Spirituality Guide

Have you ever made a New Year’s Resolution only to find that you’re breaking it before it even gets started good? Maybe it’s to lose weight, grow your business or spend more time with your kids. Maybe you need more time to yourself to do the things you need to do. Maybe it’s all of the above or maybe it’s just some things. Whatever they are, you have possibly made a resolve to resolve.

It happens to us all at one time or another. We decide to do something on the first of the year, first of the month or right away. Then, we find ourselves not doing it but not only that, we have totally abandoned the idea because we get distracted. And therein, my friend, is the key to our inability to complete. Distraction.

In our spiritual lives, distraction is the key thing that keeps us from doing what we need to do to grow our spiritual lives. Whenever you kneel to pray, do you find yourself distracted from prayer? Or do you find that your mind wanders and thinks on things OTHER than what you’re praying about? What’s that? Was someone knocking on the door…?

If you want to make sure that you’re not distracted every time you attempt to spend quality quiet time in prayer, let’s work together and try some things until we succeed. Together. Trust me. I’ve had that same problem too and it’s very disheartening.
Here goes:

Before you begin prayer, take five minutes and worry about EVERYTHING that’s on your mind. Give it your full, undivided attention to worry or thinking. This satisfies (partially) that distraction and gives it the energy it needs for, well, five minutes. After that, that’s it. You do not need to think about it anymore during prayer. It had its worrying session earlier.

Use the restroom first. Eliminate that distraction before it starts.

Get comfortable, be it on your knees, standing or sitting. You don’t want to start shifting around right when you start.

Turn off the house phone, cell phone, radio, Ipods, etc., etc. Eliminate all “white noise”.

Also, when you begin, ask God to eliminate and help you ignore any other distractions that may attempt to invade your time with Him. With diligence and perseverance, you will be able to follow through on this small but important issue of distraction.

Later this week, we will also look at other infringements on our time with God. Share with me any other things you consider to invade our quiet time.