Daily prayer is one of the most important parts of my recovery from overeating, because it was God who has freed me from my excessive overeating. I used to say my prayers in the evening, but fell asleep, at times, before I finished my prayers. Praying in the morning worked best for me.
I was praying for so many people and different issues, I was afraid I might forget to pray for someone or their specific needs. I ended up making a list of people and specific needs to use each morning as I prayed. This felt like it worked for some time as I mindlessly rattled through my prayers. Every time I would remember the Bible verse that says not to pray with vain repetitions, I would struggle with what I was doing. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Matthew 6:7
Finally, after several years, God changed this for me. Always trying to be in control, it was a little difficult for me to give my prayer structure over to God, but it has been the most freeing experience. Now, my prayers are vague, not very specific, but give me a closeness with God that defies explanation.
I start by acknowledging that God knows our each and every need before we even know they exist. I tell Him that He knows all the family, friends, and people I'm praying for and their specific needs and I trust Him to take care of these as is His will. I ask God to have us all come to have a life long positive relationship with him. Additionally, I pray about healing all our vices. (I used to try to list many of these vices in my other prayer, but God knows what they are.) I ask God to help us turn to Him instead of things and to have the prayer life that He wants for us. Finally, I ask God to take care of all these things in whatever way is His will in Jesus name. Amen. (This, too, could become a structure. I wanted you to know that this is just an example, because I vary my prayers each day, now.)
This was very difficult for me, at first. Trying to be in control of things in my life, I wanted to ask for specific things to happen in the exact way I asked for them. Leaving my prayer vague, leaving my prayer not structured, although unnerving, at first, has proven to be something that makes me feel my Lord's healing touch on all aspects of my life even more than before. My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up. Psalms 5:3
Since this is an example of the positive influence God has made on my overeating, this may not reflect the whole meaning of the Bible verses.
