After a stressful day at work, it felt good to get home, put on my slippers, and
lay down in my recliner with a book. The one I had in my hand this day was
entitled: "How to Pray in Peace." I couldn't wait to start reading it. I wanted
my heart to fill with the peace that can only come from growing closer to God,
my model for everything.
I hadn't even finished the first paragraph when the phone rang.
"Guys!" I called. "Could you please answer the phone?"
No response. I had no idea where my sons were; for all I knew they had wandered
out to "Mossedonia", their imaginative world in the woods at the back of our
property. But wherever they were, they were well out of range of my feeble
voice, and with a forced sigh, I put down my book and got up.
"Hello?" Was my cautious greeting.
"Good afternoon sir. Do you have a moment?"
"Not really…," I mumbled, glancing longingly at my book.
"Good! Did you know that credit card theft is on the rampage? I have the
solution to your problem …"
"Uhh . . . I'm not interested, thank you!" And I hung up the phone over the
sputtered: "But, but . . ." From the other end of the line.
I sat back down on my recliner, a bit annoyed by the distraction, but before
long I had begun my second paragraph. That's when I suddenly had the feeling
someone was watching me. I tried to ignore it, but after rereading the same
sentence three times without comprehending the meaning, I again laid down my
book.
Sure enough, I was being watched. By my Golden Retriever! She was sitting as
close to me as she could, just staring up with those soft brown eyes of hers.
As soon as she knew she had my attention, she scampered for the back door.
Her silent message was clear and I sighed as I got up. She obviously needed to
use the "doggie" bathroom, better known as the back yard!
"Go on girl," I said. "And please hurry!"
Ten minutes later I was back in my recliner. I decided to rock in it a bit,
instead of putting my feet up. Maybe that would help me relax after all of these
distractions!
It did. And I had just begun my third paragraph when I heard my two boys. They
were screaming at each other . . .
I laid down my book again and rose to face the tempest. The problem itself
seemed pretty benign and was quickly rectified. I sat down again, but as soon as
I was reaching for my book, someone knocked at my door.
"Papa, it is for you!" Called one of my boys.
Back up again, I faced the neighbor's two teenaged girls.
"Could we have some sand from your sandbox please? It's for an experiment."
Grrrrrrrrrr…. But at least they had asked nicely!
"Go ahead," I said. But it took all of my inner reserves of strength to remain
calm as I closed the door. "I wonder what's next?" I muttered. "Will I ever
finish the first page?"
I decided that maybe it was my choice of chairs, so I switched to the couch. Two
of our pet birds played on the rope overhead, but I ignored them, and I was just
finishing up paragraph three when it happened: A huge blob of bird poop, flying
down from above and landing with a "splat"!-right on the next word I was about
to read!
"Guys," I called. "Who left the birds out unsupervised?"
Grrrrrrr!!!
Although many similar distractions were forth coming, I was determined, and
eventually did finish my book. And I was blessed by it as well!
Often in prayer we are faced with similar problems. Besides the normal
distractions, the disruptions from the brain are even more terrifying: "Remember
those overdue bills?" Or "You haven't finished your "to do " list yet!" These
are soon joined by memories of all those problems at work, by wondering if you
forgot to feed the fish, and by the most annoying thought of all: "Is tomorrow
my wife's birthday??? Oh dear! I better check it out!"
These distractions tend to discourage some people from praying. But think about
it. If we stop doing something we really care about because of distractions, we
had better live in solitude on some abandoned island! And even then, there WILL
be distractions that present themselves!
I cannot let distractions dictate my life. If I did, I would never talk to my
wife or my kids! I wouldn't go to work or to church, and I wouldn't even have
the luxury of spending time on my hobbies. Distractions constantly conflict with
my plans!
Only with persistence was I able to finish my book, and the same can be true of
prayer. I have learned to welcome the distractions that occur during prayer. I
now see them as an opportunity to pray for those situations. For example, if I
remember an overdue bill, I thank God for reminding me, and I pray for those who
are going through hardships and can't pay their bills. If I remember my
neighbor, Joe, during prayer, I take the time to bring his case to God, even
though most of the time I really don't even know what Joe may be facing.
Our attitude determines if we regard these distractions as annoyances or
opportunities. Instead of hampering our praying progress, they can enhance our
prayer experience.
"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.
With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints." (Eph
6:18 NIV)
"All I want is for you to be able to develop a way of life in which you can
spend plenty of time together with the Master without a lot of distractions." (1
Cor 7:35 The Message)
Distractions are opportunities to be prayed for!
P. S. Did you let the dog out before sitting down to pray? This could
potentially avoid an unnecessary distraction!
Rob Chaffart
The Illustrator: This daily newsletter is dedicated to encouraging
everyone to look towards Jesus as the source of all the solutions to our
problems. It contains a daily inspirational story, a Bible verse and encouraging
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The Nugget: Published three times a week, this newsletter features inspirational devotionals and mini-sermons dedicated to drawing mankind closer to each other and to Christ.