Jesus did not say, “Dream about your Father who is in the secret place,” but He said, “. . . pray to your Father who is in the secret place. . . .” Prayer is an effort of the will. After we have entered our secret place and shut the door, the most difficult thing to do is to pray. We cannot seem to get our minds into good working order, and the first thing we have to fight is wandering thoughts. The great battle in private prayer is overcoming this problem of our idle and wandering thinking. We have to learn to discipline our minds and concentrate on willful, deliberate prayer.

We must have a specially selected place for prayer, but once we get there this plague of wandering thoughts begins, as we begin to think to ourselves, “This needs to be done, and I have to do that today.” Jesus says to “shut your door.” Having a secret stillness before God means deliberately shutting the door on our emotions and remembering Him. God is in secret, and He sees us from “the secret place”— He does not see us as other people do, or as we see ourselves. When we truly live in “the secret place,” it becomes impossible for us to doubt God. We become more sure of Him than of anyone or anything else. Enter into “the secret place,” and you will find that God was right in the middle of your everyday circumstances all the time. Get into the habit of dealing with God about everything.

Unless you learn to open the door of your life completely and let God in from your first waking moment of each new day, you will be working on the wrong level throughout the day.But if you will swing the door of your life fully open and “pray to your Father who is in the secret place,” every public thing in your life will be marked with the lasting imprint of the presence of God.

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August 23, 2010

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

I woke up and began to pray but then my mind started to wander, as I thought about the day, my responsibilities…my list of things that must get done……or what?

And there I was again, off in my own worries and anxieties. How could I begin with such great intentions and then in the blink of an eye be off in my own directions?

And God says….”  Do not worry yourself about your wandering mind and thoughts when you come to pray….you are free to wander and to be shaped by me. Let Me shape and direct your heart and mind….be free in the Spirit…you are not to control what is mine. Give your heart and mind to Me every morning.

Even the Apostle Paul found himself in this dilemma. Remember, when you seek Me you will find Me, if you knock I will answer. Put away your thoughts of the future and of what you should or should not do and just seek Me. Nothing can separate you from My grace, mercy, love, or my presence. Seek Me and find My rest and peace. I did not set you free so you could bind yourself up. Be free and at peace in my grace.

Remember the magnitude of My sacrifice and know it was and is for you. Relax, and rest knowing that My love, mercy and grace covers you regardless. You are mine.

DJR Journal 8-23-10

Good Morning, Lord   …  Today my brother & I are bringing you this issue of the wandering mind … anytime but especially when we go to prayer.    I started praying and in just a few minutes was wandering.

Did you do the worship that you prayed about doing?

Oops.   I forgot that.   Please help me remember………….. Wow the phone rang with an “emergency” and I was off on the roller coaster .    But I’m back.   I’m finding that YouTube with the worship songs with the lyrics is a good resource for a wandering mind like mine.    From recent days and sensing right now, I am seeing more about forgiveness.   The only way that I need continual forgiveness is if I am continually imperfect.    So that works good because I am continually that and you continually offer forgiveness.    So beating myself up for not being perfect seems to be counterproductive at the very least.      But what about that “Be ye perfect?”

You know that means complete.

Yes, I knew that.   So how does that relate to this?

It is about the process.   You talk about letting me lead and you like Carrie Underwood singing about taking the wheel,   So just do that.   Put some habits into your life that put me in the drivers seat like those YouTube songs and then just let me lead..   you will fail and I will forgive.   That’s the way it is.   You need forgiveness and I have it right here for you.

OK Thanks for the reminder.