Mark 6:31
One of the most asked questions about prayer is always “What do you do about the distractions that keep you from focusing on the Lord and what He wants to say to you?” Several good Christian writers have made suggestions about this, one of which is to focus on some story in the Bible where you picture yourself in the scene with Jesus, or some other section that you can identify with. By really thinking about scripture, so that your concentration is away from yourself, the distractions lessen a lot.
Another idea is to use praise music, especially the quiet peaceful kind to help focus on Jesus. Songs that are familiar keep your mind humming along and focusing upward. Above all, don’tTALK. Our talking is the worst thing we can do if we really want to hear the Lord. Every time we pray, we are really simply turning to Him to discuss the thing with Him. It is essential that we hear what He says. His ways are not our ways. His thoughts are nothing like our thoughts. His solutions are always different than any we would think of. The biggest block to knowing God’s will is usually that we are so busy telling Him our will that we can’t consider that His way and will might be different than ours.
For anyone who has been used to talking to God, explaining the situation to Him, telling Him what to do, begging, pleading, etc., this will be difficult. But keep in mind that you are having a discussion with the creator of the universe, who knows more, sees more, and wants more than we can even imagine. Practice in this discipline will help us a great deal to realize that our weakness is
where His strength comes through. The less we strive to pray, the better it will be for us.
Sometimes the times when we are the most tired, the most worn out, are the very best times to pray, because we lack the strength to strive too much. Jesus longs to speak to us, to tell us things we don’t know, to share His mind so that we can do our part and ask for that Will to become ours. It isn’t in talking a lot that prayer happens. It is in refraining from talking that knowledge of His will becomes the most clear. The world is noisy enough without our adding to its din. “Be still, and know that I am God!” (Psalm 46:10)
As we determine in our own minds not to chatter at God, He will enable us to quiet our own hearts and listen. Open ears are His gift to us, so striving is a detriment to hearing. Practice this by meditating on scripture, writing questions and answers (revelation) and God gives it. Sometimes if our minds are busy writing, our hearts can then tell what the Lord is saying. Eventually we become used to the sense of His presence, and will recognize it all the time, because of His character and the beauty of His personality. God has given His Holy Spirit that we might be able to communicate. Be still and know!
Before we are ready to start our intercessory prayers, we need to wait before God until we know we have established communication with Him. This is a time of silence when we are shutting out every other thought and distraction around us. This is not talking to God. Just a complete mental drawing to Him, and then, as He promised, he will draw nigh to us.
Evelyn Christianson
Do not be afraid of silence in your prayer time. It may be that you are meant to listen, not to speak. So wait before the Lord. Wait in stillness. Wait as David waited when he “sat before the Lord.” And in that stillness, assurance will come to you. You will know that you are heard; you will know that your Lord ponders the voice of your humble desires; you will hear quiet words spoken to you yourself, perhaps to your grateful surprise and refreshment.
Amy Carmichael
Finding a quiet time: with young children in the home there will be few uninterrupted stretches of time So watch for free minutes, chinks of time throughout the day to seek God. The question really is, “How much do you want to pray?” Claim this promise for the quiet heart: “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace...” (1 Cor. 14:33)
Catherine Marshall
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