PADD

I must confess that I have PADD -- Prayer Attention Deficit Disorder. I know many prayer warriors who seem to have NO problem finding the right words to pray, and they stay focused as they communicate with God. (Confession: I really don't like those people!) I know, too, that there are others, just like me, who no more than 30 seconds into prayer, start thinking about what has to be done, what has been neglected, questioning if the bills got paid, or if my outfit matches, or what the dinner menu is going to be, or... 


Be still, my over-active thought life! 


Now, what was I writing? See, I am distracted, even as I write this. I have always thought of being able to think about three things at once not as being "distracted," but as being able to multi-task. I thought this skill was an asset, not a liability. When it comes to prayer, I should not do or think about more than one thing at a time. 


It certainly is hard to be STILL.


It's been said that you can always find a distraction if you are looking for one. I guess my eyes are wide-open, and I am on heightened alert for a diversion.

I also have been known to fall asleep right in the middle of a prayer. I know, that's REALLY bad form. So, it's possible to be too STILL during prayer? I suppose so.

My intentions are good. I try, really I do, but when I pray, I all too frequently find myself hopping down some rabbit trail of unrelated thought. Thankfully, God is ever so patient with me, despite my digressions and slumber.

Here are some ways I've found to have more effective prayer:


1. JOURNAL 
Writing down my prayers in a journal is an idea that I haven't yet successfully implemented, but am willing to try -- again. I have attempted to do this over the years, but I never stick with it for a prolonged period of time. My greatest fear is that the information contained on those ink-filled pages could be embarrassing, damaging, hurtful, etc. if someone else read it.  By contrast, if I wrote things in too cryptic of a way, even I might not remember what it was I was praying about. 


I have had people tell me that this is a wonderful way to document what God is doing. I keep searching for a journal that I like, but I cannot find one that fits my requirements. I suppose that I could resort to using a plain ol' spiral notebook, but holding out for a pretty hardbound, book-like journal. 

2. DOODLE
Praying in Color is a book written by Sybil MacBeth (Hmmmm... I just had the quote "Fair is foul, and foul is fair." come to mind as I typed the author's last name. I MUST stay focused.) that I have not read, and will probably not purchase. The concept presented in the book is pretty straightforward: as you pray, you write down names of those you are praying for. Next you doodle and color in with markers as you think about what your prayer for that person is. By drawing your prayer, it allows you freedom/creativity and time to think about what it is you are praying about. I kinda like this concept of having an "active, visual, and meditative" way to pray, especially when words fail me. This approach appeals to my inner-artist, too! (No, this is not one of my doodles. I do not know Sandy & Tom.)

3. The B-I-B-L-E (Yes, that's the book for me.)
Use Scripture as prayer. I have done this in the past, but somehow do not seem to keep it up.

4. ONGOING CONVERSATION
-Use everyday (even mundane) situations all throughout the day to give thanks to the Lord.
"God, thank you for giving me __________."
-Pray for others when they pop into your mind.




5. ACTS
A- Adoration
C - Confession
T -Thanksgiving
S -Supplication


6. THE LORD'S PRAYER
Jesus prayed this way, so we should use this as a model of how we are to pray.


I know that I am only scratching the surface here, as there are MANY other ways to have a more effective prayer life. I just hope to find something that works for me. If you have any other suggestions, please send me an e-mail.

Oh! Here's yet another option for enhancing prayer time, but I am not adding it as #7 on my list.  I read about a gentleman who set up an e-mail account for God. He writes/sends prayers to God's e-mail address throughout the day. Whatever works... but I wonder what happens if/when God's server is down, or if His in-box gets full. Or what if God starts marking the influx of e-mail prayer requests as "spam" or "junk mail"?!!!

Okay, I'm thinking it, so I might as well write it. I am wondering what kind of name this guy chose for God's e-mail account:

god@god.com?

jehovah@heaven.com? 

creator@iamgod.net?

yahweh@alphaomega.net? 

god@themanupstairs.net?

iam@gmail.com?

The possibilities are limitless.