Why Does Your Mind Wander When You Pray
Well, it happened this morning so I thought I would write a little about this subject. If we are honest it happens a lot for most people. We live in a world that is so full of garbage and distractions that our mind (my mind for sure) just doesn’t always turn off. I know I have good intentions that this won’t happen…but bingo…there goes my mind to a hundred other things. My mind struggles with wandering thoughts, especially during my prayer time. Because mine does…I’d venture to say other people’s minds do as well. Even hundreds of dumb thoughts will pop up…it is like having a roving brain when you go to pray.
One of the things is when it begins to wander (your mind that is)…stop and put it back on God. If you have to do that a hundred or thousand times each day…do it! You went to meet Him…not what you have to do for the day, not what you are going to eat for the day…etc. Just stop each time and take your mind back to prayer. Now, during the day talk to God as many times as you want or feel the need to. He is always there. Do whatever you can during your day to bring God to mind. I do find that if I talk to God all the time during the day over everything when I go to pray I can stay focused longer. Know this: The devil loves us to not be focused and wants all the garbage in our minds.
Sometimes it is not that we can’t pray for a period…but…. we can even fall asleep, or even forget what or where we were in our prayer. I’ll even bet that many would at this point feel down, discouraged, and maybe even ashamed that they can’t keep their minds focused even for prayer. I know that it frustrates me. It can, and often does, frustrate me.
Ok, I’ll admit that this morning this happened to me. Since it happened to me, I think it happens to a lot of people every time they get in their prayer closet. Let’s see, what am I going to do today? What am I going to feed everyone today? Do I need to get something from the store? My hands are hurting more than usual. This person is sick or that person. I am having trouble with ??? Will so and so do such and such? How can I help so and so? Boy was that car that just went by noisy. Why is that dog next door barking? I guess I will clean out such and such today. Oh, the bills are about due so I’ll get that organized. I have to go to the bank. Yep, our mind wanders and it sure feels like it never shuts up so that you can pray. My mind needs a morning reset button because I know for me…my mind doesn’t shut up! I know that when I wake up over and over at nights…even then it is at work telling me garbage I don’t want to think about on my sleep time.
I love God. I love my time with Him. Why can’t I just stay focused? Why? Why does this happen? I need to focus on my time with God for, after all, He came to visit with me too. I feel like I am cheating on a test or something. Lord, help me stay focused I need my time with you.
Prayer is very hard at times. Not because we don’t want to pray or stay focused, and not because we don’t love God or want to be with Him, but because we are human and we deal with our limited brain that is difficult to turn off. Our minds are susceptible to input even when we try not to go there. My mind, and maybe yours as well yearns to pray properly…but our attention span is competing in some way for our mental energy.
I’m sure even in biblical times people had difficulty staying focused, but they didn’t have this social stuff, TV’s, schools that teach garbage to our kids, all the internet stuff out there, phones, computers, cars, planes, kids who don’t listen, people telling them if they are white they should be ashamed, that boys can be girls and girls boys, that a boy can have a baby, that they need to be called things like: they, them and that can be whatever they want to be and so on and so forth, and I will add portals to everything. We all know the garbage out there and one could write a 10,000 page book on the garbage we are being fed and all that garbage really does come into our mind.
Okay, so what can we do to “help” make it better in our times of prayer? Think about whom you are praying to. Isn’t God more important than what you are going to fix to eat today? God is the creator of the universe…can’t I give Him my first and best of the day? (Don’t get upset here…okay?) Think about creation. Can we even imagine how beautiful it was when God created it? Just each day when your mind starts to wander take your mind back to God.
Okay, there you go drifting off right? Many times it is because we forget just who it is we are praying to. God is love, truth, breath, joy, peace, and just. God is amazing. Is that breakfast amazing? When we forget to acknowledge just who God is…our mind also wanders. Well, let’s go get it back!!!
Do you realize that God created it all? How about before you even begin to pray you think of what He did to give you life? Chapter 1 of Genesis pretty much explains it all. In the beginning…God created the heavens and the earth. Wow!
I do know that without God and all He has done for me I would not be here. Before you begin thinking of what He created and then tell Him all the things you are thankful for. Don’t just give God a give-me list. Talk to God! Praise Him for who He is, what He has done, what He is going to do, and what you can do for Him to further the kingdom of God.
