Having trouble with my mindset in Prayer!

[mead]

Have you ever tried meditation, such as focusing specifically to clear your mind, or even picking out a single verse to think on? Meditation is a discipline in itself, years ago before giving my life to Christ I meditated for martial arts. Some people genuinely have an attention deficit problem, but I am not diagnosing you brother, not at all. I think a lot of people have had this problem, don't forget that the enemy will do his best to disrupt any walk in your life. I am not saying this will fix what you feel, but it may help you develop a little more mental discipline in your walk with Christ.

[Celt]

Here's a suggestion...

Pray the prayer our Lord Jesus gave us to pray per Matthew 6, and if there's some 'specific' matter you need help with, or some matter others might need help with, talk about it with our Heavenly Father just before ending The Lord's Prayer He gave us. That way, you're not simply saying the prayer our Lord Jesus gave like a repetitive thing only, but opening dialog with The LORD by declaring Who the prayer is to, recalling the things our Lord gave us to keep in mind within that prayer of Matt.6, then focusing on your specifics, and in final sealing the prayer by again recognizing Whom all Glory belongs to.

No disrespect intended Mead, but I've got to give a warning about 'eastern meditation', and I speak from experience in my younger days. Eastern meditation is very dangerous, because it teaches to actually let the mind go, the object being not to think of anything, but put the mind in 'receptive' mode. The idea was so as to 'receive' impressions from a higher source. The problem with that is, what higher source is not well defined like how our Lord Jesus told us to pray to our Heavenly Father. Thus eastern meditation can open up influence by evil spirits.

[MorningGlory]

Thanks Believer that sound like an excellent idea. It reminds me of Paul words to the Philippians "Finally, brethren whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things,are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue, and if they be any praises, think on these things." (Philippians 4:8)

By the way if that is what you call rambling please feel free to ramble to me anytime! Sorry Believer if I wasn't half computer illliterate I would give you a smiling face thumbs up.

Just click where you want your 'emoticon' to appear then go over to the left of this box, choose the one you want, and click! Don't feel illiterate, Paul; we all had to start at the ground floor.

[mead]

No disrespect intended Mead, but I've got to give a warning about 'eastern meditation', and I speak from experience in my younger days.

I understand but I am not suggesting anything like that. I never mentioned anything about any of that stuff, just focusing on some clarity.

My meditation of Him shall be sweet. I will be glad in the Lord.

Psalm 104:34

[stacey c]

Usually having your prayer time first thing in the morning, before the jumble of the days activities begin, to cloud your thoughts help.

I also start off with worship and praise in the spirit, then into praying in my prayer language, then into specific prayers in English.

Remember the battlefield is our mind and the enemy would love to distract your time of relationship with our Daddy.

If you find your mind wandering, begin to sing a worship song to reign your thoughts back in and then resume your Daddy time.

[Paul 84]

Thanks for all the help everyone.

[lydia81]

Been noticing the last couple of days a problem in my Prayerlife or lack of Prayerlife, I've always notice this problem to a lesser degree but now it must worse. Everytime I prayer to God I have to fight with the problem of my mind wondering elsewhere or going on rabbit chases, and before I know it what started as prayer to the Almighty ends up being something else. I'm tired of what I consider to be a sin on my part, and an offense to God.

I know a lot of it is just getting my mind more focus on God (II Corinthians 10:5) or as the Bible says renewing my mind (Romans 12:2; Ephesians 4:23; Colossians 3:10).

Would appreciate any advice or help anyone may have on this manner. How do you keep focus on God in your prayers?

Paul, Once again, you are not the only person that suffers from this. I find myself trying to think about issues during the day and can't, yet when I begin to pray, my prayer will step off the path and that issue becomes all too clear. I wouldn't worry about God feeling it's a sin or offense...God knows your heart and knows what you need before you even pray...not to mention it's the spirit in us that mediates our prayers. One person mentioned they fell asleep during prayer....that seems to me, that is because you are in fellowship with God and become so comfortable and relaxed these issues happen.

People seem to want to "LEARN" how to pray so bad, yet the bible says we don't know how to pray for as we OUGHT to (romans 8:26...and Im not speaking about praying in tongues). So relax, pray as your heart leads you and let the spirit do it's job and in time you shall be refined. We are only righteous through Christ, yet we are to pray in righteousness...it's a difficult task, but through the grace of God, we are able to communicate to Him, through Him. God Bless brother.

Well said! !

[Fez]

Hi Paul, from reading all the replies I thank the Lord I am not the only only person who struggles with this problem.

I love the saying "if you can't get your head around prayer, maybe your head is in the way". Mine certainly is on many occasions even in worship in church. The world just seems to get in the way dosn't it. I used to beat myself up about this and found myself asking the Lord for forgivness a dozen times during my prayers. Sort of pray, pray, sorry Jesus, pray pray, forgive me Lord.

What I have found helps me when I am not concentrating is to pray out aloud. This focus's me more. I find it hard to talk, pray and think about something else at the same time, I am after all male and don't multi task as well as a woman could!

Don't beat yorself up! The very point that you are praying and want a relationship with Jesus is known by Him, he knows your heart.

If it will help I have about nine points that I did at a lesson at home group and a recent outreach in Mozambique recently on the reasons for anaswerd prayer, and I can post them if you think it may help.

Put your head down and pull, His yoke is light, as is His load, and His promised destination the end of the field you are ploughing, is assured!

Bless you for searching

[Blien]

It is not a sin. Write out on a peice of paper and then keep looking back to it if you start going off topic. I find that sometimes it's good that I stray off topic because sometimes what comes out of my heart during those prayer times are things I really needed to pray about. So perhaps there are greater things you need to pray about during those times? After all,

Matthew 12:34 "....out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks."

Try also changing the times in which you pray. Sometimes that works..

[Guest jayneaker]

why force your prayer into a routine? isn't it okay to speak to God as He comes to mind? consider that your prayer of 3 or 4 words may be very important to God.

I find focus and a closeness to God in prayer while sitting at my bedroom window looking out upon the many species of birds flying about as well as other wildlife in the neighborhood, the beautiful mountains and the river which runs by my house. I begin by singing "How Great Thou Art" pretending the birds and other animals are my audience. It's my prayer of thanksgiving. Then I "have a little talk with Jesus" with my eyes opened. Its the feeling that I'm enjoying His presence as well as the presence of all He created at the same time. This keeps my feeble mind from wandering so much.

God Bless you.

Love in Christ

Jayne