prone to wander
I love the raw honesty in the comments on these prayer posts. I am so thankful for the transparency and community here at The Grit. Thank you for sharing your hearts in this space.
I want to pass along some things that help my prone-to-wander heart stay connected with God in prayer. Not as a formula or because I think these are the best or only ways to do it. But because maybe they will spur on ideas that work for you personally.
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I create prayer prompts for myself.
I’m visual, so it helps me when I connect things I want to pray for with specific objects or even places. Then those serve as triggers, prompting me to pray whenever I see them. For instance…
- My pillow is a reminder, when I lay my head on it at night, to pray for my mind, thoughts, dreams, and sleep.
- Putting my hands on the steering wheel when I get in the car reminds me to acknowledge that God is in control and not me.
- Y’all know I like me some Starbucks — It’s comfort in a cup for me. So I’ve made Starbucks to-go cups a prompt to thank Him for the peace, security, and belonging I have in Him.
Short arrow-like prayers invite the Lord right into the moment with me.
I love Nehemiah’s example of this: “The king said to me, ‘What is it you want?’ Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king…” Mid-conversation, before he even responded to the question, Nehemiah shot up a prayer. I try to be intentional to do the same, shooting up quick prayers for help and wisdom, to thank Him, or just to point out something that I love…
I keep pen and paper nearby.
Scribbling down the random things and to-do lists I think of makes it easier to keep my mind fixed on talking to God.
Some of my best prayers are prayed in bed at night.
I usually struggle to fall asleep, because my brain lacks an OFF switch. Quieting my heart to pray is a good way for me to turn late-night concerns right into conversations with God… even if I do fall asleep mid-prayer.
I use post-it notes. Lots of them.
I write down things I want to pray for, and stick them where they’ll be visible. I have Fuzzy Brain Syndrome, and will simply forget without reminders like this.
I don’t often tell someone I’ll pray for them.
Because I know full-well how quickly my good intentions get away from me. When I do say I’ll pray, I stop right then and do it.
Often when I’m driving alone, I pray out loud in the car.
I tend to spiderweb less when I’m praying out loud.
When I really need to hash through something with God, I journal my prayer.
Writing out my conversation with Him helps keep me focused, and seems to make it easier for me to listen for His response.
I am so thankful that the Holy Spirit intercedes for me.
When I don’t know what or how to pray (which is pretty often), I often just whisper: I have no words right now. Holy Spirit, I need You to pray for me because I simply can’t…
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“Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.”
-from the hymn Come Thou Fount
What are some things that help you pray?
I love these…..thanks for sharing!!! :)
@randishort says:
Great tidbits and tools for praying.
Pen & paper nearby will never grow old. For prayer. For speaking. For songs. Two of the biggest necessities!
Love ya girl!
@gritandglory says:
i agree! my favorite is my li’l moleskine…. mmm… perfection between two covers!
If I tell someone I’ll pray for them, I do it right then, too. Because otherwise? Yeah…I’ll forget. :(
awww…I Love this list…thanks for sharing.
I found myself in all of them (except for probably the sticky note one :-)
I also have learned not to tell people I will pray for them unless I am willing to do it as soon as I finished telling them. I also hash out my biggest concerns that I need to bring to God in my journal. I love to pray out loud in the car – it keeps me focused and yet it is still so intimate cause no one else is in the car.
I have really been taking these past few posts to heart and learning to apply the grace in my own life. I had a lovely night with my husband last night but I went to bed later than normal. I go to work early (am here at 6:30) and the past couple weeks I’ve been getting up at 5:15 to enjoy some time sipping coffee and spending time in prayer or reading my Bible. I was SO tired this morning and I basically just sat and held my coffee cup and I didn’t have the focus at all to pray or read. I was frustrated but then I thought of your posts the past couple days and I decided to release myself of pressure. As I closed my eyes and held my coffee cup, I just asked the Lord to be with me and I didn’t say anything.
It was great to walk away from that time refreshed and with no guilt this morning.
So thanks Alece! :-)
@gritandglory says:
“i just asked the Lord to be with me and i didn’t say anything…” mmmm…. i loved reading that, heidi! LOVED it.
i love these ideas! I have what I call “prayer triggers” all over my house… a picture here, a gift from someone there… like I pray for Prudy when I see the postcard she sent me hanging on my refrig, I pray for my friend KT when I see the storage box I bought that has indian designs on it… it is the only way to help me remember.
