http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians+6:18&version=NIV1984
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Colossians+4:2&version=NIV1984
One thing I have always admired about surgeons is their ability to concentrate. Depending upon the exact nature of the surgery, it can last anywhere from 30 minutes to 4 hours. In some extreme cases (such as brain surgery) the surgery might last much longer than that. That’s a long time to have to concentrate. Just one small mistake can kill a patient or leave them paralyzed for life. Of course, performing surgery under ideal conditions is bad enough. Take the surgeon who is awakened at 3 AM in the morning to perform emergency surgery. That makes it even more impressive. Once again, I have nothing but the highest respect for surgeons and their ability to concentrate for such long periods of time. Which makes me feel bad about my prayer life.
There are times when I am praying and my mind wanders. One moment I am praying earnestly for something, the next thing I know my mind is on some task I have to do. Or thinking about a comment that somebody made. Or out on the softball diamond. Then there are other times when I simply doze off while praying! Wow. How does that happen? How can a surgeon concentrate for hours on end and I can’t? There are several reasons why.
First of all, having one’s eyes closed (while it blocks out potential distractions) introduces its own set of problems. If we are tired, and we close our eyes to pray, guess what? Dozing off is not entirely beyond the realm of possibility. And if it happens to be overly warm wherever we are, this is also a factor. Then there is the fact that just because our eyes are closed doesn’t mean that we are devoid of distractions. Sometimes it seems that the moment we close our eyes, the pictures in our brains begin to be projected on the big screen. Secondly, there is the fact that many people today are so activity-oriented that it seems they can’t concentrate for more than a minute or two. Thirdly, we need to keep in mind that prayer is a spiritual activity. And there is someone who doesn’t want us to pray effectively. So Satan tries to infiltrate our mind. He causes us to think about work. Or a future activity. Or some other situation. The result being that we can’t seem to concentrate on our prayers. Yes, as simple as prayer is - talking with God - it can be pretty difficult to do at times. What can we do to help our concentration?
To begin with, getting enough sleep might be a big help. Running on empty is no way to live and it’s not very conducive to an effective prayer life either. Then there is the whole idea of posture. When I was a child my parents never let me get away with saying prayers in bed. Prayers were always said on one’s knees. Then, as I got older, I took the liberty of praying while lying in bed. All of a sudden, I am three sentences into my prayers, and I am out like a light. Hmmm, maybe laying down to pray isn’t such a good idea after all! Of course, there have been times when I have fallen asleep on my knees as well! I have found that standing or walking while praying helps me to concentrate better. I also have a colleague who prays while he is out taking a walk each morning.
A good resource that I have found to help me concentrate when praying is a prayer journal. I have used one in the past in which I have listed my various requests. Occasionally glancing at them helps me to concentrate more than if I try to remember everything I want to pray for. Of course, using the Bible when praying is a another help. Reading some Scripture. Praying a promise or a prayer found in the Bible. Some people have told me that it helps them to write down their prayers. This doesn’t work for me but it may work for you.
There are times when I am praying and my mind wanders. One moment I am praying earnestly for something, the next thing I know my mind is on some task I have to do. Or thinking about a comment that somebody made. Or out on the softball diamond. Then there are other times when I simply doze off while praying! Wow. How does that happen? How can a surgeon concentrate for hours on end and I can’t? There are several reasons why.
First of all, having one’s eyes closed (while it blocks out potential distractions) introduces its own set of problems. If we are tired, and we close our eyes to pray, guess what? Dozing off is not entirely beyond the realm of possibility. And if it happens to be overly warm wherever we are, this is also a factor. Then there is the fact that just because our eyes are closed doesn’t mean that we are devoid of distractions. Sometimes it seems that the moment we close our eyes, the pictures in our brains begin to be projected on the big screen. Secondly, there is the fact that many people today are so activity-oriented that it seems they can’t concentrate for more than a minute or two. Thirdly, we need to keep in mind that prayer is a spiritual activity. And there is someone who doesn’t want us to pray effectively. So Satan tries to infiltrate our mind. He causes us to think about work. Or a future activity. Or some other situation. The result being that we can’t seem to concentrate on our prayers. Yes, as simple as prayer is - talking with God - it can be pretty difficult to do at times. What can we do to help our concentration?
To begin with, getting enough sleep might be a big help. Running on empty is no way to live and it’s not very conducive to an effective prayer life either. Then there is the whole idea of posture. When I was a child my parents never let me get away with saying prayers in bed. Prayers were always said on one’s knees. Then, as I got older, I took the liberty of praying while lying in bed. All of a sudden, I am three sentences into my prayers, and I am out like a light. Hmmm, maybe laying down to pray isn’t such a good idea after all! Of course, there have been times when I have fallen asleep on my knees as well! I have found that standing or walking while praying helps me to concentrate better. I also have a colleague who prays while he is out taking a walk each morning.
A good resource that I have found to help me concentrate when praying is a prayer journal. I have used one in the past in which I have listed my various requests. Occasionally glancing at them helps me to concentrate more than if I try to remember everything I want to pray for. Of course, using the Bible when praying is a another help. Reading some Scripture. Praying a promise or a prayer found in the Bible. Some people have told me that it helps them to write down their prayers. This doesn’t work for me but it may work for you.
Another technique to improving concentration in prayer is to keep a pen and paper handy. The idea is this: How many times do we start to pray when all of a sudden we begin to think of things we need to do? It is almost uncanny how many times this happens. We remember that we need to pick something up at the grocery store. Or call someone. Or do some other errand. When we think of these things we are automatically distracted. So, when we think of these things while praying, we simply stop and write what we need to do down. Once it is down on paper, our mind relaxes and we can get back to praying once again.
One more thing to try, depending upon the circumstances, is to verbalize your prayers. That's right, there is nothing wrong with praying out loud. People have prayed audibly for thousands of years. So you won't be the first. Of course, if you are going to pray out loud then you need to find a place with privacy. After all, your prayers are between you and God. And some intimate prayers that we pray should not be heard by others.
The whole point is that the ability to concentrate while praying is not a given. Depending upon both the person and the situation, it may be much more difficult than we would otherwise think. However, like most other disciplines, the more we pray, the better we will get at it - and this includes concentrating.
So if you’re having trouble concentrating when you pray, don’t despair. Everybody does at some point in their lives. God knows your struggles. He also knows that you’re human. Take a moment and examine why you might be struggling. Then take some practical steps to correct it. Somewhere along the line you will discover the best conditions for you to concentrate while praying. Once you do, you’ll be off and running. Er, off and praying!
Lord, I confess that sometimes I have trouble concentrating when I pray. Of course, it doesn’t help matters that I can’t see You! Neither does being tired, or impatient, or lying down. Help me to discover what conditions work best for me when I pray. Conditions that will help me to concentrate better. My goal is to be fully-engaged when I speak to You. To touch Your heart. To hear Your voice. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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