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Have you ever found yourself praying but your mind is on everything else other than talking to God? I raise my hand high because I have done this on so many occasions. And it is not that I do not know the importance of prayer. Because I do. Why then would I be distracted in prayer? Here is a hard statement that I had to come to grips with: I was distracted in prayer because I was choosing to remain distracted in prayer.
Someone reading this may be thinking: it is really hard to not be distracted when praying because the cares and worries of life can be overwhelming. That may be true but God still deserves our full attention. Here are some reasons why.
- God is worthy of our reverence and adoration. Psalm 33:8 (NKJV) states: Let all the earth fear the Lord; Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.
- God is the creator of Heaven and earth. Nehemiah 9:6 (NKJV) states: You alone are the Lord; You have made heaven, The heaven of heavens, with all their host, The earth and everything on it, The seas and all that is in them, And You preserve them all. The host of heaven worships You.
- God has all power and understanding. Psalm 147:5 (NKJV) states: Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite.
- God sees everything. Hebrews 4:13 (NKJV) states: And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.
When we come before God, we are coming to the only One who has unlimited power, unlimited knowledge, and unlimited wisdom. And when we come before God, we are coming to the only One who truly has the power to bring change to our lives, regardless of our needs or the challenges we face. For these reasons and so much more, we must always posture ourselves to be tuned in and attentive in God’s presence. That is how we hear from God. That is how we receive from God. And that is how we are filled by God.
Psalm 139:2-4 (NKJV) states: You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. You comprehend my path and my lying down, And are acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word on my tongue, But behold, O Lord, You know it altogether.
If you find yourself distracted while praying – where your mind is focused on the next thing you have to do, your work, your worries, your fears, etc. – stop and admit to God that you are distracted, and tell God why. God knows it anyhow. As Psalm 139:2 states: You know my sitting down and my rising up: You understand my thought afar off. Then ask God for the grace you need so that you can lay aside those things that are on your mind – no matter how small they are or how heavy they may be on your heart – and put your full attention on God and God alone.
Psalm 73:26 (NKJV) states: My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
Except where indicated, scripture references are from the American Standard Version (ASV), Darby Translation (DARBY), or King James Version (KJV) – all public domains.
