Dear Thoughts… Day 4

Alertness

“Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.” Colossians 4:2 NLT

It is in the quiet times I want to spend with God in prayer that I catch my mind wandering the most. And like Alice, I sometimes follow the thought down the rabbit hole and later realise I am far from the prayer path I was on. Though the thoughts lead to a Wonderland of mental exploration, it steals precious time with our Father. I imagine God talking and just like the children we are, we are thinking of something else. Completely missing the wisdom our Father teaches.

“Alert” in our verse is the adjective meaning to be quick to notice any unusual and potentially dangerous or difficult circumstances. But why does the Word specifically warn us to have an alert mind when praying? The enemy does not want you to pray. He does not want you to spend time with God. So, like the sneaky serpent he is, thoughts are subtlety dropped. If our minds are not on alert (especially when we pray) we lose focus from God and our worship shifts from Him to the thought entertained.

Dear Thoughts… You are not welcome when I am spending time with my Father. From today I am putting my mind on high alert to notice any unusual and potentially dangerous thoughts. Holy Spirit please teach me to be a watchman of my mind and teach me to be vigilant with my thoughts.

Prayer: Father, thank You for teaching us to have an alert mind and that our time with You is just as precious to You than to us. Help us to be alert to our thoughts and give us the discernment between Your voice, our own thoughts and the enemies doing. Amen.

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