Have you ever sat down during your quiet time with God and felt blocked? I have felt this many times, this used to discourage me from speaking to God. I felt like my prayers were just hitting the ceiling and falling back down on my lap. I haven't mastered this but these 6 ways have helped my quiet time immensely.
What to do when praying feels like a chore, or connecting with God feels out of reach.
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1. Play worship music or instrumentals.
This is one that I do every time I spend time with God. It centers my thoughts and keeps my mind on him. Of course, there are times when my mind is going crazy anyway, but the music is a constant reminder of who I should be focusing on. Music also sets the ambiance in a space. If I start to play music when I feel like anxiety is in my space, I feel anxiety leave and the spirit of God replacing this feeling. It works every time.
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2. Read the Word.
Essential! The word of God can give us the language we need to communicate to God. Have you ever found yourself in a conversation that seemed so hard to keep because of the lack of words to express your thoughts? No? Just me? The word also holds God's will for our lives. We can't pray the will of God if we don't know what his will is. The word of God helps to guide how we ask and what we ask for. Once we are aware of WHO God is in our lives, we can approach him as his children.
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3. Thank him.
One time during my quiet time I spent a lot of time trying to get in his presence. Once I became aware that I was already there, I began to thank him. I thanked him for anything I could think of. The posture of gratefulness opened me up to an awareness that I could not achieve without it. Saying thank you got my mind off of my limitations and unto his infinite power. Sometimes thank you is the key to unlocking this realm of awareness that our hearts search for in prayer.
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4. Allow the spirit to take over.
Without the Holy Spirit on the inside, this will be difficult to do. Allowing the Spirit to take over is ultimately allowing the Spirit to speak through us. The Spirit speaks in an unknown tongue, a Heavenly language that is gibberish to us but makes perfect sense to God. Romans 8:26 says, "Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered." When we are at a loss for words, the Holy Spirit will speak for us! That is amazing. Not only will the Spirit pray for us but he can ONLY pray the will of God.
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5. Be honest about your feelings, where you are.
This is like, necessary. I have told God upfront, I don't feel like being here, I'm tired. Instead of hiding these feelings, I laid them out before God. After I expressed them, I made up in my mind to stay. I knew that I needed this time with God. I knew that he would make this time worth it and I also knew that these feelings were just feelings. They don't dictate my behavior or decisions. This also helps us to open up to God about ANYTHING. He gave us emotions and feelings, why not share them with him.
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6. Switch up your approach.
It's okay to switch up the order of your quiet time. If worshipping God first helps then do that. If reading the word first helps then do that. There is no 'one size fits all' blueprint for our prayer time. Know yourself and stick with what works best. For me, reading the word first is just not ideal. I get sleepy. So, worshipping wakes me up a little then praying right after keeps me engaged. Then I read my word afterward. I do each section for at least 10 minutes minimum. That is 30 minutes with God a day, but I usually go over this time anyway. No matter how you decide to plan out your time, be intentional about it. Do what you are able to do. Consistency is what God is looking for not the amount of hours you spend with him.
I pray this helps you on your journey.
How do you navigate around obstacles with prayer?
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