Praying with a Gratitude Sandwich

One way that we can pray is to pray using a "gratitude sandwich". For every request (the meat of the request), we surround it with two praises (the bread of the prayer). 

This challenges us to look for ways that God has blessed us, even as we are making petitions of God. 

It has the added benefit of weighting our prayers towards thanksgiving instead of requests. There is nothing wrong with making requests of God, and indeed He wants us to cast our cares on Him. Yet, we aren't always aware of how many requests and how much thanksgiving we have in our prayer.

So let us write out our requests, but then sandwich them in grateful praises. 

What Percentage of Our Prayers?

What percentage of our prayers is praise and worship of God? 
What percentage of our prayers is intercessions and petitions (and demands) for God to do something?

What percentage of our prayers is listening and waiting on the Lord? 

What percentage of our prayers is songs and thanksgiving? 

What percentage of our prayers is confession of guilt and sin? 

What percentage of our prayers is Scripture being prayed back to God? 

What percentage of our prayers is from watching what's around us and what's going on in the world? 

What percentage of our prayers is contemplation and mediation of God's character? 

 

What percentage of our prayers is about family members and friends? 

What percentage of our prayers is about things in our city? Our state? Our Country? 

What percentage of our prayers is for people in Africa? 

What percentage of our prayers is for people in Asia? 

What percentage of our prayers is for people in Australia and Oceania? 

What percentage of our prayers is for people in Central America?

What percentage of our prayers is for people in Europe? 

What percentage of our prayers is for people in the Middle East?  

What percentage of our prayers is for people in South America? 

What percentage of our prayers is for people in North America? 

What percentage of our prayers is for Christians? 

What percentage of our prayers is for non-Christians? 

What percentage of our prayers is for the poor, the widow, the orphan, the stranger, the oppressed, those on the margins of society? 

What percentage of our prayers do we notice being answered?