The One Thing We Need When Everyone Needs Us
I am easily distracted by the general fabric of everyday life.
Layers of noise confuse me,
and with a large family, this is not something that can be helped, because kids are noisy and ask lots of questions (sometimes all at the same time), and instruments need to be practiced, and life whirls around in busy motion, and productivity’s byproducts are often chaos, messes and disarray before order reigns again.
Not to mention the “noise” that prompts me to do the next thing: my dishwasher buzzing, my clothes dryer beeping, my phone ringing, alarms telling me that my son needs to go to work, or I have an appointment to keep. There are social media updates dinging on my countertop. It can all become a blur.
The “instant” and pressing can send me into an information overload blur where I become overwhelmed.
Noise is meant to get our attention, yet in my reading this morning I noticed one more thing that needs my attention and that I need to watch out for: prayer.
1 Peter 4:7 The end of all things is at hand: therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers.
Somehow prayer doesn’t happen in the noise and bustle of the moment. It needs to be planned and made a priority. And especially on those days when you feel stretched, when everyone needs you, this is especially when we need to be in prayer. And we have two friends that will help us embrace this heart of prayer: self-control and sobermindedness. I know. Those words may make us cringe or remind us of an old prude, but really they are are tools to help us live effective Christian lives.
Some wisdom from Matthew Henry:
Let the frame and temper of your minds be grave, stayed and solid;and observe strict temperance and sobriety in the use of all worldly enjoyments.
Take care that you be continually in a calm sober disposition, fit for prayer; and that you be frequent in prayers…”
Those who would pray to purpose must watch unto prayer. They must watch over their own spirit…
The right ordering of the body is of great use to promote the good of the soul. When the appetites and inclinations of the body are restrained and governed by God’s word and true reason, and the interests of the body are submitted to the interests and necessities of the souls, then it is not the souls enemy, but its friend and helper.
Let’s make this practical, and bottom line it, shall we? 🙂
- You can’t be fit for prayer when you have no time for it. I know I tend to make time for the things that are important to me.
- You can’t be fit for prayer when you are yelling and screaming at the kids. 😉
- We aren’t “fit for prayer” while our mind is focused on our problems, when we’re complaining about life, indulging in some mind numbing tactic to escape life, distracted to the point where you are avoiding life, or serving a small g-god in order to make life work the way you want. These all lack self control and sobermindedness.
When we embrace the life we have with thanksgiving, and are mindful of God throughout our day, limiting (or managing) our distractions or if nothing else, thanking God for teaching us dependance when the noise is over our comfort level and out of our control (I’m thinking new baby, homeschooling, day care teacher, school teacher, sickness, holidays, etc…) we’ll be more apt to be in constant state of prayer in and out the day.
When we feel overwhelmed and undernourished, perhaps it’s because we’ve not been watchful over our own spiritual life. Maybe we’ve crowded out thoughts of God and his word with the loud, blaring noise of this world. Especially during the holiday season, when every retailer is trying to outdo the next with a glossier advertisement or catchier jingle, we must viciously cut out distractions for the sake of our prayer life. {Not the kids…you kinda have to keep an eye on them! lol}
Tend your own spirit first. Weed out any distractions that choke the life out of what God’s called you to do here: to love, honor and seek Him and then serve others selflessly. Then make a plan, pencil in a time when you’re going to tend your spirit before you try to help others.
Do you need to cut back on distractions or even good things in order to properly nurture your own spirit and keep an eye on your heart and prayer life?
Do you find that too many levels of noise makes your head spin? How do you cut down on the distractions and make room for prayer?
Excellent post, Sarah, and so true for most of us! I find my days go much more smoothly, I am less frazzled, and more is accomplished when I am up early and have that quiet time to pray, then organize my mind and my time before everyone else is needing me.
The best way I know of to get that uninterrupted quiet time is … yes, getting up before anyone else does. I find, too, that it really helps to not let anything else distract me if I don’t look at the newspaper, check my email or turn on the radio news until after my quiet time. If I do any of those things, then even if I close the paper, walk away from the computer or turn off the radio, there are still distractions on my mind.
Another idea I have heard which has helped me is to make the to-do list for the next day, the night before. It means that when you get up, the first thing on your mind can be the Lord and your time with Him — not the tasks to be done. Making the list the night before sort of means you have “processed” the upcoming day’s tasks and they don’t take priority in your thoughts.
Yes, planning ahead helps! I do this on Sunday nights for my upcoming week so I can see my life ahead of me, which helps me to not overbook. So much wisdom in your advice, Mrs. T. Thank you!!
Wow, thank you for these extra ideas… I usually find the best way to cut out the distractions is to get up well before others are out of bed. ( Ahhh, silence! ) But sometimes I need a mid-day prayer time and these suggestions are good ones to try! Bless you 🙂
Oh, I CRAVE my silent parts of the day. My youngest started getting up and having her devotions with me on the couch. At first, I felt like this was an intrusion…um, read: selfish! lol, but then God worked on my heart. Seems like it’s always me who needs to change!
A great reminder as we head into an even busier season. . .thank you. I often re-read the short essay “Soul Nourishment First” by George Mueller (a way busier person than I’ll ever be!) to inspire me when life feels pushed.
Rebecca, I’ve never read that! Will for sure look it up! 🙂