Sometimes, I struggle to pray. I can become easily distracted. I can overthink prayer. Sometimes, I try to do too much with my prayer.
Here is a prayer from St. Clement of Rome -- an early Church Father -- who lived during the 1st Century. I find that reading and praying the prayers of the early Church are helpful for my own prayer life. Maybe, it will be helpful to you.
We beseech You, Master, to be our helper and protector.
Save the afflicted among us; have mercy on the lowly;
Raise up the fallen; appear to the needy; heal the ungodly;
Restore the wanderers of Your people;
Feed the hungry; ransom our prisoners;
Raise up the sick; comfort the faint-hearted.
It starts by acknowledging our humility before God the Father. He is, truly, Master of all things. And yet, it reminds us that despite His power, God actively helps us and protect us. It conveys His benevolent nature.
I think I often just rush into petitions, without acknowledging God's majesty, His power, His sovereignty. I go in making demands of God, which is not how we are instructed to pray. I would never make a demand of my earthly father, so why would I do that with my Heavenly Father?
Then, Clement makes petitions for all sorts of people. People struggling with a variety of problems. Clement prays for those both near and far from God -- it is an evangelical prayer. Clement prays for the oppressed, the sick, the hungry. He does not explicitly pray for himself. He is asking for the sake of others.
My prayers are often too focused on myself. It is ok to pray for yourself, but that should not be the extent of your prayer life. We are instructed to pray for all people (1 Timothy 2), that all people would come to faith and receive the gift of salvation.
I really think this is a beautiful prayer. I think it is worth remembering, especially during this crazy time in our world. It reminds us to keep looking outward. The afflicted are all around us. There are many who have fallen, countless in need, so many that are hungry, and all of us feel like prisoners.
There are many people struggling in their relationship with God. They are struggling to trust Him and His plan for the world.
Let's make it a point to pray for them, for all people, in whatever place they may be. And when we pray for others, when we pray for God to bring them help and protection, God will provide us opportunities to be an answer to prayer!
Look for those opportunities.