 | Matthew 6:6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. Does your mind drift when you pray? I hear a symphony of yeses! It can be frustrating but we mustn’t give up because it is possible to be free from distractions and experience deep, meaningful times of prayer in God’s ... |
... presence. Here are a few tips that have helped me:
1. Get away from distractions
What does that mean to you? For example, going to a separate room, turning off your phone and email, etc.
What is right for one is not necessarily right for another. For example, being in nature can help some people move into prayer more easily, while for others, it is a definite distraction.
2. Begin by reading the Bible
Here’s a quote from George Mueller who was a great man of prayer. He would often struggle with wandering thoughts while trying to pray until he discovered the importance of reading the Bible first. Spending time in the Word prepares our hearts for time with the Lord. This practice made a real difference for me.
“I saw that the most important thing was to give myself to the reading of God’s Word, and to meditation on it... Now prayer, in order to be continued for any length of time in any other than a formal manner, requires, generally speaking, a measure of strength or godly desire, and the season therefore when this exercise of the soul can be most effectually performed is after the inner man has been nourished by meditation on the Word of God, where we find our Father speaking to us, to encourage us, to comfort us, to instruct us, to humble us, to reprove us... Thus there is far less to be feared from wandering of mind than if we give ourselves to prayer without having had time previously for meditation.”
3. Write a Prayer List – Referring back to your list when your mind wanders keeps your focus
4. Pray out loud
5. Remind yourself to focus
6. Write down distraction - When your mind drifts to other matters such as what you have to do that day, jot them down on a piece of paper, tell yourself you will get to them after your prayer time, and return to your prayers. (This really helped me.)
1. Get away from distractions
What does that mean to you? For example, going to a separate room, turning off your phone and email, etc.
What is right for one is not necessarily right for another. For example, being in nature can help some people move into prayer more easily, while for others, it is a definite distraction.
2. Begin by reading the Bible
Here’s a quote from George Mueller who was a great man of prayer. He would often struggle with wandering thoughts while trying to pray until he discovered the importance of reading the Bible first. Spending time in the Word prepares our hearts for time with the Lord. This practice made a real difference for me.
“I saw that the most important thing was to give myself to the reading of God’s Word, and to meditation on it... Now prayer, in order to be continued for any length of time in any other than a formal manner, requires, generally speaking, a measure of strength or godly desire, and the season therefore when this exercise of the soul can be most effectually performed is after the inner man has been nourished by meditation on the Word of God, where we find our Father speaking to us, to encourage us, to comfort us, to instruct us, to humble us, to reprove us... Thus there is far less to be feared from wandering of mind than if we give ourselves to prayer without having had time previously for meditation.”
3. Write a Prayer List – Referring back to your list when your mind wanders keeps your focus
4. Pray out loud
5. Remind yourself to focus
6. Write down distraction - When your mind drifts to other matters such as what you have to do that day, jot them down on a piece of paper, tell yourself you will get to them after your prayer time, and return to your prayers. (This really helped me.)
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