Do you ever struggle to focus when you're trying to pray?
Ever heard the advice to have a “daily quiet time”, but inwardly you know the loudest place on earth is the thoughts in your head?
If that describes you, then we're in the same boat my friend.
For years I struggled to pray and have a "quiet time".
I wanted to be a “good” Christian.
I would rise early, because you know the holiest believers rise early, right?!- at least that's what I thought. So I would try to force myself to be a morning person. I would get up early, drag myself out of bed, and tip-toe around the house trying to read the Bible by night light. Why the night light? Because it seemed that in my house light seems to make noise. Noise that wakes the heaviest of sleeping children in the house.
Or maybe it was my blinking that woke them. I really don’t know.
No matter how quiet I would try to be, someone would seem to hear me and come join me for MY quiet time. M-Y attempt to be a “good” Christian. Didn’t God see me trying to DO this?! Ugh!
I wasted so SO much time frustrated.
Either someone would wake up with me or if I was all alone, I would be SO tired I couldn’t tell you what I read on the page anyway. My eyes went across the words, but nothing was sticking.
So I had a choice, get up and try to have some token of a quiet time with the Lord, or stay in the bed and feel guilty for not spending time with God?
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Here’s the thing…. Is it possible to NOT spend time with God?
NO! He is everywhere.
Our goal should not be to spend time with Him. Uh-oh- did I lose you? Stick with me for a minute.
We should not focus on spending time with God, He's always with us. Our goal is to increase our awareness of Him in the everyday moments of our day.
See Him in the face of the little one who wakes up to join you in your Bible reading. See His provision in the morning meal you prepare each morning. See Him in your marriage. See Him in the grocery store. See Him. Recognize Him. Acknowledge Him.
So the next time you are trying to pray and your mind wanders. Don’t judge yourself as unfocused or off track. See Him, even in that.
When you pray, keep a notepad beside you. If something comes to mind, write it down. Consider it your Divine to-do List. A to-do list straight from Heaven itself.
Now, all that you do today is a divine appointment. Whether it’s washing dirty laundry or planning the evening meal, or calling a friend that’s been on your mind. Your daily to-do’s are Heaven sent and you are freed up to see God in any “interruptions” to YOUR plan, because God is busy setting His plan in motion.
How about you, do you ever struggle to have a daily quiet time?
photo credit: Visions By Vicky via photopin cc
