Distractions in Prayer, Part II
The prior discussion on Distractions in Prayer applies most of the time. But not always.
Sometimes it depends on the nature of the distraction.
One very
simple but incredibly effective strategy for certain distractions at prayer (or
when trying to sleep!) is to have handy paper and pen. When some thought, some
anxiety – especially one of those never-ending to-do items! – comes to mind,
just jot it down quickly, and then return to trying to pray (or trying to
sleep). No need to think about it anymore; it’s there. The thought can go.
Other times
a distraction is a real concern. Sometimes maybe we are supposed to pray about
it. For example, if your mind wanders to some tragedy in the news, just gently
turn to the Lord and pray for the people involved in the tragedy. Or say your
child’s struggle with addiction comes to mind. Gently turn to the Lord and pray
for the child.
But then
what can sometimes be difficult is that we can then turn completely away from
the initial prayer and focus entirely on this new petition (the distraction).
We may have been praising, adoring, or thanking God for Himself, or meditating
on a Bible verse that was speaking to us deeply. Scripture reminds us that even
Satan can come as an angel of light; and not every apparent good really is
good, sometimes it’s a temptation. So by all means we can and may need to bring
these things of concern to the Lord briefly, but then we also need to leave
them with the Lord and go back to the initial prayer, not letting ourselves get
sidetracked. We entrust the persons to the Lord Jesus, place them in His Heart,
and then let them go. Maybe we can’t perfectly. So what. We just do the best we
can and keep trying to pray.
Then there
are also other thoughts which can come to mind for an entirely different
reason. Say you’re quietly in the Lord’s presence, just loving Him, and all of
a sudden you have a flashback of the time in 5th grade when you deliberately
hit, really smacked, someone. Wow – where did that flashback come from totally
out of the blue?! Here you were all peace and quiet with the Lord and this
popped up!
Scripture
tells us the will of God is our sanctification, and part of our sanctification
is our cleansing, our purification. We know nothing impure can enter Heaven, so
all of our lives the Holy Spirit is leading us to become more and more clean
and pure, to be healed, to gain purity of heart, the perfection of charity
(perfect love). When we pray day after day after day, turning again and again
to the Lord, intending the loving communion which is entirely what God wants
for us, we ARE being purified. Prayer and the sacraments IS the process. We
think we’re doing all the work turning away from sin and self-seeking and
turning to God when we pray. Well, not really. God is healing us all the while.
We only turn to Him because of His grace calls us first. He is making us more
pure, sanctifying us. So we think it’s all of a sudden that something pops up
in prayer out of our unconsciousness. It’s not sudden to God who has been
healing your spirit, your unconsciousness, all the while. Today He wants your
conscious cooperation in His healing. If, like this example, what comes to mind
was some sin, then repent (and bring it to your next confession), but also ask
the Holy Spirit to show you what you need to see in this. Is it a pattern you
still do today? Is there a deep root you’ve had all your life and maybe never
saw before today? Probably that’s what the Spirit is healing, those deep roots.
If the fruit of the Spirit is present, then it really wasn’t a distraction. It
was the Holy Spirit’s own initiative in your prayer time, so follow what seems
to be His leading, giving thanks.
God is
greater. All Love. That’s why we pray. Even if distractions drive us crazy.
Even if we think we’re so bad at prayer. So what. We keep praying. Every day.
God does the rest.
Dibby Green
Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church is located in California City, CA. Visit our website at ollcalcity.org.