MY EXPERIENCES WITH PRAYER tell me that the basic idea doesn't change much, whether the problem is with my job, my head, or my foot—or even someone else's foot. Christ Jesus' instructions have helped me in this regard. In response to humanity's desire for answers to their various concerns, he said, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Matt. 6:33.
I find that in times of need, the inclination to start with God is rather intuitive. My neighbors also tell me they find turning to God to be instinctive. And again, I think Jesus' words are instructive. I've noticed that the few times his prayers are quoted in the Bible, he starts with something along the lines of, "O Father. ..." And of course, there's the Lord's Prayer itself, which begins with, "Our Father. ..." Matt. 6:9.
I really like beginning prayer on that note. Furthermore, I'm finding that, as prayer continues, the key is to maintain that note—to just try to keep thinking about God and His good nature, to see Him as divine Life and Love. Letting your thought turn back to the symptoms or the specifics of a problem sends you in the wrong direction. That's because the purpose of prayer is to draw closer to God, who is completely good. So developing your understanding of God aligns you with that goodness, and the natural byproduct of that alignment is that evil drops away.
