How to react when distractions cause havoc

Prayer Journaling

Distractions are aimed at our purpose and our kingdom assignments. Whether it hit our family life or our jobs, it will surely cause a stir in other areas of our life leaving it in imbalance.

Panic, despair, or quitting strikes as soon as a person loses focus and gets disoriented.

A sound mind

In the region where we live there is still a gravel road that people need to use to travel to the nearby towns or shops. The company that used to mine in the area maintained the road with their machinery, but since they are gone, the road is in such a bad state. The corrugations on this road make your trip quite unpleasant, especially for the people living here, attempting the road weekly. The point that I want to make is that when reaching your destination, your head is spinning and the sound of the corrugations are still echoing through your head.

  1.Panic is like a heavy blow to the head, leaving a person disoriented and out of focus.

Sometimes it can be a strike at our hearts to leave us out of breath and in despair. Either way, when panic strikes a sound mind, the attack bounces right back. Like hitting a ball with the head! A sound mind combats the heavy blows to the head. The head of the child of God ( 1 John 1:12) is therefore protected with the helmet of salvation. However, it is our responsibility to put on the full armor of God daily.

According to the dictionary to be of sound mind means to be sane,  moderate:–be in the right mind, be sober (minded), soberly.

My grandma, 92 years old, summed it up so well. She gave her life to Jesus, but her mind is still unsaved. She is being tormented with all kinds of negative thoughts and one day she said:” These thoughts are taking me to a strange road. And I unknowingly follow it till I realize I am at this road of hopelessness .”

“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? “

Romans 8 :31

2.Panic \Fear creates its own path

The first attempt would be to get us out of balance and focus so we will not be able to discern and eventually choose the wrong turn. Fear gives us a blurred perspective and makes it difficult to make good decisions and hereby influences our reasoning.

3.Panic or fear directs us to short-cuts

The immediate reaction sometimes is: What shall I do? Where do I go to find a solution? Questions 101! If one reacts immediately to these echoes in our minds, we are forced to do something quickly and irrational. This road eventually ends with self-pity and a whole lot of new problems or challenges on your plate.

 Keep your eyes straight ahead; ignore all sideshow distractions.

Proverbs 4:25

Tips to beat distraction with journaling

1.Orientation of your thoughts

• Rise early: Early bird catches the worms. Getting up earlier than the other members of the house, give you the advantage of having a quiet retreat.

• Listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit as you get up. I’ve experienced that the Holy Spirit is waiting eagerly for us to wake up and to get into prayer, to give us our daily assignments, and to renew our strength and focus for the day. The kitchen is the first place I spend time to make coffee, and that’s where the conversation starts boiling! I am still sleepy when I get out of bed and orientate myself in the kitchen, listening to the sound of the kettle and the voice of the Holy Spirit.

This was an experience I had while waiting for the kettle to boil and it made me realize that the Holy Spirit eagerly awaits me as I get up and step into my day and int prayer.

• Declutter your journaling area.

Hardcore – or beginner journal lovers know how messy our workspaces can become. I found a way to recycle even the strips on which my stickers were or the paper in shoeboxes used to wrap shoes in. Keeping a container to throw in all access and non-usable materials is a must.

2.Clothe yourself with the full armor of God.

This is one of the most important parts of my mornings in prayer.

I’ve learned over time that I have to pray on the armor of God to activate it. Before I usually just put it on like a Sunday school learner, declaring the pieces over me and went into prayer. Now if led by the Holy Spirit I sometimes spend a whole hour to put it on praying on it in the Spirit. This is one of the ways the Holy Spirit teaches me to discern where the enemy of my soul targets me or which area needs to be strengthened.

3.Prepping your journal pages

This is another one of my favorites, but I have to do it with much focus to listen and concentrate on the voice of the Holy Spirit, who knows the heart of God, advising and teaching me.

4.Journal a prayer for your mind

This can be a once-off prayer entry and you can occasionally go to this page and pray on it, renewing it through prayer. I also wrote a prayer for my vocabulary to trust God to lead me not into temptation in this area and for Him to be glorified through my words. Still, I do make mistakes!

5.Engage in the evening Power Hour

I recently was advised by the Holy Spirit to come into God’s rhythm as heaven has its own schedules and timing and does not operate according to our earthly time frames.

A prayer journal mentee told me just last week that the Holy Spirit awakened her at 5 0 ‘ clock every morning and advised her not to look at the time for the spirit of man does not understand worldly time. If the eyes of man see time, the Fleshman automatically responds by telling a person to keep on sleeping,  to wake up later…there is still enough time.

The Holy Spirit instructed me to research the different prayer watches. I was amazed! I did not know there are 8 prayer watches.Actually, I think I was ignorant about these things and wanted to pray My Way!

This is a time to pray for clarity for your new day! More on this another time!

Staying ahead of the signs of turmoil that want to manifest through distractions is possible with a sound mind, a renewed mind. A sound mind stays focussed during the storms of distraction. Prayer, journaling, and Bible reading during the quiet moments of the morning or the settling hour of the day and keep our mind refreshed and helps us to prompt action in distraction. Pray and ask God to renew your mind, soul, and spirit during the Power Hour watch from 6 Am till 9 Am and wait for the amazing works of God’s hand.

Conclusion

Distractions will always be around!Nehemiah was distracted from rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, and their enemy used different strategies to distract them! Even now in this constantly evolving world of technology. As children of God ransomed from this world through the finished works of Jesus Christ, we have to be transformed by the renewal of our minds.

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Romans 12:2

Blessed journaling