Do My Prayers Frustrate God?

[Chad]

Do My Prayers Frustrate God?
I know God is all-knowing, but I wonder if even He has a hard time following my prayers.
by Carol Barnier

Oh Lord, please keep my children safe as they return from camp this week. May the driver’s mind be rested, and may his eyes be sharp. Oh, that reminds me. I need to make an eye appointment for Katie. I saw her holding the latest American Girl book way too close. That can’t be good. I was so surprised the library didn’t have more books in that series; they’re so popular. And clearly these books get lots of use ’cause they’re looking pretty ratty. I wonder why they didn’t use that industrial-strength plastic on them. Come to think of it, I should use that on my books at home. Nah—I’m already running low on shelf space, and that would just make the books wider. Ha! Wider, just like me. Ya know, I really need to get back on that diet. If I were just to . . . What? . . . Wait . . .oh, OH! Lord, I’m so sorry (big sigh). Where were we?

How can this happen? How can I take the amazing privilege of being permitted to bring my thoughts, joys, pain, and requests to the King of the universe and let my mind wander off on some distracted trail?

And it’s not just my meandering mind that can take me off track. We live in a world of beeping interruptions. When digital technology first exploded onto the scene, we all thought, Things will get easier now. I can find information so much more quickly. I’ll . . . (and here’s the lie we all bought into) . . . I’ll have more time.

Perhaps in the beginning it was true. Researching a purchase no longer involved reading lengthy product reviews at the library. In seconds, we had all the information we needed. But soon we had more information than we could handle. And now, information is coming at us so fast and furious, it’s like drinking from a fire hose. There’s too much to process. Beeps are constantly alerting us to another thing to read. Emails are flooding in. Facebook messages are sent. Blog after blog has a thoughtful post for us to consider. My head is often spinning from all the input. There’s no time to think through these messages, no time to turn that input into output.

Get away. Get in.

Our heavenly Father is fully aware of the world we live in. He knows the constant pull on our attention.

But He’s made it very clear He still wants to hear from us anyway. Fortunately, He also tells us how.

In Matthew 6:6, we read, “ But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret . . .”

There it is. Making a regular time of prayer will undoubtedly feed our souls, but it requires that we first find a way to withdraw, close the world’s door, and get into God. How do we make that happen?

Tie a new habit to an old one.

Years ago, my connection point became my first cup of coffee. That need for a “starter cup” has been with me since college, and at one point, I felt God asking me to connect this daily habit to Him. So I determined that before the first sip could pass my lips, I had to have my Bible out and my study materials ready. With that simple act of obedience, I found a consistent, daily time of prayer. What’s one of your daily habits? Teeth brushing? Turning on the computer? Taking the dog for a walk? Make a commitment to tie this existing habit to a new habit of a daily time with God.

While that new coffee connection brought me regularly to God’s throne, it didn’t keep my mind from wandering while I was there. That required a bit of creativeness on my part. I’ve tried several approaches, but in the end my best solution was flash cards. Though it sounds silly, that little stack of cards in my hands keeps my mind from straying too far, because right in front of me are reminders that bring me back on task. But here’s the unexpected bonus: When a prayer is answered, it goes into my “answered prayers file.” This blessed little box has proven to be the most reaffirming place to return to, full of sweet reminders of God’s provision and love for me over the years.

In the end, I suspect God is more amused than frustrated at the meanderings of my mind. But that’s no excuse to leave the tendency unaddressed. As in any relationship, we need to actually connect with Him, converse, and listen. A regular time of thoughtful prayer takes some planning and effort. It will not happen automatically. In fact, our jam-packed, efficiency-driven mode of living works against it. Yet regular conversation is the glue of relationship. Time spent alone with the Lord not only shows our devotion; it wraps us in awareness— of our Creator’s love and concern for us, of His work on our behalf, of who we are in His eyes. Loved. Valued. And best of all . . . His.

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