A Place With Less Distractions

Do you have a secluded chair, a private place, a distraction-less corner where you can quietly sit with God and hear what he is speaking to you?

Our hearts yearn to have a few intimate moments in God’s Word every day, but it is nearly impossible to find such a sanctuary in our everyday lives - unless we are intentional about creating such a space.

Distractions are noisy.

Create your space and time

Be intentional about creating your private place. Build that ideal spot and time into your life for a few distraction-free moments with your Bible and God’s presence.

Understand your rhythms of life. When are you the most alert and aware of God’s voice? What half-hour of your day could you consistently carve out for those few quiet moments?

For some of you this time will be early in the morning before the rest of your household starts moving. For others it will be just before going to sleep in the corner chair in your bedroom with a small lamp. Whatever and whenever, declare it sacred.

Remove the noise of distractions

You may have your dedicated area but still be distracted because of the noise from outside and within.

Here are 4 ideas for removing the noise of distractions:

1. Shut down the electronic and digital triggers that grab your attention.

• Turn off your glowing screens so they don’t catch your attention and divert your focus – especially in the morning when you are trying to read your Bible, meditate, and pray. Read more in this blog. Quotidian and Glowing Screens
• Turn off notifications on your smart phone. Don’t even bring your phone with you into your sacred quiet space. Notifications will also distract you throughout the entire day. According to a study in 2017, Americans check their phone on average once every 12 minutes – burying their heads in their phones 80 times a day.
  • You’ve all experienced the group texts. You are just getting refocused and you hear a beep. You just “have to” check it – only to find another smiley face emoji. (Those life-and-death texts you just don’t want to miss!)
  • Silence the beep of the notifications and designate a time to catch up on social media “life” according to the schedule that works best for you.
• Your email box can wait until you are ready to read it. The most productive people in the world will tell us to read/answer email only twice each day. This habit instantly limits incoming distractions.
• Turn off background noise from the television and radio. Some of you focus better with quiet music in the background; and that’s OK. There are other sounds, though, that are distracting and interrupt focus such as voices from television shows, news channels, and radio stations. You know what distracts you and you have the power to use the on and off switch.

You have the power to use the on and off switch.

2. Get rid of physical clutter.

Clutter not only messes up your space, it messes up your mind. (Just google “living with clutter” and you can find all kinds of research) Most of us allow our eyes to distract us and clutter will subtly pull your attention at least a little. Now I know that some of you are “messies” and some of you are not. I want to encourage you to keep everything within eye glance of your sacred place clutter-free. You will be able to concentrate better and keep your focus on God.

3. Redirect your mental nagging to-do list.

You finally are settled into your chair, no one else is awake, and you have your steamy sugar-free vanilla latte next to your Bible and journal. As you are reading your mind wanders to something that you have to remember to do today. That thought, plus others, will keep nagging you until you write it down. Now let it go and rest assured you will not forget this important task.

4. Quiet your mind.

Our mind tends to wander and distract us. We relive yesterday, we think about today, we worry about tomorrow, we rehearse conversations, we let our imagination run wild, etc. . .

Only you can capture your thoughts and redirect them to the task at hand. It is a discipline – a training yourself - to read, meditate, and sit quietly in God’s presence. Read more in this blog Small Changes Create Big Results

Start today!

You can create a sacred place with less distractions where you will sit with God and receive the revelation-secrets of his promises.