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“But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray”-Luke 5:16 

 

Have you, like me, ever felt frustrated that you cannot seem to focus during your prayer time? We are living in a time that is filled with distractions and demands on our attention. It seems so difficult to quiet the sounds around us and to quiet the racing thoughts in our minds.   

Jesus experienced this during his time on earth. Throughout Luke’s Gospel we see there were people to heal, ministry to conduct, and miracles to perform. Doing so would have strengthened Jesus’s message and the call to repentance. This work was important and necessary, yet Jesus “withdrew to desolate places to pray.” 

We need to look to Jesus to see how he found a way to rest and focus on prayer with the Father. The solitude found in “Desolate Places” allowed him to engage with his Father without distractions. We must remember that prayer is a conversation with God and is vitally important in our relationship with him and our growth as a Christian. To truly enjoy our time with our Father In Heaven, we need to take the necessary steps to remove these distractions. 

How then can we remove the distractions? The following are ways we can avoid distractions and focus on our prayers. 

  1.  Go to a quiet place. This will be a different place for each of us. It might be a particular room, your car, or outdoors. This is your own personal “desolate place.” 
  2. Choose a time to pray. When possible, we should choose a time that is as free of distractions, as possible. This could be at any time of day. Many people like early in the morning. It is a good start to your day and prepares you for the challenges and opportunities ahead. 
  3. Write out your prayers. I have found this could be helpful. It gives you time to really think about what you want to speak to God about. You can list the specific praises you want to express, sins you wish to confess, things you are thankful for, concerns you have in life, and the needs of others. 
  4. Keep a prayer journal. This will help you focus your prayers and see answered prayers. 
  5. Pray using scripture. Scriptures were often used in prayer and are a good way to keep your prayer thoughts on God’s will for your life.   
  6. Pray with fasting. Fasting is an effective way to pray for especially important or difficult issues.  This frees your mind and body to focus your attention fully on God. 
  7. Change your prayer position. Getting into a too comfortable position can lead to distraction. You can pray sitting, standing, walking, or on your knees. Find a position that keeps you alert and focused. 
  8. If you do find yourself distracted, just refocus, and continue. Do not let a distraction disrupt your prayer time. You can discuss the distraction with God and ask for his help in keeping you from distractions. 
  9. Lastly, always remember that the Holy Spirit is there to help you with your prayers. Ask for his guidance. “Likewise, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.” -Romans 8:26 

Removing distractions that affect our prayer is critical. Prayer lets us cultivate our relationship with God and enjoy our time in fellowship with our Creator.  Let us be a people who follow Jesus into a desolate place so that his power and message might not only resound from our mouths but in our hearts and lives.