Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now.—Matthew 6:34 (MSG) 

How in the world was I going to get everything done? I was at my wits’ end coordinating the family’s schedules as well as trying to anticipate all the medical needs of my ailing parents. 

I listened to a podcast as I multitasked. The woman speaking had a debilitating chronic illness and was sharing how she managed her life. She used to pray for complete healing. By doing so, she realized that she had become so focused on the future that she was putting her present life on hold. Now, she said, “I don’t pray for healing, I pray for strength for the day.” In praying for the present, her prayers became more nuanced. 

I started thinking about how I was praying. Most of the time my prayers primarily consisted of “Help, get me through this.” I was always thinking, “Once we do this, then we can do that.” 

I was praying for the tasks to be finished rather than praying for God’s guidance and strength through them. In leaping over the present, I was missing out on the blessing of spending the remaining days with my ailing parents. 

I realized that I needed to start praying for just the day and to pay attention to what God was doing in the moment.