I have little laminated cards all up in my shower so when my eye hits a name on them, I pray for that person.
And my PC at work is a big ole sticky with names on it :)
that helps me remember too :)
@gritandglory says:
oooooh – i like your ideas of laminated cards in the shower! i get some of my best praying done in there!
And if you can’t get around to laminating the cards, I just stick them in th sealable sandwich bags. Just a litte water and they stick to the side of the shower!
@bahava says:
nice!! i like that idea a lot!
Oh, I *love* when people ask me to pray for them. It’s the one thing guaranteed to get me to pray. Because once I tell someone I’ll do something, I’m gonna do it for sure. ;-)
On a side note: we were just rehearsing Come Thou Fount last night for Sunday and those very words just particularly ‘got to me’. ;-) Love it.
I use social media as reminders too, by the way. It almost never fails that daily, whether it’s on blogs or through Twitter, that I see someone mention or ask for prayer.
Love!
d
Oh, i’m so glad you mentioned praying to the Holy Spirit. I openly admit that I am quite forgetful of the HS as well as–dare I say it–Jesus. Raised Catholic, we are taught about the Holy Trinity–but God is really where the prayer forcus is. Thank you for the reminder.
Something that helps me pray is something Lindsey Nobles mentioned in the other post–listening to worship music. I’ve always been able to feel music in my heart and listening to the words of praise lately has really put prayer at the top of my mind while I’m driving. So I speak out loud and just let the words come at random.
oh me too! Listening to worship music or singing along and making the words my own. So many sweet times of conviction, brokeness, and praise have been expressed this way for me…..
@gritandglory says:
there’s another verse that says Jesus ever lives to intercede for us. (Heb. 7:25) wow. the mere thought that all day (and all night), Jesus and the Holy Spirit are interceding on my behalf just leaves me breathless.
and i am the same way with music. God speaks to me so much through music, and often times blaring some tunes in the car is just the prayer time i need.
@Heidi & Alece – there is a REALLY killer album to check out that I discovered through Kyle Reed’s blog… http://thoughtsaboutnothing.com and it’s Josh Garrels. I’ve been listening to it while I work the past few nights and it’s haunting and moving and really makes you feel God’s presence. I think, at least.
Thanks Morgan…i’m definitely gonna check it out. I looked him up just now and saved the link in my email…may download at least a few songs on my home computer tonight :-)
I highly recommend Train Song–I stinkin love it!! And the first one on the album…Fire something.
For me, it’s driving to work. I have about an hour one-way through wide open desert. God and I have some conversations, man. I’m sure people think I’m either crazy or singing to the radio. :)
@pa3cia says:
love that verse from nehemiah. =]
@gritandglory says:
me too! isn’t that so great!?
One cool thing that someone told me once is about not feeling guilty if you fall asleep at night in mid-prayer. They said what better way is there to fall asleep than in the loving arms of your savior. I always loved that!
@gritandglory says:
amen! such a great picture for my heart to cling to…
@bajanpoet says:
Love that list :)
I pray immediately too… I will forget otherwise.
I like short bite sized convo prayers…
And I LOVE that hymn – “Come Thou Fount…” Makes me feel God’s presence… A lovely hymn. Listen to it over and over again…
i am a horble prayer. i love the prompts…and will have to try that.
@traceepersiko says:
I pray with ppl. I like the with factor.
I journal my heart out.
I pray while on the eliptical machine at the gym. Works surprisingly well.
I pray while walking – PWW
I pray on voicemails.
I read some psalms and use those words when I don’t have my own.
One thing that I have found I do. I am not even sure when it started.
You know when you roll over in bed at night and you aren’t really awake but just for that second you are…..I always say “I love you Lord” or “Thank you Father” or “I know You are here”. Just whatever pops out of my mouth.
A sleepy whisper that has made Him my first thought whenever I am roused from sleep.
The HS has given me prayer prompts too, mostly for specific situations that are time-limited. for example, a good friend of mine is going to swaizeland on thursday for 2 weeks. while i know it’s winter down there, it’ll still be in the 80s and there won’t be any A/C anywhere.
When i come out of my car from a 6-7 hr. shift in starbucksland, my car is pretty warm. it makes me want to crank the A/C. instead, the HS suggested i NOT and use the ride home from work to pray for my friend! i love how He thinks!
just reading back through your archives after discovering your blog through a link from jessica. i want to be as authentic as you are and have others to be authentic with. looks like this is a great community of peeps.