A note on prayer

 Book and Author:

A Praying Life: Connecting With God in a Distracting World

Paul E. Miller

What is this for?

Concerning prayer and getting distracted

What did I just learn?

In Chapter 3 under the section “Come Messy” the author says:

What does it feel like to be weary? You have trouble concentrating. The problems of the day are like claws in your brain. You feel pummeled by life. 

So, instead of being frozen by your self-preoccupation, talk with God about your worries. Tell him where you are weary. If you don’t begin with where you are, then where you are will sneak in the back door. Your mind will wander to where you are weary. Chapter 3 Pg 19

Why is it important?

I have asked the question as many other in my life have. Why do we get distracted when we pray?Why is it, every time I go to him in prayer my mind wanders and I think about other things than those that I am “should” be paying attention to? Well who says that is what we “should” be praying about. Should we not be bringing our current worries to God instead of those things that we think we are supposed to be bringing to him. Is this about a professional / working relationship or is it about a child coming to his father? 

I like how the author uses this thought of coming to God as a Child. Children say anything that is on their mind... no filter. They let you know when they are weary and what they are weary of.  Scripture tells us in Matthew 11:28, “Come to me all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest” (NASB) So, according to this thought process, if we bring what we are weary about to God in the beginning of the prayer we are less likely to get distracted in our prayer because we are talking to him about the thing that is distracting us. Starting to pray and thinking about what needs to be done at work tomorrow... “God how will I do this. I am only thinking about it because I am worried about some part of it. What part am I worried about and why? How can you give me peace about this?”

I know that I personally worry about everything and yet I am told to bring it to him. I bring him the big things that I am worried or weary about but not the small things but in reality the big things are most likely cause by a lot of small things being compounded. 

PS. I used quotation marks around “should” because who defines what that “Should” be? I have been told a lot when in counseling that I am “Shoulding on myself” who says you “should be in a good mood”, “You should have a clean room” “all of my work should be done today”. There are some laws that define the “should” like what time we go to work and pay the bills and feed ourselves but if it is not being defined in a manner that is life or death then “should” it cause you stress?

How do I apply it?

The next time I pray I would like to pray in a way that is addressing what is on the front of my mind. I should be talking to him about what is bothering me, not what I “should” be praying about.