BIBLE KEY TO HAVING A FOCUSED MIND WHEN PRAYING - PT. 1

'For if I pray in an [unknown] tongue, my spirit [by the Holy Spirit within me] prays, but my mind is unproductive [it bears no fruit and helps nobody].' - 1 Corinthians 14 vs 14 {AMPLIFIED BIBLE TRANSLATION}

Greetings to you dearly beloved of God in Christ Jesus. I trust God that you will be marvelously helped by this Article. Amen. God is with you.

Many Believers lament over a gross digression of attention they experience when they pray. Some say that they find themselves thinking or imagining other things even as they are praying in other tongues; some even say that they imagine vain things while they yet speak in tongues, and they try their best to get their attention focused on their prayers, but it's always a difficult task for them to achieve. Maybe this is your present state at the moment, congratulations you found the answer today. Now let's examine our opening Bible passage;

'For if I pray in an [unknown] tongue, my spirit [by the Holy Spirit within me] prays, but my mind is unproductive [it bears no fruit and helps nobody].' - 1 Corinthians 14 vs 14 {AMPLIFIED BIBLE TRANSLATION}

'For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful.' - {KJV}

It shows us that when we pray in the Spirit our mind/understanding is unfruitful. Uhmmm. Now let's see this: Have you noticed that when you speak to a person, you don't experience mind drift? For example, when you are in a discussion with a person or a group of persons, you don't experience a mind drift, you face the person you are in a discussion with, and you discuss with no distractions, except for intentional distractions like if you have to speak to another person, or take a phone call, or you know...stuffs like that. But why is it that when you pray in Tongues, mind drift is experienced? You just find yourself engrossed in other thoughts even while you're still praying, and many times you catch yourself drawn away in thoughts, and you try to draw yourself back to the prayer. Some think something might be wrong with them; no! Nothing is wrong with you beloved. It's a normal happening. But you need to know this (what I'm about to unveil) to curb that situation and stay above it when you pray.

Now, remember that when you pray in the Spirit your mind is unfruitful (according to our opening Bible passage). That means, the mind is not connected nor involved when we pray in the Spirit. This is the reason why the mind can drift when a man prays in the Spirit, because the mind is not in use at that particular moment. But on the other hand, when you discuss with people, your mind is connected, your mind is involved in the discussion, hence focus is commanded naturally - This is why you are naturally focused when you discuss with men, because your mind is involved. - Selah. So to actualize focus when you pray in the Spirit, get your mind involved, connect your mind to your prayer, engage your mind in your prayer, say something your mind understands. - Selah

'Then what am I to do? I will pray with my spirit [by the Holy Spirit that is within me], but I will also pray [intelligently] with my mind and understanding; I will sing with my spirit [by the Holy Spirit that is within me], but I will sing [intelligently] with my mind and understanding also.' - 1 Corinthians 14 vs 15 {AMPLIFIED BIBLE TRANSLATION}

You see, this is the formula many Believers have not applied as regarding prayer for a long time now. You don't pray with the Spirit alone, you couple it with praying in the understanding. As you pray in the Spirit, there are Scriptures or Bible portions the Holy Spirit might pop up in your heart, speak them out in your understanding (a language your mind knows - maybe English, or another language that you understand); there are words of thanksgiving that the Spirit of God might pop up in your mind, speak them forth in your understanding (a language your mind knows - maybe English, or another language that you understand); there are words of prophecies that God might inspire in your heart as you pray in the Spirit, declare them forth. When you pray this way, you will notice that you are praying with a God-consciousness and with a sense of attention and focus, your mind is not drifting at all, you will notice that your focus is fully on God and on the prayer. Why? Because your mind is involved in the prayer. The mind is the seat of attention and focus, and you can not give focus to anything if your mind is not involved in that thing.

Think on these things.

And note, these words are for practice, and not for mere excitement. It's in the doing of these words that you experience the miracle thereof. Do what you have read, and you will definitely experience your mind staying focused and not distracted when you pray. Amen.

God is with you.

- Jenning U. Angel

Proceed to read the part 2 of this teaching. Click here >>