Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving. --Colossians 4:2

Dr. Moody Stuart, a great praying man of a past generation, once drew up a set of rules to guide him in his prayers. Among these rules is this one: "Pray till you pray."

The habit of breaking off our prayers before we have truly prayed is as common as it is unfortunate. Often the last 10 minutes may mean more to us than the first half hour, because we must spend a long time getting into the proper mood to pray effectively. We may need to struggle with our thoughts to draw them in from where they have been scattered through the multitude of distractions that result from the task of living in a disordered world....

If when we come to prayer our hearts feel dull and unspiritual, we should not try to argue ourselves out of it. Rather, we should admit it frankly and pray our way through. Some Christians smile at the thought of "praying through," but something of the same idea is found in the writings of practically every great praying saint from Daniel to the present day. We cannot afford to stop praying till we have actually prayed. This World: Playground or Battleground? pp. 69-70

"Oh Lord, what an important and needed challenge! It's so easy to rush into Your presence and 'check off' our Bible reading and prayer for the day--and so hard to wait in Your presence in unhurried meditation. I'll wait today and 'pray through.' Amen."