Spurgeon reminds us, in his commentary on Psalm 54, in regards to David’s Selah: more pauses would improve our devotions, for we are…too often in a hurry. A little more holy meditation would make our words more suitable and our emotions more fervent.

I find that this is very often the case in my prayers…I hurry through them for various reasons (anxious to get on to other things, uncomfortable with the awkwardness of my praying, distracted by whatever). If I pause to remember Who God is (the Creator and Sustainer of life; absolute Holiness; Judge of the universe; my Abba, Daddy), who I am (a justified sinner who has been saved from God’s wrath for all eternity and adopted into His family with Christ as my Brother), and to carefully consider the needs for which I pray (after all cancer is more than just a five-letter word to those who battle it) then my words are, as Spurgeon says, more suitable, and my emotions more fervent.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, my Abba, Alpha and Omega, grant that I might approach You more thoughtfully when I pray. May my praise be heartfelt as I consider the greatness of Your glory, and the perfection of Your holiness. And may my petitions reflect human sympathy with those who suffer and my remembrance of all that You have been faithful to perform in Your gracious mercy towards us. In Christ I pray. Amen.