Distractions in prayer
This is a topic all pray-ers can relate to. The way I handle distractions in prayer is not amazing and probably not very original, but it helps me, so I’ll share it, for what it’s worth:
I just keep a small stack of 3×5 cards with me, and when I’m praying, when something mundane inevitably comes to mind like “I need to pick up the dry cleaning!” I just take a moment to write it down on a a card, then go back to my prayer.
I’m pretty sure God doesn’t mind that. I think he would rather I get something like that off my mind and be done with it, rather than try to stuff it down and have it rattling around. Besides, I find that it usually doesn’t take long to clear away those kinds of cobwebs and then I pray “better”.
Plus I’m less likely to forget the dry cleaning.
Links
The idea for the small stack of 3×5 index cards as a memory aid is from Merlin Mann’s 43 Folders website/blog. He calls it the Hipster PDA.
The idea of capturing all your thoughts and “things-to-do” is part of David Allen’s Getting Things Done system.
