Why Distractions During Prayer are Awesome!!!!!

Prayer Just Became Easier

    Prayer is communication with God, right?     What happens when the communication breaks? “Dear God, thank you for...for...for...I wonder how the Wings are doing tonight. Oh, my bad. God, Thank you for the Red Wings, and...and…” Sound familiar? It may not have been the Wings, but we’ve all had moments of distraction in prayer. It’s human! But God doesn’t hang on our distractions. St. Francis de Sales shared that we should not focus on the fact that we were distracted, but that we returned to Christ in prayer. So rather than being disappointed about being distracted 30 times in 15  minutes, feel accomplished in the fact that you said “Yes” to God 30 times in 15 minutes. Your commitment to return to Christ shows your true love for God. And the more you say “yes” to God, the less distractions will occur.

    But why do we have distractions in the first place? It’s what’s on your mind. If you’re trying to pray and you can’t stop thinking about that girl/guy, pray for that person. Invite your distractions into your prayer life because the reason those thoughts are coming to you is because they are your highest priorities. Your highest priorities should be shared with God.

    In short, don’t let distractions take you away from prayer, invite them in and continue to say “yes” to Christ.

Don't Forget to KISS!!!!!!!!!!!

              Someone asked me how to pray, all I could think to say was “just remember to KISS.” After a blank stare, it was obvious this person hasn't taken any business classes. KISS is a business acronym   which stands for “Keep it simple, silly.” So let’s simplify God’s relationship with us. Straight up, God is awesome. I mean, he rose from the dead, forgives our stupidity (countless times), and comes to us in the form of bread and wine. Then there’s you, who has done none of those things, and yet God thinks you are so awesome that he did all of those things just for you.

Our love is tested when someone lies to us or betrays us. But God is like “Dude, come back. I still love you!” God can’t not love us because it would be a contradiction. When he made us, he made us in his image. In other words, he put himself in each and every one of us. So if he denies us, he’d be denying himself. God can’t do that.

So stop thinking God doesn't love you as much as he loves Johnny, priests, or Mother Teresa. He does. He loves you more than anything. The difference between us and Mother Theresa isn't God’s love for her, but her love for God.

How can we love God more? Let’s keep it simple by just keeping God up to date. “God, my day stinks. Sam dumped me.” “God, I’m going to watch some TV to relax. Criminal Minds, but I’ll get back to work after one episode.” Prayer doesn't need to last two hours on your knees. I've got four “go-to” prayers I’d like to share with you, the Hail Mary (Gotta love our Blessed Mother), “JESUS HELP ME!!!!!” “Thank you, God,” and “Jesus, I trust in you.” Find out what short prayer works for you and get into a habit of praying it. If you’re ever asked to pray out loud or are feeling overwhelmed, just remember to KISS, keep it simple, silly.

#HowToMinister

So there is this great video by Cheerios titled #HowToDad. Got me thinking about, "How can we ministry?"
The first big question is, "Am I called to be a minister?" The answer is a definite "yes." When I say “minister,” I’m not only talking about priests, monks, and nuns, I’m talking about you and I who forget that we have a chance to minister (show people Christ) everyday. Being a minister and preacher are not always the same. The majority who minister to me are ordinary people.
For example, last Sunday I did the Ice Bucket Challenge for ALS (dump ice water over yourself) and then challenged three friends. Within a half hour, I got a text from my buddy, “You better have that bucket ready when I come over tonight!” It may seem small, but when you see someone dump really cold water on himself to help raise awareness and money to research a disease your dad died from, you see Christ in that person. Doing ministry isn’t about knowing the theological answer to how transubstantiation occurs, it’s about being Christ to others through your actions. It could be helping those in Haiti, doing the ice bucket challenge, praying with others, or even giving someone a compliment. So next time you have a chance to minister (i.e. every moment you're with someone else), don't simply talk about Christ, be Christ to them. Even the most tasteful foods can be disgusting when they're being shoved down one's throat.

Boasting in your Weakness

             We all hate our weaknesses and try to avoid them at all costs. For example, if you have a reading disability, you try to avoid reading in public. If you struggle with addiction, you try to sweep it under the rug. That addiction could be drugs, porn, TV, food, alcohol, etc. Our weaknesses tend to bring us shame. That’s exactly where the Devil wants us, to feel sorry for our short comings. It not only makes us hate ourselves, but it also brings jealousy and disdain toward others who have the gifts that we do not. In 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, Paul writes about begging God to take away a temptation he cannot overcome. He was persistent as well, three times he begged. But God responded, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” In other words, God said, “Look Paul, I know you struggle and Satin is sending you those temptations because they pull you away from me. But you will come closer to me through this weakness.”

    God loves trust and faithfulness. God didn't see Paul’s sin as a “no” to God; rather, God saw Paul’s repentance as a greater “yes” to God. The way God teaches trust and faithfulness is through humility. Humility is not only admitting that we've messed up, but where we've messed up. When we do this, we take ownership of our shortcomings. But what does boasting about our weaknesses mean?

    Boasting in your weaknesses/difficulties is admitting your imperfections. It could be jealousy, pride, or facing an addiction. For example, with addiction, porn is a huge sin pulling us away from Christ. It is as addictive as heroin. It releases unnatural levels of dopamine (pleasure sensors) into your brain. Admitting your struggle of pornography (to the right people) helps create a bond where a relationship can form. Have you tried to snap a twig in half? Pretty easy, right? But it becomes harder the more twigs that are together. We are very similar. We need a community to strengthen us. And without us, that community is weakened. The stronger our community becomes, the more we can accomplish. Life isn’t about avoiding sin, it’s about turning toward Christ. And every step toward Christ is a step away from sin.