Sunday, 28 June 2009
-
So You Think You Can Pray? What to Do When You Can’t
I have found that praying is probably the most difficult activity to engage in when you’re distracted, overextended, upset, fearful, or confused. I find it not only challenging to pray for myself, but even more challenging to intercede for others. As a member of my church’s prayer band, I donate several hours a week to pray over phone requests, prayer cards, and emails from around the world. It’s probably the most rewarding experience I’ve had as a Christian, but I’ve noticed that the easiest way for me to be ineffective is to allow myself to focus more on my own issues than the need of the person represented in a request.
Yet, when I’m going through something, which is the time I should be the most prayerful, I find myself scarcely praying simply because I can’t focus.
Do you have a similar struggle? How do you regroup to effectively communicate with God?
-
recommend
- recs 0
-
share
-
email
- sent 0
Related Posts
Post a Comment
- Back to revelife's Revelife Site!
- Note: your comment will appear in revelife's local time zone: GMT -05:00 (Eastern Standard - US, Canada)
About the Author
-
- From: FAB
Stats: This Week All Time Posts: 0 16 Views: 0 15597 Comments: 0 761 View all posts by FAB
Comments (27)
Sometimes reciting Scripture can lead me into a more prayerful frame of mind.
I was going to suggest the same thing as @JosephParsons@xanga did: to open up the Scripture. There are a huge number of prayers in Scripture, plus as you read and reflect on Scripture, the Holy Spirit will begin to prompt you and lead you and give you plenty to pray about!
If you are really distracted, instead of trying to ignore the distraction, sometimes it's often best to deal with it and pray through it, rather than having it continue to come back. The distraction may actually be the thing you're supposed to be praying about!
It's funny, because you'd think that the moments when you are scared or stressed beyond belief are the ones where you would pray most, but I completely understand how hard it is to do so during those times. Sometimes it's easier to call up a friend and vent rather than pour out your feelings to God. I find that I have to make sure I set aside some "quiet time" to spend with God at some point in my day, just like I set aside some time for homework.
@sarahzthoughts@xanga - I think there's no right answer. At times under stress I've poured my heart out, then at other times, grumbled like an ungrateful bastard. Why the difference? I don't know. Maybe there are unseen influences at work, both light and dark.
Seems like prayer is either easy or hard regardless of circumstance.
@JosephParsons@xanga - As I recall, there's a verse somewhere (can't remember which one, but I'll paraphrase) about how God is more concerned with the innermost grumblings of our spirit, and not so much the words we use. So even when we know that we need God but we can't make the effort to put our feelings in words, that counts as prayer.
sometimes at night I'll say a prayer but usually somehow my mind drifts away and i begin think of what I'll be wearing tomorrow, what I need to get done during the day..... i personally believe its an attack from the evil one, distracting me from talking one on one to God.
I've always found praying to be a selfish act. Even if you are praying for someone else you are doing it to make yourself feel not as bad for that person.
In hard times a soulful grunt makes a great prayer. The deep, hopeless sigh makes its way straight to heaven I'm sure.
I've honestly never had a hard time praying. I'm just honest with God when I'm not sure what to say. Being thankful and worshipping God always helps when you don't know what to pray.
Why not withdraw to a quiet place away from the distractions?
Reading over anything that reminds me of what kind of mood I should truly be in when praying is especially helpful to me.... I have been wanting to use Xanga as my own personal prayer box... for if I am in distress I can look back at my prayer entries and remember where I should be.
Also, reading scripture, any devotionals, anything that merely reminds you of where you should be or anything that simply calms you down from hurt... feels like the best way of helping you....
Good post. I like this one =)
When I find myself mentally distracted, I know that I am having too much to think about so in order to keep the pace and steady myself I'd try to do little errands while I am talking to God. Sometimes being still doesn't work because I feel that I am full of energy for the connection I am having with higher power. Yogic meditation helps too because the long and deep breathing feels open and refreshing.
@LoBornlite@xanga - That is a good point. I feel the same way.
Get rid of distractions as much as possible, pray first thing in the morning before starting on other things and last thing at night after making a list of the things on my mind so that my mind is emptier, and sing to the Lord as well as reading scripture all help me to reach out to God. As far as grumbling, I know that God is big enough to handle that and it is ok to grumble to Him. He just asks us to talk to HIm and listen to him.
Do you ever notice that a lot of people pray a lot when every thing's great in their lives, but not so much when we're sad, angry, upset, etc.?
I can't think of one situation where I wouldn't be able to pray. . . . no, I might not get on my knees, or bow my head, hold my hands together or outwardly show it.
But I can pray anywhere I feel like doing it and no one can stop me
"Prayer band"? That's one I haven't heard before...
