Michelle and Cincinnati, do you have some tips for helping us to stay focused in prayer even while the day to day noises and the distractions remain around us?
So I think, you know, prayer is such an interesting topic and I think distraction and prayer is such a it's an interesting topic unto itself. I think that when we do get distracted in prayer, I think God is speaking to us through the distractions. I think that's the first thing, you know, if you fall asleep in prayer, God is saying something to you and maybe you're praying at the wrong time. Maybe you're giving God the worst time of your day. Maybe you're just too busy and and you're exhausted, you know?
And so the reality is, is that when we do get distracted in prayer, I think the first thing is not to despise the distraction, not to try and hurry the distraction off, but to to use that distraction, to enter into a conversation with God and say, God, what are you teaching me through this distraction? What are you saying to me through this distraction? And of course, as soon as you begin that conversation with God, you refocused. And so how do we refocus in busy times, in times of distraction and prayer? You just got to get the conversation started.
Would you say, well, let me ask you this personally, what what is the best habit that you have? Would you say that that is it or what is it? It's interesting, I think, how the physical, the emotional and the intellectual, spiritual or interconnected, you know, I would say that. Definitely the habit of daily prayer is the most important habit in my life. The habit of reading really feeds my habit of daily prayer.
So that's really important. Also, I also need my sleep. If I don't get my sleep, I don't pray. Well, I don't read well. I don't relate well, things aren't good. So, yeah, I think I think prayer is is critical. I would give up sleep for a few days to pray, but I wouldn't give sleep up for ever to pray. So it's, it's a balancing one in one day.
Matthew Kelly
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