I have mind like a rabbit on speed, the slightest distraction sends it scurrying in all directions. Here are some helpful helpful bits of advice I have received.
Prayer is raising one's mind and heart to God, some people's minds can be lifted and they stick where they are put, these people only pray once, for the rest of us, who are not Angels or plaster statue, we might have to raise our minds and hearts to God a hundred times during ten minutes of prayer - is that a bad thing?
We can't help birds flying over our heads during prayer: flying birds are not a problem. The problem comes when we put food and nesting material in our hair.
Don't run away from distractions, occassionally they can be God speaking to us, best to pray about them and turn them to God.
To avoid distraction in prayer avoid them in life, be single-minded in the pursuit of God.
A distraction that struck me yesterday: Jesus was a man like us in all things but sin: isn't the account of the Temptations in the desert about how he himself dealt with distractions. Notice how he doesn't run away from the distraction but faces it to them and resolves them by turning to scripture.
3 comments:
Thank you Father - that is very helpful.
A family member of mine used to say that no-one could help temptations coming our way, but that we didn't have to invite them in and sit them down with a cup of tea.
On a Lenten retreat yesterday the priest said something I hadn't thought through til then. Jesus was capable of sin but chose not to do so.
I had thought resisting temptation was not a problem to Him because He was somehow immune. In His perfect humanity this is something therefore we can aspire to. In stressing the divinity of Christ I had assumed incorrectly that in this matter He was not like us. Hope I got it right!
I find that extra s in occasional a distraction,perhaps the spellchecker should be dumped
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