Praying with Understanding

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Prayer, I believe is a conversation between us and God, either we are giving thanks, making requests or even asking questions. Yet it is not uncommon to feel like a prayer could be such a complicated and maybe even a delicate conversation to have, after all, it's God we are talking to here. There is no way that wouldn't be somehow daunting! I remember learning to pray as a child during family devotions and how nervous I'd get, mumbling through my words, hardly able to get anything coherent out. My auntie, bless her, would jump in the middle of one of my many long pauses to rescue me and carry on with the prayer but once we were done, my uncle would almost chide her for not giving me a chance to learn and develop my confidence. I didn't blame her; I found those long pauses very uncomfortable too! So, I usually understand when people tell me they do not know how to pray and would prefer others to pray for them or they'll just avoid it altogether and some even ask if
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The Deafening Silence

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"Sometimes the sound of silence is the most deafening sound of all." - K.L Toth
I still think the mind is the greatest battlefield, a place where countless victories and defeats are continuously recorded. A place where the deadliest battles, though fought in silence can yet be the most deafening.
Have you ever found yourself sitting in a lonely place, thinking over a problem and it is as if you can literally hear your thoughts crashing onto each other? So stressed, you are hardly able to tell one thought from the other, it all becomes so chaotic and loud?

Do you sometime have people talking around you or even to you, yet you can't seem to hear them? You yell at people around you, for them to keep quiet because you think their voices are raised when in fact it's not. It is your mind playing tricks on you. Mine does that sometimes.

I recently decided to re-watch one of my best movies of all time - The Matrix with Keanu Reeves, and was so fascinated with the scene with the little boy and the bending spoon, I mean the part where the little boy told Neo not to try and bend the spoon as there was no spoon, even though Neo had it in his hands. As if that wasn't enough to bend my mind, he said it was not the spoon that bends, it is only yourself. I honestly lost the plot at that point and  I admit I almost went for a spoon before I stopped myself! I can't become Ige - the last spoonbender! Lol!

It must have been told to you and I, one time or the other that worrying doesn't solve anything, instead it usually compounds whatever problem we are facing. A healthy, clutter-free mind is what is needed to think up solutions (not spoon bending!) to solve problems that may come our way. Remember the old, popular, saying that tough situations don't last but tough people do.
The mind is such a powerhouse and that is why it is always faced with so much, it's strength lies in it's fragility and vice versa.
I'm learning to be careful where I let my thoughts go, especially nowadays where there are more negative news than positives all around.

A picture wit an old scroll background with 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 NIV written on it in full text.
I liken the mind to a bookshelf and we are responsible for keeping the right books on it. We must be able to account for the kind of books that we allow on there: Are they tattered, old, books we can do away with to create space for newer and more interesting ones? Are they clean and free of dust and cobwebs? Are there inspiring, positive and soul enriching books on there that we may want to put within easy reach for those days we will desperately need them?

We must take the job of maintaining our emotional bookshelves seriously because that task solely falls on us. We own it, we keep it.
My friend reminded me today that it is OK to be cross at the world but not to forget there are lots more things to be happy and positive about. I believed every word and that gave me a boost out of whatever dark hole I felt myself crawling into as a result of some sad news I had heard.

If the world throws at me the word 'problem' I would throw back the word 'solution. If it throws at me 'obstacle' I'd knock it out with the word 'overcome'. The other day, I found myself worrying over yet to be achieved things on my 2022 to-do list but quickly caught myself and reminded myself of all the unexpected wins I have celebrated this year.
So, after a long day, and I'm sure most parents will relate to this; I usually look forward to my me-time, a quiet time usually only possible when the kids are settled in bed for the night. I usually take this time to 'gather my thoughts' and this is just me sitting quietly in a comfortable space, reflecting on the day. I consider this as some sort of mind exercise.
It cannot be over emphasised how important it is to maintain a healthy mind to help our mental well-being.

Find below link to my previous post on the importance of having a disciplined mind:

A Disciplined Mind

Sometimes, we could do with talking to someone and that is ok. I'm usually the type to say, "I'm OK, no need to chat and get things off my mind". Not anymore, I'm learning that it is ok to reach out and get things off my mind by talking to people. If you need to talk to loved ones or even health professionals, please do so, don't hesitate.

Other things I do during my me-time is to count off all the things I'm grateful for, such as:

  • being alive
  • having a small but lovely garden
  • being able to get up and get the kids ready for school in the mornings
  • make it through to the end of the day
So many other things. I'm even thankful that our little cat, Roxy is alive and well, especially after losing Bella in 2020.
I also find using one of my favourite devotionals very helpful: The Confident Woman Devotional- 365 Daily Inspiration by Joyce Meyer along with Battlefield of the Mind Bible by same author as a start to my day or a boost at any point in the day.

We all have different life experiences that has either sharpened or dulled how we see and deal with problems. Personally, my tough experiences has sharpened my outlook on certain aspects of my life but instead of chaos and noise, I find a way to tell my mind - 'peace, be still'
Despite these constant mind battles, I'm never doubtful of victory and it is because I chose to allow someone else lead the battle - Jesus.
I know where my strength ends so it's great to be able to trust that my faith will see me through to the end.

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
2 Corinthians 12:9-10 NIV

Stay well
Ige

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