Meanwhile, R. A. Torrey said it perfectly:
"Oftentimes when we come to God in prayer, we do not feel like
praying. What shall one do in such a case? cease praying until he
does feel like it? Not at all. When we feel least like praying is
the time when we most need to pray. We should wait quietly before
God and tell Him how cold and prayerless our hearts are, and look up
to Him and trust Him and expect Him to send the Holy Spirit to warm
our hearts and draw them out in prayer. It will not be long before
the glow of the Spirit's presence will fill our hearts, and we will
begin to pray with freedom, directness, earnestness and power. Many
of the most blessed seasons of prayer I have ever known have begun
with a feeling of utter deadness and prayerlessness, but in my
helplessness and coldness I have cast myself upon God, and looked to
Him to send His Holy Spirit to teach me to pray, and He has done it."
Aloud helps me.
Sometimes it's necessary to stop praying and listen to God praying over you. I do that through centering.
But to answer your question, sitting in silence or practicing the Jesus prayer are great tools to get one out of that, plus also Lectio Divina, having another Christian pray over you or even getting away and taking a walk in a place that restores your spirit after a difficult week. There are literally thousands of ways to get out of that.
p
personally, there are times when there is just so much on my heart to pray about that I don't even have the words.. Thats when I turn to music.. Then I just sit back with my eyes closed and let the music speak for me. I know God already knows whats on my heart.
Sometimes when I am so over burdened a simple "Jesus, help, take this from me" or even whispering Jesus over my crying son calms us both.
I don't set aside one specific time of the day. I have never been comfortable with that.. Its like "ok God this is the amount of time I have for you, and then Im moving on with what I need to do for me". I pray all day, as it says in the Bible that we are to pray without ceasing. Eveything we do, everything we say/type, everything we think is all prayer to God.
just my 2 cents
Speaking in tongues is a gift from God in which the Holy Spirit intercedes for us with inexpressible words. (see Romans 8:26 here: http://www.biblegateway.com/keyword/index.php?search=spirit+intercede&searchtype=all&version1=31&spanbegin=1&spanend=73) If you don't know what to pray or when, God can intercede through speaking in tongues for you. I speak in tongues & I can say from experience that I can feel the Lord's presence more when I speak in tongues all day, & I also know that God is hearing from me & that these are not my words.
The Bible says that God is the same today, yesterday & forever. (see Hebrews 13:8 here: http://www.biblegateway.com/keyword/index.php?search=same+yesterday&searchtype=all&version1=31&spanbegin=1&spanend=73) So therefore, every gift is open to anyone who wants it for all time.....the miracles of yesterday's church are still open for all. Speaking in tongues is not a requirement but a wonderful tool (to me it's the best one). You can use it to intercede for others when you don't know what to pray, to equip yourself with God's power to overcome sin & daily hard situations/enemies in life, & to pray for your deep sin that you do not know about.
If you want scientific proof that speaking in tongues is real, see here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZbQBajYnEc
I think @Pass_the_Aura@xanga - has offered the best answer of all. Trusting and relying upon God, utterly, when we are inadequate....that is good and wise teaching. There is another good and wise way to pray...
Start out with prayers which come from God's word. Sounds like "canned prayer" doesn't it, but it's not. It's God's word, and God is faithful to do His word. One of my favorites to pray is found in Ephesians 3:16-21
16"I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. 20Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." (NIV)
I'll tell you what anyone who would like to pray that prayer for me, may do so at any time. You can think it's "canned prayer" if you like, but pray it for me all the same...I could use more of what that prayer says, in my life!!
I never look at the command of prayer in terms of "I can't." I rest in the assurance that because I a child of God, my spirit has been reborn and I can do everything through His Spirit. There are times when my prayer is not as "eloquent" as it is on other days. My prayers differ in length and intensity...even whether I pray in English or in tongues. But one thing I always keep in mind is that when I am feeling resistance or distraction in prayer, that I need to press in regardless. I've learned that there is a barrier that is crossed during prayer. Having a church background that emphasized intercession as a lifestyle, I have seen that in prayer it's difficult when I am still praying in my own strength (with my flesh)...but if I continue in spite of this, I eventually cross over to a place where I am praying in God's strength (when an ease comes over me and I am wholly focused).
So in a word, when praying is hard, I DO IT ANYWAY. God wants to hear from me.
I can pray anywhere, it's just I'll do what Seen_More_Spine_in_Jellyfish@xanga does. Get so distracted! Or have someone start talking to me, and not even notice I was praying...or have the sweet little waitress from the cafe skip on over and start asking for my order before I even get the chance to say "thankyou Lord..." in my head. But I've kind of learned to multi-task. I believe that God understands my life style and I believe He knows how busy I am, and even how hard I try to make time for Him. I know my praying isn't like how my grandma does it...sitting quietly..saying a deep thought out prayer. I just say what's on my mind. It might not even end with an Amen, because my prayer never really ends untill the end of the day, when I actually sleep. =] I believe if you talk to God, no matter how you do it...He will hear you.
@MDrabing83@xanga - I want to speak in tongues, but I'm too scared too :( I've heard other people do it and it sounds incredible! It would be really fascinating to see what they were saying! I'm scared if I spoke in tongues I'd end up cursing myself or something...