Perfect Peace (A Stayed Mind Trusts Christ)

[Guest]

I have a dilemma, at the risk of sounding pious or over-spiritualizing worship of God, I have some questions. None of the questions are meant to dishonor Jesus or point to others in their worship of our Lord. Did God mean it was possible to have a “stayed mind” all the time; “Praying always” – Eph. 6:18

 

How do we worship God, in spirit and in truth, unencumbered by thoughts outside of praise and thankfulness to him? Did God mean it was possible to have a “stayed mind?” Did Elijah or other O.T. Saints have wandering minds when they worshipped God? When Jesus went alone and apart from the disciples, to pray, was his mind still part humanity; did the Lord's mind wander as he prayed to the Father; Jesus being himself very God?

 

My mind wanders during worship services. I pray about this lack of attention and feel disrespectful to the Lord when it happens. My mind wanders during worship, during praise, in thanksgiving, performing service, and while praying. Every aspect of my Christian walk of worship is infiltrated by a wandering mind. I don't seem capable of giving the Lord a concerted ten minutes of concentrated and consummated time. I may spend hours poring over scripture but during that time my mind can go from here to Papua New Guinea, from the tires on my truck to getting in some shooting target practice. Even while going over a list of blessings I'm thankful for I may drift off to some task later in the day.

 

My mind wandering isn't toward sinfulness, necessarily, as a man may define sin; but this drift can be toward any number of events occurring in my life, my family's, or the nation and world. There are other times when thoughts that just should not be present occur. When my mind wanders or drifts, I do immediately seek to re-focus and the Holy Spirit is accommodating with scripture recall, precept, or Bible truth to correct my course. I'm supposed to be reading my morning scriptures as I'm typing; it's still drift even though I'm seeking to grow closer to Christ!

 

Did the Lord bring me to these thoughts? Possibly the ones purely concerned with further service to him, or wholesome activities, or any of those things which would honor God are from him. I do not believe any impure or unholy thought would be presented by God. Maybe another spirit present would pop up an improper thought but, not God.

 

The O.T. Saints may have had great focus but, I doubt their humanity allowed them to have a complete and total concentration on God. Elijah, became consumed with himself and had a pity party under a Juniper tree, still God took him up. I suppose that is one of God's graces we must be greatly thankful for; even though we lose focus God will take us up if we have faith in Jesus Christ's finished work.

 

There are several scriptures and one truth which make me believe Christ never had this issue. The truth, Christ's purpose was never forgotten; he came to redeem man through the cross. The scriptures, Colossians 1:17 "all things consist" that is, held together; if he drifted all the atoms of creation would be scattered. Hebrews 7:25 " he ever liveth to make intercession for them." He is continually thinking of us. Matthew 16:21 "he must go unto Jerusalem" again, his ministry was always before him. Mark 10:32 "And they were in the way going up to Jerusalem; and Jesus went before them:" Luke 13:33 "Nevertheless I must walk to day, and to morrow, and the day following: for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem." Christ never lost focus, never wavered, never drifted but, had a singleness of purpose and total fixation for his purpose. John 8:29 “And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.”

 

I’m thankful Christ and the Holy Spirit are interceding on my behalf. It may be possible God made us this way to prevent us from making worship a ‘chanting’ and to realize even worship of him is a grace. Isaiah 26:3 “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.”

 

Does your mind wander or drift during worship, preaching, or while praying? 

[swathdiver]

Does your mind wander or drift during worship, preaching, or while praying? 

 

Yes.  It takes discipline, like not scratching your nose while standing at attention in formation.  

 

The Holy Spirit brought this to my attention when I first started reading the bible.  At first, I would read the words but my thoughts were elsewhere as I'd done while reading secular texts and novels for most of my life.  I finally realized it and made a concerted effort, and with lots of prayer to overcome that.  It still happens from time to time, there are heavy weights on my shoulder that I fail to give to the Lord, and they of course distract.

[Guest]

Yes.  It takes discipline, like not scratching your nose while standing at attention in formation.  

 

The Holy Spirit brought this to my attention when I first started reading the bible.  At first, I would read the words but my thoughts were elsewhere as I'd done while reading secular texts and novels for most of my life.  I finally realized it and made a concerted effort, and with lots of prayer to overcome that.  It still happens from time to time, there are heavy weights on my shoulder that I fail to give to the Lord, and they of course distract.

It still happens with me too. That's why I wondered after these many years, if others had similar distraction. At home I make sure everything which might be a distraction is gone. My devotions are in the morning before my wife is around. When we pray, I make sure we have silence...grandchildren included, when present. But, that doesn't stop the momentary drift while in prayer. An example I suppose would be helpful. During my morning prayer today, I had a moment's thought about something trivial (don't remember for sure, may not have been trivial?) could have been something someone said the day before or thoughts of my mother while praying for her health. Anyway, it drew me away from my prayer list and before I knew it I had several thoughts outside the items on my prayer list. Shaking it off, the thought about distractions overwhelmed me and I began to type notes about my thoughts on my distractions. The distractions may very well have been areas of my Christian walk God want me focused on, I don't know. I did go back to my prayers and finished my daily reading but, by this time it was 9:00 AM or so. Any way as you can see by the OP's time-stamp, I spent the entire morning and some afternoon focusing on distractions and digging into the Bible for truth. God's never finished with us until he takes us home so, maybe it is good or maybe...just maybe...I'm 60 years old. P.S. I was certain at which point I could scratch my nose in formation that thought will be with me for a while

[Miss Daisy]

I take notes the entire sermon. It really makes me pay attention. I write down all references to verses if I don't have time to look up as he's referring to it. I even write down what hymns we sing. I have a lot of memory prOBlems so if I want to go over the sermon or just look back at was it was about an hour after church, I have it available. I also write down all prayer requests on index cards with dates so I remember  who to pray for and why. later I  can go back and write down the outcome if I know it.