Before You Give Up on Prayer, Read This
Have you ever been frustrated because you couldn’t focus during prayer? You’re not alone. We’ve all been through moments when it was difficult to connect with God. Sometimes, stopping our flurry of thoughts can be quite challenging. We have a lot of tasks every day, and sometimes all our focus is on the email that needs to be sent or an important task.
Most believers say this is one of their biggest struggles, so don’t punish yourself. The fact that you are interested in solving the problem is the perfect step to move forward. As we all know, even Jesus had a hard time facing temptation and had to retreat to a private place for prayer.
In this article, you’re going to discover the best ways to fight against distraction. Read on and reshape your connection with divinity.
Why Prayer Feels Hard
Before we get to the tips and tricks, let’s discuss the reason why prayer can feel really hard and what nobody tells you. There are multiple reasons why it can feel almost impossible to focus, and we’re not talking about them enough.
- We are busy
We live in a rapidly changing world. We are busy, and our minds are busy. There is always noise, apps, alerts, and endless to-do lists. In this world of chaos, prayers ask you to slow down and take a break for a moment. Unfortunately, when you try to calm down, your body resists silence, because it’s addicted to distraction.
- Life is stressful
We live in a constant state of stress. All these overwhelming feelings can make the heart feel heavy and far from God. Finding our balance takes time and a lot of patience. So, you need to relax before you start having an intimate connection with divinity again. Clear your mind and think, and leave some free space for positivity.
- We treat prayer like performance
We tend to worry about the way we pray, trying to always find the most poetic and good words, but in reality, the artisticity doesn’t matter. All the words are perfect. Avoid putting on any masks and let all the awkward feelings and thoughts come out.
8 Ways to Refresh Your Prayer Life
1. Think about who you pray to
Stop seeing prayer as a basic activity throughout your day. The most important thing is to remember who you are paying to. Think about Our Father instead of focusing on daily tasks and actions. One of the easiest ways to reestablish our connection with God is by simply responding to him and joining the conversation.
2. Pick a quiet place
It’s essential to pick a place where you feel safe, that is also quiet. As long as there are no distractions around you, it will be easier to concentrate. Also, if you feel like something’s still off, you can pray out loud. Be completely honest and feel free to share your emotions.
Remember that picking a time is also very important. The best time would be to spend with God in the morning, as that’s the only part of the day when you’ll have the most control over your schedule. However, this is not a strict rule; it depends a lot on your lifestyle.
3. Find the distractions
If you find yourself repeatedly distracted while praying, try to find those distractions. There are two types of distractions, ones that you can control and ones that you can’t. For example, many people find themselves struggling to put down their phones or just move from a noisy environment. However, these are questions that we can control. So, before you find an excuse, think about what Jesus told us. All we need to do is go into our rooms and shut the door before we pray (Matthew 6:6).
4. Read your Bible
Most of the time, all the answers can be easily found in the Bible. If you’re unsure about how to get started, it’s a good idea to begin by committing to read smaller portions. For example, you can read a chapter per week.
As you already know, God speaks through His Word, so it’s essential to pay attention to what He has written, because it will surely open up doors for spiritual growth.
Reading the Bible regularly will make you feel understood and will bring you closer to God. Having a reading routine will help you distance yourself from most distractions and let you focus on prayer.
5. Attend church regularly
Another thing you can do to strengthen your connection with God is to go to church as often as you can. Getting a weekly dose of prayer and worship will boost your energy levels and, most importantly, help you find your balance. Seeing how committed other people are to prayer will definitely motivate you to stop focusing on any distractions.
6. Spend time with other believers
If you’ve lost your motivation, talk to your friends and family. Sharing your thoughts and feelings with other believers will help you get through this annoying phase easily. You need to understand that you’re not alone, and any step you take matters a lot.
Life is full of ups and downs, and whether we like it or not, we are forced to start everything all over again quite a few times throughout our journey.
7. Make daily prayer a must
After you rediscover your balance, try to make daily prayer a must. You should never be afraid to be completely honest with God. Share all your secrets and fears, and stop seeing the process as a performance act. This is just about you and divinity. All the problems can wait.
God already knows your imperfections and mess-ups, so when you open your prayers with honesty, you’ll see how your mind will get cleared, and you’ll begin to hear Him.
8. Find practical tools to help you focus
Have you tried writing down your prayers? You can keep a journal and write down all your thoughts. This practice will help your mind focus on the things you write. Another great advantage of having a journal is to see how God has answered past prayers and how you have grown.
Another thing you should try, which could be extremely helpful for focusing, is setting an alarm. For some reason, it becomes easier to focus when there is a time limit to your prayer session.
Last but not least, try going out for a walk. Walking around your neighborhood can help clear your mind. Walking has the power to take you away from any distractions. So, once you rediscover your balance, you will definitely see an improvement in the way you pray.
The Bottom Line
Everyone goes through ups and downs, and prayer can sometimes be challenging. We live in a world of chaos, where there is always stress and pain, and things seem like they are getting out of control. However, don’t lose your home, and remember that no matter how difficult your path will become, God will always be there, by your side.
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