So you are going through some things…maybe even difficult things…God knows that. Yet, He always wants to hear from us and for us to share those things with Him. Yes, of course, we take our prayers to Him. All the things that are bothering us, our needs, our desires, our feelings, even our anger, and unforgiveness. Take them to Him and ask Him to help you. Confess if you have sinned, and repent/change your direction. Know this…we can’t make people love us, forgive us, or even want us in their life, but we can pray for them, forgive them, and desire the best for them, and don’t say that I don’t know what so and so did to you. You are right….I don’t, but I know a God who does and who wants to ease your pain. We can’t be forgiven if we can’t forgive. I have had some pretty bad things go on in my life and things I wish I could change, but I can’t go back and I can’t change others…but I can give them to God. If people change amen to t hat…and if they don’t…I can still trust God to be with me through whatever “it” might be.
Forgiving someone for some hurt doesn’t mean you need to go hang out with them. Forgiving releases, the power they have over you. We mend what we can, of course, but when something can’t be mended just choose to forgive them and go on.
Now, when and where to pray? What time of the day do you have the least distractions? What room can you use? Maybe taking a walk with God out and about is good. What about going out on a patio or something and taking your Bible, a notepad, and a cup of coffee or tea? What about even when you are in the shower where you are alone for a bit? God knows everything about you and why do some people think they have to be all dressed up to be able to pray? Maybe put some quiet prayer music on, or for some, it might take some loud praise music. For me, it is quiet praise music or otherwise, it will become a distraction as well. That is up to you.
Do you realize that Jesus is our prayer example? First, not only did He give us a sample prayer/Lord’s prayer…He didn’t say to just sit there and repeat it. It has a different thing that you should take to your prayer closet. Next, He would go away in private to be with God. Yes, He is God…but even God wanted a quiet time with His Father in heaven.
In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus enters into what was undoubtedly the hardest prayer because He was feeling anguished, alone, and human. He knew what was about to happen to Him and what pain He would be going through. He was perfect and never sinned, yet He took on your sin, my sin, and all of humanity’s sins. The pressure must have been excruciating yet He was still going to go through with it…for you and me.
Mark 14:32-34 reads, “They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Sit here while I pray.’ He took Peter, James, and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. ‘My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,’ he said to them. ‘Stay here and keep watch.’”
Maybe this should be the example when we go into prayer.
Have you ever thought, about how very essential your prayers are when you are battling life with all of its ups and downs? Life is tough, to say the least. Now think when you go to share something with someone…do you just tell them everything you feel, or do you hold back things because they might judge you, might not give a care about what you think or feel, and maybe you don’t know what they will do with the information you shared with them. I know many people who will never share their feelings with someone because that someone if they were to get angry or a rift came between you….what would that person do with what you shared with them? But………………………………. God is not a gossip. God never lies, never cheats, is not corrupt, and you can tell Him anything and everything. Many people just can’t keep their mouth shut and when they get upset will tell what people shared with them in private. Even our so called Christian friends, family and those in authority in churches can break that confidence. It is not right and it can destroy a lot of people who might even then walk away from God. This should not happen but we know it does and can. i can tell you it was those in the church setting of people who hurt me the worst in my life. It was people who never would have wanted people to do that to them…but it happens. I personally…would never again share personal matters with people in church…I go directly to God who never gossips and never tries to hurt me. But that is me and I know there are good people within church…but because of things they did to me…for me, it is not even a hint of an option. I also know that we expect non Christians to hurt us, but Christians should be trustworthy so I find it extremely said when they let people down and deliberately hurt others.
Another thing to think about is that even if you feel distracted in your prayers, even though your mind wanders….keep bringing it back to God and do it as many times as necessary. God is listening and nothing surprises Him. We are human. If you don’t know what to say do you think God has not heard that before? Sometimes we just don’t know what to say. In those times just ask God to give you His peace and sit there with Him. Maybe, just maybe He has something to say to you.
Lord, please calm my mind today as I go into prayer. Let the distractions be far between, and bring my prayers back to you. I need you Lord and I need this prayer time each day with you. Give me your peace Lord and be with me this day and forevermore. Lord, whoever else reads this and prayers…help them as well to stay focused on you. Thank you.
Now, may the Lord bless you, keep you, provide for your needs, help keep you focused, and give you His peace.