keep me from traps I can’t see.

My Next Wisest Step:

Build a daily rhythm of intentional, persistent prayer—short check-ins throughout my day, not just long sessions. This aligns with my desire to grow spiritually while also equipping me as a leader and coach. As I practice this rhythm, I'll model attentiveness to God for others and create content (stories, lessons, insights) that naturally flow into my leadership and coaching work.

👉 A practical starting point: Schedule three “attention moments” tomorrow (morning + midday + midevening). Pause, look up, pray briefly, and ask God for direction. Later, note what clarity or peace I sensed—this can become both my personal growth and material for interaction with others.

Daily Prayer-Attention Framework

1. Morning Focus (Start of Day – 2 minutes)

Pause before checking your phone or email.

Pray: “Lord, my eyes are on You today. Guide my steps and help me notice Your presence.”

Scripture Prompt: Psalm 25:15 – “My eyes are always looking to the LORD for help. He will keep me from any traps.”

2. Midday Reset (Middle of Day – 1-2 minutes)

Step away from tasks for a moment.

Pray: “Lord, help me not to miss Your wisdom in what’s ahead. Show me where to slow down, and where to move forward.”

Action: Release any frustration or worry from the morning—reset your attention on God.

3. Evening Reflection (End of Day – 3-5 minutes)

Review the day: Where did I see God guide me? Where did I forget to look to Him?

Pray: “Lord, thank You for today. I trust You with what I couldn’t control. Prepare me for tomorrow.”

Note: Write one sentence of gratitude or a lesson learned.

How to Pray for Others

“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 7:12 (NIV)

Many people know the Golden Rule, but they may not realize it's connected to prayer: “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 7:12 NIV).

That may not sound like it has anything to do with prayer—but it does. When someone asks me to pray for them, and I think, What exactly do I pray? I don’t even know where to start!

Here’s what I can do: Pray for other people the same way you’d like them to pray for me. Would I like to have safety and security and success in my life? Of course. Then pray for safety, security, and success in other people's lives. Would I like God’s financial blessing? Yes. Then pray for the financial blessing of God in other people's lives. Would I like to have a healthy body? Sure. Then pray for other people’s health. Would I like to make better use of my time? We all would! Then pray for others to use their time wisely.

God is my loving Father. The way he treats me as his beloved child is the way he expects me to treat everyone else. Whatever I want God to do for me, pray that same thing for other people.

Learning to pray like this makes me more like Jesus because it makes me more unselfish.

Job 42:10 says, "After Job had prayed for his friends, the LORD restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before" (NIV).

Job was one of the wealthiest men in the world, and one day, he literally lost it all. His children were killed. His business collapsed. His crops were burned. He lost his home. He got a terrible disease. He was miserable. 

The book of Job doesn't say, "When Job prayed for himself, God heard him." Instead, God says that Job is ready for his blessing when Job begins to pray for his friends.

God is looking for me to be unselfish. When I begin to pray for other people's breakthrough, I'm going to see God provide for my breakthrough, as well.

In summary:

The Golden Rule not only guides how we treat others but also how we pray for them. When I’m unsure what to pray, I can simply pray for others the very things I would want for myself—health, provision, protection, wisdom, or success. This unselfish approach reflects God’s heart and helps me grow to be more like Jesus. Job’s story reminds me that his restoration didn’t come when he prayed for himself but when he prayed for his friends. In the same way, God blesses me as I shift my prayers from self-focused to others-focused. When I pray for their breakthrough, I open the door for God to bring about my own

Bottom line:

Prayer isn’t just about asking for myself—it’s about practicing the Golden Rule by praying for others the way I'd want them to pray for me. When I focus on others’ needs in prayer, God not only grows my heart to be more like Jesus but also positions me for my own breakthrough.

My Next Wisest step:

Begin weaving this principle into both my personal walk and my working and interacting with others. Practically, I could:

Personally: Start a simple daily rhythm of praying for others’ breakthroughs in the areas I also desire (growth, health, provision, purpose).

Publicly/Professionally: Share this lesson as a model of servant leadership, showing others how focusing on others first unlocks growth for themselves.