janbear
06-21-2007, 10:19 AM
How do you Pray When You Can't Even Concentrate?
Personal prayer for an ADDer can be a frustrating experience. As children, we are taught to sit quietly, with our eyes closed, obviously not the most comfortable of postures for an individual with ADD. "Being still before the Lord" might not be feasible for you right now.
Then there is the entire matter of maintaining a coherent line of thought during a prayer. Concentration seems to come and go. One minute (an entire minute? make that one second!) you're speaking to God Almighty, the next you thinking about a problem at work. Or a dog barks, and your wondering why, and when will it stop, and which dog was it. Then you begin to wonder if dogs pray, and if they do, what for, and by the way did I take the trash out and why should I be the one who has to do that anyway... You get the picture.
Still, we know we must pray. If we are to expect any answers or insight from God, we have to have a relationship with Him , and that includes prayer.
Here are some helpful ideas:
Remember: God does not grade your prayers. God is not going to take your prayer and turn it into another 7th grade English paper with red marks all over it. The only scriptural requirement for prayer is that it be offered in faith. God will honor your prayers.
Rather than trying a marathon prayer of unrealistic length (like 5 minutes), try to take the admonition of Paul to "pray without ceasing" into consideration. Make prayer a part of your day. Try having short talks with the Lord throughout the day. Treat Jesus as He is- your constant companion who walks with you. Talk as you walk. God doesn't care about the posture of your body as much as he is concerned with the position of your heart,
For those times when you need and want longer prayers, try praying with music playing. There are plenty of good worship tapes available. Put one on and pray. If you find yourself singing along instead of praying, that's O.K. too.
Know that God hears your prayer. Know that God cares.
http://add.about.com/library/weekly/...r&PM=113_300_T
Personal prayer for an ADDer can be a frustrating experience. As children, we are taught to sit quietly, with our eyes closed, obviously not the most comfortable of postures for an individual with ADD. "Being still before the Lord" might not be feasible for you right now.
Then there is the entire matter of maintaining a coherent line of thought during a prayer. Concentration seems to come and go. One minute (an entire minute? make that one second!) you're speaking to God Almighty, the next you thinking about a problem at work. Or a dog barks, and your wondering why, and when will it stop, and which dog was it. Then you begin to wonder if dogs pray, and if they do, what for, and by the way did I take the trash out and why should I be the one who has to do that anyway... You get the picture.
Still, we know we must pray. If we are to expect any answers or insight from God, we have to have a relationship with Him , and that includes prayer.
Here are some helpful ideas:
Remember: God does not grade your prayers. God is not going to take your prayer and turn it into another 7th grade English paper with red marks all over it. The only scriptural requirement for prayer is that it be offered in faith. God will honor your prayers.
Rather than trying a marathon prayer of unrealistic length (like 5 minutes), try to take the admonition of Paul to "pray without ceasing" into consideration. Make prayer a part of your day. Try having short talks with the Lord throughout the day. Treat Jesus as He is- your constant companion who walks with you. Talk as you walk. God doesn't care about the posture of your body as much as he is concerned with the position of your heart,
For those times when you need and want longer prayers, try praying with music playing. There are plenty of good worship tapes available. Put one on and pray. If you find yourself singing along instead of praying, that's O.K. too.
Know that God hears your prayer. Know that God cares.
http://add.about.com/library/weekly/...r&PM=113_300_T