Sick and tired of distractions deterring your prayers? We are, too. Day seven has a solution.
“Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.”
-Romans 8:5-6
Our mind has two settings: Flesh, and Spirit. You cannot exercise both at the same time. Once our flesh enters the picture, we are no longer walking by the Spirit. To clarify:
Flesh = submission to “our way” of living life
Spirit = submission to God’s way for us to live
If we are distracted during our prayer time, we need to evaluate what is governing our mind: Flesh, or Spirit? To-do list = not God. Praying for a friend = God. Once we identify where the distraction comes from, we will know what we are fighting against. When we submit our minds to the Spirit, we find peace. We are able to sit in the quiet of our prayer time, completely focused and engaged.
But here’s the deal:
The effects of submission don’t start and end with 5 am. If we don’t submit what we watch on television, listen to on the radio, the words that come out of our mouths, or even what we eat throughout the day, those fleshly desires will rise up later in times we are trying to pray. “Really, Erica? God cares about what I eat?” Yes. Yes, He does. He wants to govern in ALL areas of life, not just your prayer time.
Let’s pray:
1.) What do you think of most when you are distracted in prayer? Ask God to reveal the areas of your mind that are not “governed by the Spirit.” This can be worry, fear, family stress, etc. Write them down.
2.) What areas of your life, outside of prayer, are you resisting submission to the Spirit? These can be bad habits, gossip, your diet, your schedule, even what shows you watch and the music you listen to. These all become a soundtrack for your mind, making it difficult to let the Spirit be in control. No wonder we can’t focus when we pray!
3.) Repent of and release the ways you have let your flesh be in control. Offer God total submission to Him. The Spirit wins the battle over our flesh when we submit everything to Him! Let this song sing over you as you learn to surrender our own will. It’s time to finally welcome in the peace of the Spirit in our prayers.
Want to know more about prayer? Check out Believe Boldly: The Power of Simple, Confident Prayer to Unleash the Supernatural. Order your copy here. Don’t forget to follow BB on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Wondering when the next BB event is? Check out our schedule! Psst- that includes our RETREAT!
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