Where Were We? (Distractions & Prayer)

Woodrow Kroll here when you train one pastor and some donor friends are standing by to train a second call 833-443-5467 or go online and train a pastor.com. Every gift counts and now every gift is double training pastor.com hi, I met my cohost Breanna Michael Paul and I sound like Jan Mormonism to be brighter than we were told it would be doing is for discussions about our journeys Mormon to Jesus chosen should just enjoy most of listening to the podcast network. This is the Truth Network encouraging prayer, God offers an open invitation for his people to talk with him at any time about anything encouraging prayer Dr. James Banks, author of the best-selling and many other books on prayer provides weekly for insight help you learn to mom and now James what about today, I'm afraid it slipped my mind all prayer Rob squirrel you would like that and I also like today's topic because you know me on this topic for everyday life. If ever there was one. I know right even English poet jumped on the back of the 1600s.

This quote my book.

The person of the Bible. He said I threw myself in my chamber I call you and invite God and his angels that there and when they are there. I neglect God's angels for the noise of a fly with a barking dog wrestling coach winding the door I talked on the same posture praying. I lifted up knees bow down as though I prayed to God and God were his angels should ask me when I last thought of God and that prayer. I cannot tell. Sometimes I find that I forgot what I was about when I began to forget it. I cannot tell the memory of yesterday's pleasures here of tomorrow's dangers of straw undermine the noise in my near a light in mind, I anything and nothing fancy. Troubles me hyper while that about sums it up. Nothing even the noise of a fly. I mean when we pray so you know what we do about it will first let me say I know this topic personally because I have ADD and nailing down thoughts can be like shingling the roof of the windstorm that I found the first and best thing to do about it.

Maybe something we overlook.

And that is first. We just need to talk with God about how to minister distracted when you're praying any given day or in general will both God's help with this in the moment and just as matter of course, are good things, but don't stay focused too long. The point is we want to take our eyes off of ourselves and put them on God. So even talking about or distractions with him can be a distraction if we go on too long about makes sense. So what else to do when distractions come. For example, let's say you're praying about something and all of a sudden you have ideas about several things you need to do that day and there's only room in your head for so much great question in real time and often when I'm praying God gives me reminders of things I need to do work just because it's a quiet moment. Things may just come up in my mind so I always keep my planner right beside me when I'm trying to spend time with God in prayer as soon as something comes to mind.

I just write it down and forget about it because it no longer needs to take up space in my head like that brings up something your feel guilty when this happens I mean this is like. Jesus said to his disciples, could you watch with me for at least an hour but sometimes it is not even hour and maybe every minute that extraction comes I used to really feel guilty about this and that I was reading in Brother Lawrence is practicing the presence of God. He's writing something about distractions as well, and he says just deal with and be done with it and mean it can be so frustrating. I especially think of that mom finally sit down with God in the quiet medicine. She does it's too quiet and you know how that is to check on the kids, but that's why it's also best not to feel guilty about it. It's best to just humble ourselves and see all of this is an opportunity to realize how much we need God in every little thing and I think we just meet this with humility instead of frustration just goes better. After all, God knows us. Jesus knows how we struggle and he will meet us right in that place.

I like what Augustine wrote about this he wrote God gives where he finds empty hands while another thought about all this is that can sometimes try to sit too much and really just a few moments. Yeah, that's a great insight because it is important as it is, have a daily quiet time with God. It's it's really just a jumping off point for the rest of life with him that day right so if our goal is to just be in his presence as much as we can through the day learning to do that more and more than we can discuss we can sweater distractions a little last because as we keep coming back to him will miss out on lesson what we drop some work will pick up somewhere else, not sweating or distractions seems to be common thing here again, the goal is to make it little of the distractions as possible. Don't sweat the small stuff so that we can make more of him and I would suggest one thing all cool once I forgot seriously.

Okay here for quite some time.

Distraction maybe interruptions from God they're not always from the devil. Although are our best seem to have a knack for knowing just what I'm trying to take a moment. God, I wonder if he is someone else's minion, but maybe there's something about distractions that God wants me to notice and to pray about. So it helps to just go with it and again not take ourselves too seriously. I like what GK Chesterton wrote about this.

He said that the talk about distractions and progress is that the applicable quote he said angels can fly because they take themselves lightly perfect set like sets. Again, the less we make them. The last we make of ourselves and the more really, we can focus on him exactly. Thanks James. Let's finish this talk by asking for God's help whenever distractions comes from Jesus, thank you for this wonderful insight today and I pray that you would help us to find more time and better time and then guide us and help us just to turn to you as our Shepherd that will lead us into the still waters where we can find you and not be distracted.

Realize how quickly we can just come ask this in Jesus hear more from Pastor James by visiting the website. James bank.org or by visiting these church in Durham, North Carolina.

May God bless you and encourage you as you pray. This is the Truth Network