“Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray” (NIV – 1 Pet 4:7)

^“Keep your mind clear, and be alert. Your opponent the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion as he looks for someone to devour. (GW – 1 Pet 5:8))

My mind is anything but clear.  About 5 years ago I had a serious health issue that attacked my ability to concentrate.  It’s coming back but I still have trouble reading books and such, so opposite of who I was beforehand.

But clear-mindedness goes beyond our physical health.  I’ve realized lately I’ve had so much on my plate, how is it even possible to be clear-minded?  I can’t. Slowly and surely the Lord is untangling me.

I’m stopping a lot of the projects I’m involved in as while they are important and good, they are hindering a clear mind.

I’m getting other projects done completely so they no longer hang over my head.

I’m trusting the Lord in situations where I REALLY need him.

As the Lord has been doing these things, I’ve also been asking myself how I can be more intentional about being clear-minded.

• Monitoring what I eat as that affects my mind
• Limiting internet time as that takes up a lot of time and is very pleasantly distracting
• Working on heart and head thoughts so that hurts do not affect my thinking
• And more.

“How can I become more clear-minded?” is a question I’ve been asking myself more frequently.

And the goal is not to become more clear-minded just for the sake of being clear-minded, but so that I can pray.

Our minds have limited capacity for details and responsibilities and all that goes with life.  Too much and it clutters our thoughts and hinders our prayers.  We know this as soon as we go to prayer and our mind races with the things we need to do.

Being uncluttered in our minds allows us to pray.

Being cluttered in our minds hinders our prayers.

So this is the task.  The uncluttering.  The saying no to good things.  Saying no even to important things.  Finishing certain tasks.  Cutting out more distractions.

Without prayer in our lives we are in many ways a spiritual shell.

It’s time to bring more life back on the inside.